Eric+gales

Californisoul is all about great songs. This album shines in the depth and soul of the songs and songwriting - no cookie cutter filler to be found. Supersonic Blues Machine is Lance Lopez (guitars/vocals/songwriter), Fabrizio Grossi (bass, producer, songwriter), and Kenny Aronoff (drums). As they've proven on their first album and round of shows, it's not a party unless you invite some friends, and for Californisoul, they've brought along some heavy hitters. Guests on the album include Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Steve Lukather (Toto) throws down some stunning licks, Eric Gales is back in the fold, Robben Ford brings his bag of soulfully sophisticated chops and Walter Trout brings some silky slow blues. You may come for the stars, but you'll want to stay for the whole show. Supersonic Blues Machine is truly a family as well as a band, and these guests don't phone it in, they stay for dinner. The community aspect is very real, and one of the band's great treasures.

Zito's 16th album is descriptively titled Rock N Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry. This release finds him broadening his boundaries still further even as it marks a return to his roots. The album consists of 20 Chuck Berry classics performed by Zito and an impressive array of 21 guest guitarists, among them Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Eric Gales, Robben Ford, Richard Fortus, Sonny Landreth, Luther Dickinson, Albert Castiglia, Anders Osborne, and, significantly, Chuck's grandson, Charlie Berry III.

Supersonic Blues Machine have the form of a supergroup, but only their drummer, Kenny Aronoff, is well known. The other two members – bassist/producer Fabrizio Grossi and guitarist/vocalist Lance Lopez – are behind-the-scenes musicians but they're all united by a love of classic blues and classic rock. The latter is what initially brought Aronoff and Grossi together. The two musicians were playing in Goodfellas, a side project from Toto guitarist Steve Lukather. Not long afterward, Grossi was working with Lopez on an album by the guitarist and that turned into the band that became Supersonic Blues Machine. Several guests visited the studio during the recording of the band's debut – the biggest being Billy Gibbons, Warren Haynes, and Robben Ford – and the subsequent West of Flushing South of Frisco saw release in early 2016. The band's sophomore effort, 2017's Californisoul, featured guest spots from Gibbons, Steve Lukather, Eric Gales, and Walter Trout.