Playing sideman to Rick Braun, Larry Carlton, Gato Barbieri, the Neville Brothers, and many others introduced guitarist/vocalist Steve Oliver to smooth jazz fans, but it was with Steve Reid's band that Oliver found a following. It was 1996 when Reid contacted Oliver at the last minute to fill in for a canceled opening act. Oliver hit the stage as a solo act and Reid was impressed with the guitarist's vocalese skills and summery sound. Oliver had come to vocalese not through King Pleasure or Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, but through Bobby McFerrin and Pat Metheny's work with Richard Bona and David Blamires, who sang along with guitar solos. Being a fan of the earthy Metheny sound, Reid hired Oliver after the gig and featured him in his touring band. Reid's Mysteries and Passion in Paradise albums featured Oliver not only as guitarist but songwriter as well. Oliver struck out on his own in 1999 with his debut, First View, released by Night Vision. The album spawned three hit singles on smooth jazz radio and earned the guitarist a Debut Artist of the Year award from Smooth Jazz News.
Supertramp followed an unusual path to commercial success in the 1970s, fusing the stylistic ambition and instrumental dexterity of progressive rock with the wit and tuneful melodies of British pop, and the results made them one of the most popular British acts of the '70s and ‘80s, topping the charts and filling arenas around the world at a time when their style of music was supposed to have fallen out of fashion. Cardboard sleeve (mini LP) reissue from SUPERTRAMP featuring the high quality SHM-CD format (compatible with standard CD players) and Cardboard sleeve (mini LP) replica of the original LP artwork. The ten-album SUPERTRAMP SHM-CD Cardboard sleeve (mini LP) reissue series featuring the albums "Supertramp," "Indelibly Stamped," "Crime Of The Century," "Crisis? What Crisis?," "Even In The Quietest Moments," "Breakfast In America," "Paris," "…Famous Last Words…." "Brother Where You Bound," and "Free As A Bird."
One of Blue Note's greatest mainstream hard bop dates, "Song for My Father" is Horace Silver's signature LP and the peak of a discography already studded with classics…it hangs together remarkably well, and Silver's writing is at his tightest and catchiest.
Their union in the Boneshakers was fairly short-lived, but together guitarist/songwriter Randy Jacobs and vocalist Sweet Pea Atkinson put together two powerful, rockin' funk and soul albums and entertained some lucky audiences who became Boneshakers themselves on dance floors across the U.S. Atkinson was born in Oberlin, OH. After working 14 years as a Chrysler assembly line worker, he left his job to pursue a music career, singing for such Detroit R&B groups as the Exquisites and Energy. While with Energy, he worked with Detroit producer Don Was (then unknown). He has also sung with industry heavyweights Elton John, Lyle Lovett, Bonnie Raitt, Neil Diamond, and Brian Wilson.
F.R.David (real name: Elli Robert Fitoussi, often also credited as Robert Fitoussie) is one of the now classic HI-ENERGY artists of early 80s. This French artist born in January 01, 1947 in Menzel Bourguiba (Tunis), and currently living in Paris (near St Germain des Prés) released many songs in pre-MODERN TALKING era. His personal "trademarks" are his sunglasses and his guitar (a white Fender Stratocaster). Many of us think of F.R. David as the singer of his smash hit Words, which sold 8 millions records accross the world, topped charts around Europe in late 1982 and hit No 2 in Britain in spring '83. Its eventual UK success was caused by its exposure on BBC TV's Top Of The Pops. The disc was featured on the first edition of a special Euro-slot incorporated in the program. The song was a catchy, slightly plaintive mid-tempo ballad sung in a slender, high-pitched voice. Indeed, such was Monsieur David's singing style that radio listeners all over Europe thought the single was by Madame David until seeing him. His voice resembles voice of Thomas Anders from late MODERN TALKING. Actually, F.R. David had several songs that became acclaimed hits. Another Mega Hit by him "I Need You". has been done in similar style as "Words". Speaking of "Words", this track was remixed in 1991 and released as MAXI-CD on MINT Records (Index # 879-701). This Maxi CD had three remixes with updated sound to Italian House. They were good but in my opinion the original sound was better. In 1997 "Words" was re-released in progressive genre.