Monday, November 8, 2010

Rogers & Nienhaus

BMS had the opportunity to visit Meramec Jack's in Valley Park, MO a few weeks ago to listen to Rogers & Nienhaus. You know going in that you're going to hear a couple of world class musicians. On stage there were 7 guitars, one bass, 2 mandolins, and a piano. You couldn't help but think about the path these instruments have traveled, from Nashville Tennessee to Europe and South America; what stories they could tell if they could only talk. When Terry Jones Rogers and Scott Nienhaus took to the stage, these instruments began to tell their tale in the hands of these two professional musicians. The list of music included original material, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Jackson Brown, Allman brothers and many more. Their harmonies were solid, a harmonic collision of two great vocalist. As musicians, these gentlemen play just about every instrument known to man. When asking Scott, "is there an instrument you don't play?" His answer, " the violin!" Itzahk Perlman ought to send Mr. Nienhaus a monthly checked with the promise he never takes it up. When Rogers and Nienhaus performed, they had every ones attention, young and old. There was little or no small talk during their performance and every song was accompanied by an hearty applause and at one point a standing ovation. This is something you normally don't see at smaller venues, BMS witnessed it that magical night at Meramec Jack's.

Just who are Rogers and Nienhaus? Those in the "bizzness" and fans of The Byrds, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Poco, Flying Burrito Brothers, Firefall, and Pat Liston, certainly know of these gentlemen. They have performed with and or opened for such legendary acts. However, if you just fell off a turnip truck, here's a bio taken from the website of these two accomplished musicians.
http://rogersandnienhaus.com/Bio.php
 
Terry Jones Rogers and Scott Nienhaus began their long association in 1993 after both relocated to Nashville, TN at the urging of their mutual friend Michael 'Supe' Granda of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Nienhaus and Granda had become friends in their home state of Missouri, when Scott's group 'Acousticity' toured with 'The Daredevils' as their opening act, soon leading to 'Acousticity' working with Nicolette Larson as her band.Rogers and Granda became friends when they worked together in the classic group 'The Byrds' with original drummer Michael Clarke. Terry was invited to join the newly reformed group by Clarke in 1988 after becoming friends in Hilton Head,SC, and was fronting the band when Supe came on board. Soon after Granda's inspired introduction, Rogers invited Nienhaus to join his newly formed group 'The Byrds Celebration', after Michael Clarke's untimely death in December of 1993. In early 1994, Rogers & Nienhaus began working with 'The Byrds Celebration' along with Byrds alumni Skip Battin and Gene Parsons, as they embarked their first tour of Europe, including Germany, Switzerland, France and The Netherlands.

In 1995, Rogers & Nienhaus released 'The Rogers/Nienhaus Band with Skip Battin' "Empty Room", recorded at Music Masters Studio in St. Louis,MO, leading to many European tours as an acoustic duo in support of this project. Numerous cafes and clubs in Amsterdam and other parts of The Netherlands, and 'The Anker' in 'Interlacken,Switzerland were favorites and always included many return engagements.

Living in Nashville,TN provided many opportunities for the duo, including The Ryal Macaws, which featured Rogers & Nienhaus, along with Supe Granda, Vince Barranco, and world renowned fiddler, Vassar Clements.

Now living in the St. Louis Metro area, Rogers & Nienhaus have become local favorites, with their fiery performance and pristine harmonies, as well as national and international engagements.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Band of the Week S Five

HIP HOP/Soul
"Hailing from St. Louis, S Five blends hip hop, soul,
and funk to produce a sound that is tasteful and diverse."


Front man and Lead Vocalist Rodney Nathaniel Gray Jr. aka Rod 'Wisdom' has everything it takes, to take this band to the next level. Rod is surrounded by some very fine musicians.

Band members are:
Andrew Gibson aka A/G - Drums,
Ben Kniffen aka Brother K - Bass, Andrew Miramont aka Monti - Keys/guitar , Anthony Butler - Vocals/Saxophone

A few weeks ago BSMS received S Five's, "The Real EP" CD in the mail, Wow! Great music! Their song, "Movin the Crowd"does just that! You might want to go see these gents perform locally while you still can. If they can keep it together, great things will surely come their way!

While writing this article I was told by Andrew Gibson/ Drummer, that the band has made some "personnel" changes.

According to Andrew Gibson, Anthony Butler, Vocals/Saxophone will no longer be listed as a part of the live act, " because we're working on forming an actual horn section and will only use it sparingly. We do, however, now have a keyboard player named Jason Martin." We certainly wish the best for S Five and that the current changes strengthens the band and puts them over the top! According to Andrew Gibson, "We're working on big things and taking our band huge."

Andrew Gibson, " We've got some serious studio work to do. We will be working hard, writing new material and getting it recorded, then possibly expanding the live group. Not saying we won't be giving any performances or taking any gigs, but our focus will be heavily in the studio. We're working extremely hard and trying to make some big things happen. Thanks for those of you who are fans and have supported us in our endeavors. The music industry is a very difficult fortress to break into, so we've got our work cut out for us."

"Hailing from St. Louis, S Five blends hip hop, soul, and funk to produce a sound that is tasteful and diverse. Their fresh approach to hip hop appeals to funk fans and jazz junkies, and S Five is turning the heads of people who usually disregard rap while never alienating the loyal hip hop crowd. The group has just finished their five song self-titled demo and is working on a full length album. But their live show is the best way to experience their sound. S Five delivers passion and musicality to a genre stereotyped by soul-less performances and indistinguishable music. Taking influence from Talib Kweli, Black Thought, and Mos Def, front man and extremely talented lead vocalist Wisdom spits introspective lyrics. The live band consists of Monti on guitar and keyboards, Brother K on bass, and “Doctor” A/G laying it down on the drums. Their fan base is growing, ears are opening, and S Five is promising nothing but the best. for booking, contact Miles Dela Cruz at 314-791-1069 or email SFiveMusic@yahoo.com


S Five playing their original song "Move the Crowd."
September 25, 2010 at The Kirkwood Amphitheater
www.myspace.com/SFiveMusic
www.facebook.com/SFive.fb


Sunday, October 10, 2010

"Artist of the Week" Wayne Givens

BMS had the good pleasure many years ago to be introduced to Wayne through a mutual friend and musician, Kevin Simon. In those early days you could sense there were a few among us who shined a bit brighter than their peers.  It became quite obvious why Kevin was so excited to team up with this extraordinary musician. What great joy to choose Wayne Givens as the "Artisit of the Week."

"Heavily influenced by The Beatles and the classic rock era of the early 1970's, Wayne began his musical career in 1976 playing cover tunes in the St. Louis, MO area. As his performing progressed, Wayne began throwing the original tunes he had written into the mix at his shows. His group, Ambush, was selected to have a song on the K-SHE 95 compilation called "Seeds," which featured songs from the top ten groups in the area. Later, KWK put out a similar album called "Moonshine," and Ambush was selected out of hundreds of groups to have a song there also. It was soon clear that there was definitely an audience for Wayne's songs. During the 80's, Wayne was fortunate enough to work with Danny Liston from Mama's Pride and Ken Hensley of Uriah Heep fame, on Danny's project "Every Beat Of My Heart." During the 90's, Wayne continued writing songs and eventually worked with Gary S. Paxton in Nashville TN for a brief period, learning much about the songwriting craft from one of the great songwriters and producers. In 2006, Wayne had a number one song on the charts at IAC, a site that features over 30,000 songs that can be streamed online. That song, "Who's Gonna Save The Day?" was written the day John Lennon was murdered, and is featured on Forces Of Nature, released in February 2009. All songs on the album are written and produced by Wayne, who plays all the instruments as well as providing all lead and harmony vocals. "http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/waynegivens

TICKET TO THE BEATLES came together in the summer of 1997 with the express purpose of performing the music of The Beatles. Great attention to detail is taken to reproduce
faithfully, the sounds that The Beatles forever etched into our memories. Our band decided early on, that it was the music, rather than the image, that we wanted to reproduce.
Classic, is the term used to describe great music, and as with any endeavor to capture the classics, a high degree of skill is involved....

"The timeless classics of the Fab Four live on in the authentic sounds produced by TICKET TO THE BEATLES. The band was formed in 1997 when Baker Symes (keyboards, guitar, vocals) and Dave Bohannan (guitar, vocals) got together to "play some Beatle tunes." Wayne Givens (bass, vocals) joined them a short time later to add his vocals and to begin recreating the incredible vocal harmonies of John, Paul and George. With the addition of Jim Laverty (drums), the band was complete. In 2005, the TICKET TO THE BEATLES welcomed a new "George" into the band. After a death-defying and harrowing escape from the Blue Meanies of Pepperland, George Smith arrived on a flaming bundt cake and passed the audition.





Tuesday, September 28, 2010

JAM CENTRAL STATION

ALL ABOARD! Jam Central Station is now leaving the terminal. Hold on, your about to hear one of the best cover bands in the entire state of Missouri!

Back in the early 70's and 80's rock n roll bands took cover material very seriously. Who could forget cruising up and down the mighty Mississippi on the beloved Admiral. The Younger Brothers often performed and did they ever. When you heard them play Steely Dan or the BEATLES, they sounded just like the original artist!

Today, there are many cover bands but few hold to the original calling. Perhaps this generation welcomes artistic variances when it comes to cover material. One reason many bands are unable to play cover tunes note for note is quite frankly, lack of ability. Think about it, a good cover band is tackling some 50 songs where vocals, instruments, various styles of play, and equipment must match those 50 original artist! This difficult assignment can only be done by extremely gifted artist, perhaps more talented than the original artist themselves! For instance, Steely Dan only has to sound like Steely Dan. However, a good cover band must sound like Steely Dan, YES, Rolling Stones, Fog Hat, Led Zephlen, and The BEATLES! The days of good cover bands is alive and well with the likes of JAM CENTRAL STATION! These dynamite musicians led by Dave Bohannan, hold true to the great artist before them in every sense. Jam Central Station has to be one of the very best cover bands in the state of Missouri!

"Jam Central Station is an established rockin' band, bringing a
fresh variety of great classic rock to the St. Louis music scene.
JCS is a tight five piece band, featuring lead and background
vocals - not just another garage band, we're talking skilled
musicianship, that is sure to make you think you are listening to
the original group! Five seasoned musicians covering classic
rock music from the 70's, 80's and beyond. Playing the killer
tunes you grew up with, but don't often hear. Whether it's a
club or a private party, JCS delivers...Rock and Rail!"

Dave Bohannan, Lead Guitar & Lead Vocals:A St. Louis vocal standard, Dave's lead vocals and harmonies are recognized by music fans throughout the metro area. Formerly with top local bands; Ticket To The Beatles and Green Eggs and Hamm, Dave plays a mean lead and rhythm guitar in JCS, now with six axes coming through vintage Marshall gear, as well as covering tenor lead vocals and harmonies.



Stu Massey
, Ba
ss Guitar & Vocals:Delivering thundering bass lines, Stu gives JCS it's punch while topping off four-part harmonies with sky high vocals. Stu's attention to detail in faithfully recreating the classic lines of the 70's & 80's bassists is an essential part of the JCS chemistry. Stu has played in too many great bands to list & can be found on stage in the Judas Priest tribute band, "Priest-Unleashed".

Bobby Muriel, Percussion & Lead Vocals:Fronting JCS with dynamic lead vocals and a percussive presence, Bobby M. brings his natural musical talent center stage. Bobby has had the honor of working with some of St. Louis' finest artists such as, Jay Hays, Chuck Kiel, and Tim Reynolds. With 40 years experience, Bobby M. is sweetening the groove for the Station, and will keep the party going all night long!

Ron "The Towel Man" Baechle, Drums & Vocals:With an affinity for finding the pocket and laying the foundation for JCS, Ron brings infectious enthusiasm to the band. A local celebrity, known for his association with the St. Louis Blues as their scorekeeper, Ron adds the same vigor as timekeeper for JCS! Ron has played with local favorites such as Exit 180 and Albatross, and played local favorite Stages!

Chris McCready, Keys & Vocals:
Providing sonic textures,and single-note runs that will surely satisfy even the most discriminating listener, with solid backing vocals, Chris brings years of professional experience to the JCS sound scape. Chris perfected his craft among the ranks of local St. Louis upper echelon bands such as Bob Kuban, Metro and Ralph Butler to name a few. A great JCS addition!

FOR CALENDAR OF EVENTS CLICK http://www.jamcentralstationband.com/calendar.html

Monday, September 20, 2010

"The Liston Experience"



"An acoustic collision of impassioned songwriting and stimulating music.....with a voice that is sultry, stirring, and soulful all at once."

What is the "Liston Experience?" One man, one guitar, equals the sound of an entire symphony.
"How does he do th
at?" That's the question being asked by those who watched Pat perform at Brothers Bar in Wildwood, MO. One couldn't help to be carried away, completely captivated by Pat's ability to get so much sound out of a solo performance. In reality, there's no great mystery, quite simply Pat is a master craftsmen in lyric, melody, a rhythmic powerhouse that pulls at the soul and touches the heart of the listener.  Pat  brings everything to the table, he holds nothing back, a complete entertainer! Music lovers in the bi-state area are so very fortunate to be blessed by this gifted artist. For any aspiring musicians, this level of talent does not come easy or quickly.

Although Pat is a solo artist, behind the scene is his beautiful wife Dawn who does the "grunt work!" She's responsible for keeping Pat busy with booking, promotion, CD sales, and Web Design. She's very much a part of the "Liston Experience" and their continued success.


"Pat Li
ston first gained widespread recognition as one of the founding members of Mama’s Pride...... a band known, with great affection, as the "Pride of St. Louis”.Pat is a versatile singer / songwriter / musician, and spearheaded the band as a key writer and lead vocalist, as well as playing keyboard and slide guitar. Mama’s Pride had two successful albums in the 1970’s: “Mama’s Pride” (1975) and “Uptown & Lowdown” (1976). Produced by such notables as the Legendary Arif Mardin, who garnered over 14 Grammys and 40 gold and platinum albums in his lifetime and Jim Mason, who has won gold and platinum albums with Firefall, Poco and others. In 1992, Mama’s Pride also released a third album on CD, “Guard your Heart”, produced by Grammy winner, Jim Gaines. The music on all three albums has sustained in popularity, and is still played on many radio stations in the U.S. and Europe. In 2006 they released a long awaited “live” CD. Recorded at the Pageant in St. Louis! It’s simply called, Mama’s Pride “A Live and Well”. Pat toured coast to coast with Mama’s Pride along side top recording artists such as: The Charlie DanielsBand, The Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, Bob Seger, Heart, Kansas, Alice Cooper, The Outlaws Todd Rundgren, Joe Walsh, Reo Speedwagon, Ringo Starr, Stephen Stills, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Loggins & Messina and many more.

In 2003, Pat released his first solo CD “Blue Mist” with 11 self-penned songs on it. In December 2008 he released his 2nd solo effort “Dreamer”with 12 new songs.

In addition to, creating his next project, Pat not only travels to play, but also plays locally in the metro St. Louis area, doing solo acoustic performances." http://www.patliston.com/Pat_Liston_Music/Home.html

Monday, September 13, 2010

Artist of the Week Stan Bozeman

When St. Louisans' hear the the name "Stan the Man" they immediately think of the greatest baseball player that walked the earth. Yet, there's another "Stan the Man" who also resides in St. Louis who just happens to be the champion of some sweet sounding, soul thumping, R&B. Anyone who has worked with this incredible talent knows of no one who works harder in order to make the magic happen.

His name is Stan Bozeman. In the 80's Stan toured with Barbara Carr and Luther Ingram as a back up vocalist and show opener. Stan has also performed with The Pacemakers, the Contours, The Loose Brothers, Fever Funk Band, New Image Band, Metrofunk, DCW, Groovadelic, St. Louis Vibrations, Grand Elite, Soul Reunion, and the Smash Band. Stan has performed throughout the world from St. Louis to Hong Kong, Cancun, Puerto Rico, Alcapulco, and Maui. Stan is a seasoned professional who knows what it takes to share the love of music.

Now it’s Stan The Man’s turn! Finally he has been unleashed for the world to hear his debut CD. The new single, “Roses, Champagne, Candlelight”, is off his new album, “Stan The Man Finally Unleashed”.

Share My Time by Stan The Man Click this link to give a listen!


STAN HAS NOW FORMED HIS OWN BAND CALLED, "STAN THE MAN AND DA' BAND," CONSISTING OF 4 PROFESSIONAL LOCAL MUSICIANS DEXTER WHITE, ON DRUMS, LORENZO BOONE ON BASS, EDMOND (PETIE) HENDERSON, AND MARTY KEYS ON (KEYBOARDS.)

STAY TUNED, THEY WILL BE COMING TO A VENUE NEAR YOU, SOON!

RECENTLY HE COLLABORATED WITH THE GREAT BERNIE HAYES AND DOUG EASON TO TEAM UP TO HELP STAN WITH PUBLICITY IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA. CURRENTLY, STAN THE MANS MUSIC IS BEING PLAYED ON 920 AM, HOSTED BY DOUG EASON 6:00-7:00PM AND ON INTERNET

RADIO STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ABROAD SUCH STATIONS AS GHP RADIO HOSTED BY GARY FUSTON, WCH RADIO HOSTED BY JOHN ODAY, AJA RADIO IN THE UK, MUZIK TALK, NEURON RADIO, THE COAST RADIO, BLOG TALK RADIO, HOSTED BY JAN WATTS.

HIS MUSIC IS ALSO BEING PLAYED ON 2 FM STATIONS 90.3 FM IN NEW YORK, HOSTED BY MAURICE WATTS THE VOICE, AND 90.7 IN LA. CALIF HOSTED BY ROB MACON, AND WV RADIO IN RUSSIATHE CD IS AVAILABLE AT VINTAGE VINYL (DELMAR LOOP) ITUNES.COM, CDBABY.COM, AMAZON.COM, RHAPSODY, AND MANY OTHERS.

YOU CAN GET HIS MERCHANDISE AT http://www.stantheman.spreadshirt.com/

GET HIS FREE RINGTONES AT : http://www.myxer.com/

DON'T MISS THIS DYNAMIC!, SENSATIONAL!, SINGER/SONGWRITER!

ALSO, CHECK HIS PAGE OUT ON http://www.myspace.com/theman135

to see videos, pictures.


Friday, September 10, 2010

Vet Aide




Eugene C., Owner of Freeze Records, will be hosting Missouri’s Vet Aide event Oct 10th, 2010 in Union Missouri at Club Billboards also known as, Gala Event Center. The center is located right next to the Union Theater. Their address is 42 Prairie Dell Plaza Dr, Union MO 63084.
This is the first annual event. Be part of history in the making. There will be Vet Aide Events in all 50 states on Oct 10, 2010.
America will Stand up in a Grand Gesture to show Americas Heart to Our Injured U.S. Troops. Venues from all over the U.S.A. will participate in various events in an effort to raise the much needed funds to assist our Troops in the Transition from Military Life to Civilian Life.


"We are raising money for 5 different Military Charities listed below. We are raising the money through the form of selling tickets for this event. Tickets are $15.00. The tickets will be sold online or over the phone at http://pogotic.com. Everything from this event is volunteer/donation supported.

This Nationwide Major Event is 100 % Volunteer it is Americans for Americans. The Troops Volunteered their time , This time we Volunteer our time for them !
The 5 charities that will be receiving the funds raised from this event are:

The Heart of a Marine Foundation, The USO, M Power, Geoffrey P. Morris Foundation, Forgotten Heroes."


You are welcome to check out America’s Heart “Vet Aide” website at http://vetaide.org/
We are going to have Live Entertainment by some great Missouri Bands which can be found at http://freezerecords.com/missourivetaide.html. We have all different genres of bands performing for our entertainment. Bands will be performing indoors and outdoors at our location. For additional information please contact Freeze Records. One of the bands that will be performing at Missouri's Vet Aide is is Oneday.
http://freezerecords.com/oneday







Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Mama's Pride

Many St. Louis  musicians grew up in the 70's rehearsing in the basement, garage, or attic with the hope to make it to the big show! Many were of the opinion you had to be from Detroit, New York, or L.A. in order to get a record deal. All was not lost, there was hope and the hope became a reality in the form of Mama's Pride. They made it to the big show!

"After forming in 1972 the band quickly grew a strong following. They signed to Atco Records in 1974, a division of Atlantic Records at that time, now a division of Warner Brothers. They released the self-titled album Mama's Pride in 1975, which was produced by Grammy Award winning producer Arif Mardin. The band's second album Uptown & Lowdown was released in 1977. The band toured with acts such as: Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, The Charlie Daniels Band, The Outlaws, Todd Rundgren, Alice Cooper, Reo Speedwagon, and Heart.

Ronnie Van Zandt of Lynyrd Skynyrd had expressed interest in producing the band's third album, shortly before his death in 1977. The band spent the majority of 1978 on tour with Greg Allman as his backing band for his 1978 solo tour. The group disbanded in 1982.
They reunited ten years later in 1992 and released Guard Your Heart, which was produced by Jim Gaines.

The band has been doing yearly reunion shows to sold out crowds at The Pageant Theater in their hometown of St. Louis, Missouri since 2003. In 2006, the band released a double live album entitled Alive and Well."
Mama's Pride
From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia(February 2010)


After 40 years the Pride of St. Louis is alive and well. They continue to rock St. Louis fans at various venues through out metro area. These guys still bring it! It's of little wonder why they're referred to as, "The Pride of St. Louis."





Friday, September 3, 2010

Welcome to ST. LOUIS BI-STATE MUSIC SCENE

St. Louis has played a significant role in it's contribution to the music industry. Scott Joplin, Albert King, Chuck Berry, Miles Davis, and Ike & Tina Turner are just a few St. Louis musicians who have changed the way we listen to music. Today, we can still hear their influence shadowing today's artist.

BMS is astonished at the sheer number of talented musicians in our area. There are several venues throughout the Bi-State area that allow these artist to showcase their talent.
We are so very fortunate that these venues support LIVE music!

See also;
The Metro St. Louis Live Music Historical site http://www.stlmusicyesterdays.com/

The goal of this blog is to promote local musicians in the St. Louis Bi-State area.