Mike Headrick
From:
South Pittsburg, TN, USA
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Posted 29 Oct 2004 7:58 am |
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Burrito Deluxe - The Whole Enchilada
‘Sneaky’ Pete Kleinow (Flying Burrito Bros.)
Garth Hudson (The Band)
Carlton Moody (Moody Bros.)
Jeff ‘Stick’ Davis (Amazing Rhythm Aces)
Rick Lonow (Amazing Rhythm Aces)
The best music – and the best musicians – defy easy categorization. Promoters, record company and media scramble for words to describe the flavor-of-the-month, but folks with real music in their souls just keep creating, playing – even redefining themselves – with no thought of labels or catchy marketing phrases. Tough on A&R crews, and even tougher on themselves, they’re good news for people who love a song that says more than “I just wanna get some airplay”. Upbeat contemporary. Alt-country, “Hat Band”, who really cares what it’s called, as long as it speaks to you? And the way it is with Burrito Deluxe.
What can you say about the guys in the band?
Sneaky Pete Kleinow is, in no small part, responsible for the group’s signature sound; his groundbreaking steel guitar work brought the rock guitarist’s licks, effects and attitude to the here-to-fore “country music” instrument. It would be no overstatement to say that all steel guitar work in recent pop-rock music owes something to the innovation of Sneaky Pete. After the disbanding of the original Burritos in 1972, Sneaky Pete pursued a career as a session musician, becoming one of the most sought-after steel guitarists in Los Angeles through the 1970s. He recorded with a veritable who’s who of pop-rock: John Lennon, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, Randy Newman, Little Feat, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, Carly Simon, Harry Nilsson, just to name a few. In the meantime, he continued to pursue a second career in film as a visual effects specialist. Growing out of his experience in the 1960s as head animator on the Gumby television series, Sneaky Pete compiled an impressive resume of work including credits on The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Terminator (1984) and Army of Darkness (1993); his production company also produced memorable television ads for Chuck Wagon dog food and Pillsbury (featuring the doughboy “Poppin’ Fresh”). In the past two decades he has also continued his recording career, playing with various incarnations of The Flying Burrito Brothers and releasing a solo album “Meet Sneaky Pete” (1990). His work with Burrito Deluxe marks his return to the studio after more than a decade.
Canadian born Garth Hudson, multi-instrumentalist and musical sage, has been heralded as one of the most innovative musicians of the latter half of the twentieth century. Hudson's work with The Band is nothing less than legendary, his playing unique, and his range of musical voices — on, among other instruments, the saxophone, the accordion, and various incarnations of the keyboard — protean. — the most innovative of The Band's talented members. Hudson's choice of musical venues has been eclectic over the years, and his solo release The Sea to the North (also on CoraZong Records) solidified his place in the roll call of the new millennium's musical innovators. Hudson’s keyboard work can also be heard on recent albums from Dixie Hummingbirds, Los Lobos and Norah Jones. Carlton Moody may be a few years younger than Garth and Sneaky, but he sings with the conviction of the ages. He comes by it honestly, too – his father was a fiddler with Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys. Carlton’s voice ranges from clear as a bell to gritty as a pair of old work boots, branding every song his own, every lyric a narrative that makes the listener feel like he’s swapping stories on the front porch with a dear friend. Grammy-nominated for Best Country Instrumental, he doesn’t hide behind the microphone, backing his pure-as-spring-water, Hill Country voice on guitar and mandolin.
Of Course, without drums’n’bass, it just don’t rock. Jeff ‘Stick’ Davis featured with The Amazing Rhythm Aces, and he hasn’t dropped a beat since. His incredible work on both electric and upright bass drives Burrito Deluxe forward.
Finally, but by no means least, Rick Lonow keeps the beat on drums and percussion. Recording with everyone from Johnny Cash to Tommy Tutone, Rick knows that it’s about more than keeping on the quarter notes – it’s about moving the music and the listener.
With a cast of seasoned veterans, the ingredients in this Burrito are familiar, but it’s a spicy new dish with its own unique flavour. Sequestered in a basement somewhere in Nashville, the boys spent several intense weeks writing, rehearsing, and picking, developing their own signature sound – and collectively turning a major new page in their respective illustrious careers. When the time came to record, it all came together so easily and naturally, even they were amazed. Stick and Rick laid down 25 rhythm tracks in only two days. (If you’ve spent any time in recording studios, you’d know it’s no mean feat). The emotions played out on this album range from the sweet, simple love song, to poignant tales of mournful regret, to good-time. They never fail to reach the listener and burrow inside … and they never bend themselves to fit into a convenient niche.
This is a brand new page – a New American music for people who love a good story well told, and a melody that sticks around for more than 3 minutes on the radio.
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