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Texas Blues... From Wyoming
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Ty Reed Sammons' debut recording, Keep An Eye Out, released on his own Looking Back Records, is a blues-based offering featuring Sammons' vocals and bold electric guitar playing. In addition, some of Wyoming and Montana's most admired musicians contributed percussion, bass, and backing vocal tracks to Keep An Eye Out. Sammons' guitar style successfully combines Texas blues, jazz, Latin, and rock, and his bluesy vocals evoke the late Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd. His tape contains wonderful instrumental tunes such as "Molasses", and features plenty of tasty soloing on tracks such as "Got No Place To Be" and "Side by Side". Led by Sammons, the musicians on Keep An Eye Out deliver diverse interpretations of new music that's reminiscent of 1960s-style boogie, modern day fusion rhythms, Texas-swing and of course, the blues.
Sammons developed a taste for diversity as he grew up learning about music by performing and taking a seat in the classroom. Since the age of 12, Sammons has been sharpening his art at contests, nightclubs and concerts around the Wyoming and Montana regions. He also attended Northwest College, exploring the world of jazz via the college's popular jazz combos and ensembles. This led to a three-year stint with the Ronnie Bedford Blues and Jazz Quartet.
Sammons recorded, mixed and mastered the entire album in a garage turned into a 16-track digital recording studio in Powell, Wyoming. The end result is a collection of ten soulful, original songs that reflect Sammons' goal to deliver a diverse testament to his most profound musical influences.
Contact Information
Ty Reed Sammons
Looking Back Records
709 Lane 11
Lovell, WY 82431
United States
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Improvisational, Emotional Jazz
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In the improvisational style of Jim Hall and John Abercrombie follows Philadelphia-based guitarist and composer Scott Sherwood. On his first CD release, Siren Song Sherwood demonstrates his technical mastery of the guitar on six tracks of creative, inspired jazz improvisation. Siren Song was recorded with the Scott Sherwood Trio, consisting of Sherwood, Harold Miller on bass, and Terry Smirl on drums. Sherwood's playing is subtle, yet highly impressionable on Siren Song, as he weaves both developed and free form solos throughout the pieces. The CD's title track is an eleven minute masterpiece of beautiful and challenging music that will satisfy the most jaded of jazz guitar fans.
Sherwood, originally from Milwaukee, received his introduction to jazz through his father's record collection. Starting on guitar at age 15, he received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for three consecutive years while in high school. He later was able to attend the University of Texas at Arlington by winning the Michael Lorimer Guitar and Jazz Studies Scholarship. Sherwood later played original music with the band Kinetic Shower, as well as numerous concerts and clinics in the United States, Scotland and Costa Rica.
Sherwood recently signed to New York's Changing Tones Records, .a label dedicated to creative, improvised music. A follow-up to Siren Song is in the planning stages. Meanwhile, Sherwood continues to tour and perform in the New England and Mid-Atlantic areas with the reformed Scott Sherwood Trio.
Contact Information
Scott Sherwood
100 Park Blvd., Apt. 69A
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-3469
United States
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Vol. 17, No. 2: Feb.-Mar. 2012
