The Secret (2006)

Through the eighteenth century, the clavichord was a highly favored instrument for personal music making. Musicians loved it because they could play with dynamics (shades of soft to loud) and even voice chords (play each note in the chord with varying amounts of strength to "color" the chord). While the harpsichord was a louder instrument and more suitable for public performance, the strings were plucked and there was no way to play with different dynamics. The artist could change the effects to give the illusion of dynamics, but it was a psychological manipulation. With the clavichord, the force of pressure on the key directly levered the tangent into the string with that same force and that created the dynamic. Musicians treasured its subtlety and responsiveness to even the softest breath of a note.

David Coverdale is back with a brand new Whitesnake on Live…In the Shadow of the Blues. Recorded between 2005 and 2006, this double disc documents a new band – with veteran monster drummer Tommy Aldridge (Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers, Randy Rhoads-era Ozzy Osbourne), guitar wizards Doug Aldrich (Dio, Carmine Appice, Bad Moon Rising) and Reb Beach (Winger, Eric Clapton), bassist Uriah Duffy (Carmine Appice, Pat Travers Band, Christina Aguilera), and keyboard boss Timothy Drury (Eagles) – and runs not only through the hits in an inspired and dirty-ass fashion, but comes up with four new cuts as well, recorded in the studio and tacked on at the end of disc two…

Best known as a songwriter, Pomus began his career as a Blues-shouter in 1940s New York City, following in the footsteps of his heroes Big Joe Turner and Wynonie Harris. For the first time ever on CD, we explore Pomus' secret history as a recording artist which, coincidentally, also reflects the amazing history of R&B from mid-'40s risque Blues and jazzy Jump tunes to mid-'50s screaming Rock 'N' Roll!