June/July 1996

New Releases

• GMB Records a newly formed independent record label based in Baltimore has released four new titles. A Contemporary Jazz CD by artist Jimmy Wilson entitled Identity. A Rap CD by artist Tre'Peace named The Definition. Pop artist Heather McAuliffe's release Seasons of Love. Adult Contemporary artist Keith McGirt's release is entitled Forever By Your Side.
• Amy White debuted her first solo recording, Piano Diaries and Other Entries, at the John Addison Concert Hall.
• Spleen released their new CD entitled Neurotica in April.
• Reggae performer Englishman has released a new CD entitled Turning Point.
• Run Wild Records will release two CDs in June of DC artists The Atomics and Baltimore area roots rockers The Barn Burners. The Atomics' Sterling Park Accent is produced by Morrisey guitarist and ex-Polecat, Boz Boorer. The progressive, gritty, rockabilly sounds of The Atomics can be heard on the sound track of the 1996 cult film "Burnin' Love". Six cuts from their early 1990s CD release Fallen Like Her Angel appear in the film. The group is composed of band members Thommy Burns on lead vocals/guitar, Chris Filbert on upright slap-bass and Deron DeCesare on drums. The Barn Burners' Tobacco Sunburst is the groups' first full length CD release. Produced by Dave Nachodsky and the group, the CD's 10 tracks were recorded at Invisible Sound in Baltimore.
• Steve Gellman's first solo CD project is entitled Time To Open My Love.
• The New Traditional Jazz Bandhas released a new CD entitled Jazz Lips.
• Cathy Fink and Marcy Maxer have three new releases. Blanket Full of Dreams a collection of original songs for any quiet time with a child, released on the Rounder Records label. The cover art for this CD was done by Peter Catalanotto whose other work includes Dylan's Day Out and Mr. Mumble. Yodel-Ay-Hee-Hoo! a yodeling lesson and yodel-along for the little ones released on Community Music and Is Not, Is Too! also on the Community Music label.
• Aleta Greene and Wall Matthews released The Color of Dusk on Clean Cuts. The often overlooked heroism of slave women, their resilience, spirit and capacity to move forward in the face of painful obstacles is the focus of The Color of Dusk. The album's first 10 tracks are the poems of D.C. poet Dolores Kendrick, set to music by guitarist Wall Matthews with passionate vocal arrangments and narrations by singer-actress Aleta Greene. Abdoul Doumbia, an internationally renowned master drummer from Mali supplies the percussion. Kendricks delivers her own message on the final two tracks.
• Pianist Bob Olshin has just completed a contemporary piano improvisations album titled InnerVision. The project was recorded at Gizmo Recording in Wheaton, Maryland and contains 10 original compositions. Mastering was done by Dave Glasser at Airshow.
• Singer songwriter Angie Miller released Ricochet on Big Mo Records. The project was recorded at D.C.'s Audio Artistry and mixed at ARP Studios in Montreal. In addition to band members Jay Turner on bass and Topher Sisson on guitar, the album features cameo appearances by guitar legend Danny Gatton and Tommy Lepson. The album was produced by drummer Timm Biery who has worked with Frank Marino, Danny Gatton and produced Deanna Bogart's Wammie Award winning recording Crossing Borders.Take a look at titles available through Big Mo.
• emmet swimming's new CD Arlington to Boston on Epic will be released mid July. The CD was produced, engineered and mixed by Don Dixon (REM, Smithereens, Guadalcanal Diary etc). All the tracks were recorded in 15 days at Reflections Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band shot a video for the song Fake Wood Trim around D.C. plus live footage for the video was shot at their 9:30 Club gig.
• Shock Opera has released a new CD Mer De Mente which was recorded at Baltimore's Hound Sound, Oz Studios and Hit 'n Run Studio in Rockville, Maryland. Co-producer Frank Marchand (Monkeyspank, Nothingface, The Almighty Senators) completed and mixed the 12 tracks during the winter. Mastering was done by Marchand and David Glasser (Dave Matthews Band, Tim Reynolds, Fighting Gravity) at Airshow in Northern Virginia.
• Kevin James has released Testing Murphy's Law on the Waterfront Music label. The project was produced by Pete Kennedy and engineered by Jim Robeson at Bias Recording. Artists performing on the project include Jon Carroll on piano and accordion (Mary Chapin Carpenter), Mike Auldridge dobro and pedal steel (Chesapeake, Seldom Scene), Eddie Hartness congas and percussion (Eddie From Ohio), Zan McLeod mandolin and Mike Stein on violin. Lea Anne Sonenstein mastered at Airshow.
• Valerie Vigoda and her new band Groovelily celebrated the release of her second CD Jungle & Sky at Fleetwood's in Old Town Alexandria.
• Michael Lille of Speidel Goodrich Goggin & Lille has released his second solo CD Middle Child. The self-produced album includes performances from John Jennings (guitar), Jon Carroll (piano), Victor Wooten (bass) and Eddie Hartness (percussion) plus featured guests Alison Krauss and Don Conoscenti. A CD release party is planned at the Birchmere on July 11 where songwriters Robbin Thompson and Lewis McGehee will perform with Lille.
• Adelphi Records, one of the oldest labels in the city, has released three titles on its Genes CD company. A new work, Back Room Blood by the 60s hit maker and ex-husband of Carole King, Gerry Goffin. A collection of original material and blues standards by Otis Rush recorded live in Europe. Plus The Starboard List, an unusual collection of songs sung by sailors who served on merchant ships during the last hundred years. Adelphi's Blues Vault Series label has released a collection of piano sessions by Skip James titled Skip's Piano Blues and a blues and ragtime guitar CD titled Sweet Man by Richard "Hacksaw" Harney.
• Tommie Griggz has released two CDs The Tofu Adventure and The Corduroy Glam on Scooterbat Records. Griggz is currently on tour supporting the releases which will include several stops in Europe and Japan before returning to the Virginia area in November.