Sandy Prager
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Jazz Guitarist Strives To Reach Wider Audience
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Seattle Joe's is the latest studio release from Bostonian Sandy Prager, a gifted jazz guitarist and all-around, top-notch artist. His fourth CD, Prager's music demonstrates a number of diverse influences but stays true to his roots--jazz-based acoustic improvisations. Several of the instrumentals, such as "The Mod Squad" and "Moroccan Sundance" are intense and rhythmically exciting as Prager's melodies fluidly eminate from his acoustic guitar. Prager is a formidable player by anyone's standard, yet the twelve songs on Seattle Joe's are not intended as music for musicians. Rather, he has found a way to create challenging compositions which can be appreciated by a wide variety of music fans. All in all, a wonderful recording.
Born in Brooklyn in 1958, Sandy has been playing guitar since the age of 12. He is a seventh generation musician, which includes his first teacher, his father, who was jazz trombonist Bert Prager. Sandy has studied music at the University of Miami and at Berklee in Boston. For the past 15 years, he has been a mainstay in the Boston music scene, recording with Mark Chenevert on the CD "FIgures Of Speech", and on a trio recording, "Is As As Is". Sandy also recorded a release with his quartet, "Open Door". He has also composed for television, including a documentary of Massachusetts.
Prager hopes the accessible approach he has taken on Seattle Joe's will help him to reach a wider audience.
Contact Information
Sandy Prager
121 Tremont St. #219
Boston, MA 02135
United States
Web site:
www.scypro.com/sandy
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Kevin Barbour
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Displaying An Affection For Jazz Guitar Instrumentals
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Kevin Barbour plays guitar in the contemporary jazz style, but with a refreshing rock edge. First Steps is the guitarist's new CD, an all instrumental recording where echoes of Pat Metheny, Eric Johnson and Russ Freeman can be heard throughout. Barbour's hardly a copycat though--the opening track "Say It" begins with some fiery space rock soloing and rapid speaker-to-speaker panning, something you'd be hard pressed to find eminating from Metheny's Gibson. "Say It" features a blazing, overdriven solo passage as well, as does the closing track "MIdwestern Vacation". The CD features more than its share of fine melodic moments, and all the guitar work on First Steps is crisp, propulsive and at times, unpredictable--the hallmark of a memorable instrumental CD release.
Born in New York, Kevin started his musical career playing guitar,piano, bass and drums at age 13. While completing school he won numerous regional jazz awards for composition and performance. He went on to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. After college, Kevin worked as a studio musician and has composed and produced music for a variety of artists. He is a winner of the 1998 Rock 101-WGIR "Best Guitar Solo" contest. First Steps is the culmination of Kevin's education and experience.
Barbour will be playing live in the New England area to support First Steps and he continues to seek radio airplay for his music.
Contact Information
BSM Discs
11 Eagle Dr.
Hudson, NH 03051
United States
Web site:
www.kevinbarbour.com
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