Niacin

Having played straightforward hard rock with Mr. Big since the tail end of the '80s, bass virtuoso Billy Sheehan formed Niacin as an outlet for his jazz fusion and prog rock inclinations during the mid-'90s. The trio also featured keyboardist John Novello and drummer Dennis Chambers, both musicians who had crossed frequently between the worlds of jazz and rock during their careers. With Niacin, Novello devoted himself especially to the Hammond B-3 organ, a longtime mainstay of both jazz and prog rock.

The three members of Niacin each have high profile reputations. Bassist Billy Sheehan worked with Mr. Big, Talas, & David Lee Roth. Keyboardist John Novello worked with Chick Corea & Andy Summers, & drummer Dennis Chambers worked with Santana, George Clinton, & Stanley Clarke. As Niacin, they write songs that allow them to show off their musical gifts & powerful, soulful style. The sum of the parts makes the band a unique & identifiable force. The album features 2 unreleased studio tracks 'Front & Center' & 'Gelatin'.

Combination Head's leader/keyboardist Paul Birchall has collaborated with Cher, Geri Halliwell and M People among others,but surprisingly his influences come from 70's progressive rock keyboardists: Keith Emerson, Eddie Jobson, Peter Bardens, etc. For this project he is accompanied by guitarist/bassist Keith Ashcroft and drummer Paul Burgess,who has worked with 10CC, Jethro Tull and Camel. Their first album carried the name of the trio as a title, released on S.A.M. Records in 2006. This is 100% melodic instrumental progressive rock with symphonic and Fusion touches with influences coming from the afore-mentioned keyboardists as well as Camel, U.K., The Flower Kings, Spock's Beard and Genesis, while adding some strong Niacin echoes here and there won't be far from reality.

World renowned fusion drummer Dennis Chambers (Santana Parliament/Funkadelic, John McLaughlin, Niacin, Mike Stern) joins forces with Tribal Tech's Gary Willis and Scott Kinsey (Joe Zawinul, Bill Evans, Robben Ford) and legendary guitar duo Garsed/Helmerich for a no holds barred fusion super session. Uncle Moe's Space Ranch features some of the hottest grooves and most unrestrained fusion ensemble and solo work ever recorded.

The term "concept album" is usually used in connection with rock, but jazz has had its concept albums as well (Charles Mingus' The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady and Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain, for example, are among jazz's most celebrated concept albums). Gladwell is a concept album from jazz guitarist/composer Julian Lage; in the liner notes, Lage explains that he envisioned this 2010 recording as an aural depiction of "an imaginary and forgotten town known as Gladwell." Lage doesn't use any lyrics to depict his fictional town: Gladwell is strictly instrumental. And Lage, who is heard on both acoustic and electric guitar, is appealingly melodic on his own compositions (which dominate Gladwell), as well as a performance of the standard "Autumn Leaves." As a guitarist, Lage favors an airy sound along the lines of Pat Metheny and Jim Hall, and as a composer, his influences range from Metheny to Oregon to Weather Report.

Compression is the first solo album by Billy Sheehan. William "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, Niacin, and The Winery Dogs. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style. Sheehan's repertoire includes the use of chording, two-handed tapping, right-hand "three-finger picking" technique and controlled feedback.