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A Throwback To '60s & '70s Rock Albums
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Oscar Jordan & The Mighty Sons Of Hercules have released Eclectic Soul, an incredibly diverse CD full of, well, good music. Make that great music. Jordan is a gifted guitarist and vocalist who has thrown convention to the wind and poured a passion for the blues into a stew with other styles, such as rock, jazz, Latin (check out the Santana-like "You And I"), funk, gospel (listen to "I Liked You Better When You Were Drinking"), R&B - you name it. Each cut is as different from the next as you might imagine - almost a cool radio station playing "all Oscar, all the time". Inspired by the rock albums from the '60s and '70s, where stylistic diversity was celebrated and admired, Jordan has taken that idea and run with it. Eclectic Soul, true to its title, is designed to appeal to people who love the attitude, soul and passion of blues, rock and gospel music blended with a fiery and soulful guitar and a emotionally charged voice - isn't that everyone?
Born on the south side of Chicago, the seeds of Oscar's musical eclecticism were planted at an early age. Influences ranged from the Harry Belafonte, folk, and opera records played by his grandmother, to the rock, soul, and jazz records played by his mother and father. Of course growing up in Chicago there was no escape from the blues, and when he later took up the guitar, his lessons in the blues would last decades. Oscar attended Chicago's prestigious Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University where he received a B.F.A. from their acting program. During this time he was attending blues jams at Kingston Mines Blues Club, jamming with jazz guitar students from the near by music school, and playing pop rock with the band The Excitable Boys. After graduation Oscar exercised his acting muscles and performed roles in films, television, plays, and commercials. Later, Oscar underwent a holy blues conversion and formed a blues band. He later studied at The National Guitar Summer Workshop. His first album, the critically acclaimed "Mister Bad Luck", was released in 2001.
Jordan continues to play live dates with his band, The Mighty Sons of Hercules, working as a freelance writer for music publications, and writing screenplays.
Contact Information
Big Oscar Music
14753 Runnymede Street
Van Nuys, CA 91405
United States
E-mail:
Oscar Jordan
Web site:
www.oscarjordan.com
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Guitars In A Pop/Rock Context
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Not all 'guitar' music features three-minute solos and free-form improvs. Take the title track off Silverhawk's latest CD Westward, a four-minute instrumental blending textural guitar with a spaghetti-western-meets-secret-agent-man feel - sometimes listeners forget the range of our beloved six-string, and its ability to yield so many different musical stylings. Sam and John C. Densmore use a combination of guitar, baritone guitar and bass to create their unique 'Johnny Cash melded with the Beatles, Duane Eddy and Ennio Morriconne' potpourri. Sam and John split the vocal chores on the tracks, which include another instrumental, "Desert Theme", a chillingly haunting melodic number that will make you glad that tap water is always near at hand. These guys could make a nice all-instrumental CD someday if they wished, but for now, pop/rock fans can check out Silverhawk's collection of trippy, imaginative tunes.
Sam Densmore formed Silverhawk in 2000 and released a video entitled "Keeping it Surreal" on mastanmusic.com and the single "Flowers in June" on Pop Sweatshop records in February of 2001. The band toured the west coast heavily for the year that followed opening shows for an array of bands including Richmond Fontaine, Harvey Danger, IQU and the Blessid Union of Souls. The Densmore Bros. careers have been diverse. They've performed over 800 shows together in the past ten years. They have worked together in various NW bands including the Olympia, WA based Slow Children ("da sein" Runnning Records, 1995), Frequency db ("Blue Down Where the Diver Goes" Resistor Records, 1998) and the Jeremy Wilson Band. They have shared the stage with Screaming Trees, Frank Black, The Posies and more.
The Densmore brothers have a number of shows lined up this summer and fall in support of Westward, be sure to catch them live if you can.
Contact Information
Blue Eyed Crow Music
1309 N. 8th St.
Coos Bay, OR 97420
United States
E-mail:
Silverhawk
Web site:
www.samdensmore.com
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