Matt O'Ree - Matt O'Ree Live (2008)

Blues rock power trio.

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Matt O'Ree - Shelf Life (2005)

Heavy guitar driven rockin' blues. "Six-time Asbury Music Award winner Matt O'Ree's latest CD "Shelf Life" represents the perfect balance, a musical Yin-Yang; blues and rock, shuffle and soul, saint and sinner, traditional and timeless..."

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Matt O'Ree And The Blues Hounds - Chalk It Up (2001)

Rockin' High-Energy Blues that will rock you up and down then chill you out. "Pounding blues rocker "Such a Shame" kicks off Chalk It Up (self-release) from Garden State axeman Matt O'Ree and his band The Blues Hounds. O'Ree's playing is very much in the modern, post-Vaughan style, and he's got it down cold. He's supported by fine players, including drummer Bob Pantella, a true shuffle king. O'Ree who wrote most of the album, is a good lyricist and an excellent singer. Best bets are the powerful title cut; the sweet, slow "Mine for a Song"; and the pumping "Ain't Got No Time" which features and excellent, very melodic guitar solo. "

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Matt O'Ree And The Blues Hounds - 88 Miles (1998)

Rockin' high-energy electric Blues from a 29 year old guitar slinger. Matt O'Ree, a man and his Stratocaster cranking out the blues, has all the trappings of a genuine guitar hero. This 29-year-old guitar slinger plays with fire in his fingers and blues in his soul. Anyone who has experienced his music will only say but the best. At age 13, he sunk his roots in the blues-Albert King, Howlin' Wolf, to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. After establishing a good foundation, at age 15 started playing in various bands, honing his skills through time and pure dedication. This lead to an accomplished studio musician only two years later. Some of Matt's most recent accomplishments include the stage with world famous drummer Buddy Miles, an invite to play at Les Paul's Birthday Party, and was also one of the finalists in the Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar Competition. Matt went on as a music major in college, picking up studio and live gigs anywhere he could. But it was there where he began collaborating with bass player, Eric Lee Collier. Also a NJ music scene veteran, Eric began his career by playing in many local bands, absorbing multiple styles into his technique. Eric had the drive, passion, and the style comparable to James Jamerson and John Paul Jones, which was a key factor in creating the Blues Hound's sound. After auditioning several drummers, they decided on local talent, Bob Pantella. Bob has played and toured around the country in a range of different styles, which earned him chops unlike no other. Bob brings a pounding beat to the power trio much like legendary drummer John Bonham and Mitch Mitchell, adding a creative passion to an old style of music. With the line up complete, they began writing and recording material that evolved into their debut CD, "88 Miles." Released in 1998, it gained national reviews and airplay, pushing the Hounds to a higher level including opening the show for national recording artists like Gov't Mule, Robin Trower, Bernard Allison, Chris Duarte, Indigenous, Robby Kreiger, and Walter Trout.

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Matt O'Ree biography

Matt O'Ree has been cranking out the blues-rock since he was an early teen. With all the trappings of a genuine guitar hero, he plays with fire in his fingers and blues in his soul. At age 13, he sunk his roots in the blues - Albert King, Howlin' Wolf, to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. After establishing a good foundation, at age 15, Matt played in various bands, honing his skills through time and pure dedication. This led to Matt being an accomplished studio musician only two years later.

Matt went on to study as a music major in college as well as start his own teachings with guitar students. While working as an intern at a recording studio, he began collaborating with various musicians trying to bring his idea to life. It was at this stage in his career that he found the right blend of people to create the band. In 1997, Matt began writing and recording material that evolved into his debut CD, 88 Miles. It was released in 1998 and gained national reviews and airplay, pushing the band to a higher level which included opening shows for national recording artists like Kansas, Buddy Guy, Leslie West and Mountain, The Outlaws, Gov't Mule, Robin Trower, Johnny Winter, Dickie Betts, Gretchen Wilson, The Screamin Cheetah Wheelies, Bernard Allison, Chris Duarte, Indigenous, Robby Kreiger, Bill Perry, Walter Trout, Labambas Big Band, and Smokin' Joe Kubek.

The completion of his second CD, Chalk It Up, was the breaking point of blending blues and rock together to form a unique sound of his own. This was released in June 2001 and also received rave reviews with regional and national press recognition and airplay.

In the March 2006 issue of "Guitar World Magazine" there is a review of Matt O'Ree'sShelf Life - appearing alongside numerous rock legends including Audioslave, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, and The Deftones - that claims that "New Jersey's Matt O'Ree latest release is quickly carving out a name for himself as 2006's new guitar hero."

Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Hope Radio (2007)

Other than jazz and classical, there are few other musical genres where vocals don't dominate, but Ronnie Earl sets out to prove that blues can be another. This entirely instrumental album never lags for a second of its hour-and-a-quarter playing time, all without a word being sung. Instead, Earl uses his magnificent guitar tone — a stinging combination of Santana, Hubert Sumlin, Mike Bloomfield, Otis Rush, and Albert King — and command of dynamics to wring more soul from his material than all but a handful of vocalists could ever achieve. He does this without the blinding speed or enhanced volume of the most popular blues six-stringers, but by the sheer intensity of his playing on these 11 tracks. Recording live in the studio with an invited audience (the session was also captured for a DVD release) provides the cliff-hanging excitement of a concert, allowing Earl, whose multiple health problems prevent him from touring, to tear it up in a more controlled setting. A few acoustic tracks such as "Katrina Blues" provide a changeup from the spark-shooting electric solos that dominate this dazzling performance. All Earl needs is a touch of reverb and bandmembers who understand when to lay low to let him soar. That's what happens during this session, cherry-picked from two days of concerts in April 2007. Drummer/producer Lorne Entress deserves recognition for a light touch on percussion and, perhaps more importantly, letting Earl stretch out for extended periods of whispering solos, as he does on the eight-minute Howlin' Wolf/Hubert Sumlin tribute "Wolf Dance." He opens up on the following slow blues of "Kay My Dear," laying back with smooth yet tensile jazzy licks over the faintest of backing at the song's start, only to gradually build to a dull roar by the track's end. Few guitarists could capture a listener's interest so confidently over longer tunes, but Earl pulls it off with an effortless precision that seems second nature. Six of the selections break the eight-minute mark, but none are needlessly drawn out with the directionless riffing so endemic to less inventive blues guitarists. The tempos, especially in the album's middle third, stay restrained and perhaps a few more upbeat tracks would have helped the disc's flow. Regardless, it's unlikely any listener will complain when Earl tears into the nearly ten-minute "Blues for Otis Rush," as he whips off a frenzy of soul-drenched notes that machine gun out of his fingers. The live environment adds thrilling high-wire tension to a guitarist who is already in the upper echelon of his peers.

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Ronnie Earl & Duke Robillard - The Duke Meets The Earl (2005)

The Duke Meets the Earl seems like an obvious album, pairing two of New England's finest contemporary blues guitarists, Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl, who both share the same sort of hard, clear tone in their playing (Earl actually replaced Robillard in Roomful of Blues when the latter left the group for a solo career). For Earl, who has been working in a kind of jazz blues hybrid style in recent years, it marks a return to straight blues, and with guests like Jimmy McGriff and Mighty Sam McClain aboard on select tracks, The Duke Meets the Earl has the feel of a super session. Throughout, Earl's guitar is featured in the left channel and Robillard's in the right, leading to some wonderful guitar dialogues, particularly on an epic, nearly 16-minute-long version of Walter Price's "My Tears." Another extended workout occurs on "A Soul That's Been Abused," an Earl original, which features McClain on vocals and stretches out to just over 13 minutes. McGriff brings his Hammond B-3 magic to two cuts, Eddie Taylor's "Lookin' for Trouble" and B.B. King's "I Need You So Bad," while the B-3 part on "A Soul That's Been Abused" is handled by Dave Limina. Other highlights include covers of T-Bone Walker's "Two Bones and a Pick," Magic Sam's "What Have I Done Wrong," and Earl's smooth, clear slide style on another original, "Zeb's Thing." With only eight tracks, but clocking in at over 70 minutes, The Duke Meets the Earl gives these two fine guitarists plenty of room to talk to each other, and the result is a classy set of no-frills contemporary blues, with just the slightest hint of jazz to keep it all smooth.

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Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Now My Soul (2004)

Guitarist Ronnie Earl's realization that you don't need a vocalist to sing the blues freed him up to roam across the vernacular music landscape, dipping into jazz, gospel, and soul, and has made him one of the most innovative and interesting musicians working in contemporary blues. It's hardly a radical step, since scores of jazz musicians have been mining the blues for 80 years without vocalists, and in Earl's case it was a natural shift — maybe even an obvious one given that he has often cited John Coltrane as a predominant influence. On Now My Soul, his second release from Stony Plain Records, Earl moves a bit back to neutral ground on the vocal issue, with roughly half the tracks featuring singing from either Kim Wilson or Greg Piccolo, and one track, the delightful "Walkin on the Sea," showcases the Silver Leaf Gospel Singers. But the instrumental pieces are the most powerful, allowing Earl's inherent jazz sensibilities to surface, and as an ensemble player, he shines. The album opener, Jimmy Smith's "Blues for J," does a masterful job of capturing Smith's easy-grooving sense of the blues (Dave Limina handles the B-3 duties here), and Piccolo's tenor sax pairs nicely with Earl's guitar for a track that shows nicely how much joy can reside inside the blues. "Kay My Dear" visits the same territory, only in darker hues, and when the Silver Leaf Gospel Singers hit with "Walkin on the Sea," one is reminded that the blues is really more about releasing what haunts us than it is about bottling things up in a primal moan-and-groan session. Of the vocal pieces, a cover of Otis Rush's "Double Trouble" works best, with Wilson's singing and ghostly harmonica runs slipping in and out of a wonderfully ominous and atmospheric soundscape. An untitled 13th track finds Earl sincerely thanking God, friends, and fans for the privilege of playing, and it touches on his battles with manic depression, diabetes, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Perhaps that's what comes through in the best moments on this album — that sense of joyous deliverance Earl's guitar playing reaches when the blues becomes a vehicle of release and transcendence and he takes himself (and his audience) to a place where the pain drops away. In the end, the blues isn't about pain at all. It's about what resides (to quote Blind Willie Johnson) in the soul of a man, and what he chooses to do with it. For that you really don't need words.

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Ronnie Earl - I Feel Like Goin' On (2003)

Guitarist Ronnie Earl recorded the majority of the instrumental release I Feel Like Goin' On live in the studio with no overdubbing. As one of the best contemporary blues guitarists around, Earl naturally shows off his prowess on these 11 cuts, with sturdy assistance from Dave Limina on piano/organ, Jimmy Mouradian on bass, Lorne Entress on drums, and special guest guitarist José Alvares. On the whole, I Feel Like Goin' On is tight, passionate, and gritty, especially on the soul-blues of "Hey José," "Blues for Otis Rush," "Howlin' for My Darlin'," and "Travelin' Heavy." While the majority of the album is uptempo, Earl does slow down the pace on the beautiful ballad "Donna" and the traditional gospel-flavored "Mary Don't You Weep," featuring the only vocal appearance on the disc, by the Silver Leaf Gospel Singers.

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Ronnie Earl - Ronnie Earl And Friends (2001)

Ronnie Earl's first album after suffering from a bout with manic depression that sidelined him from live work for a few years, is a surprisingly modest, unassuming affair. The titular friends include Fabulous Thunderbirds founder/harpist/vocalist Kim Wilson who splits the album's vocal duties with Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson. James Cotton, Band drummer Levon Helm, keyboardist David Maxwell, and New Orleans legend Irma Thomas (who contributes her distinctive vocals to only two stunning tunes) round out the ad hoc band. Recorded live in Woodstock, NY's Bearsville studio over three days in autumn 2000 and released almost a year later, the session is a loose affair intended to emulate the old Delmark label style of rounding up blues friends, putting them together in a room and rolling tape. Of course, with musicians of this caliber, you're unlikely to go wrong, and the resulting album is a relaxed, unpretentious chronicle of these artist's interaction on blues classics and a few similarly themed originals. Most of the songs were completed in one take (you often hear the verbal cues deciding who takes a solo), and the album doesn't feature any one particular player, preferring to share the spotlight among all the "friends." Unfortunately those who come to hear Earl, one of the more tasty, understated blues guitarists, might leave disappointed since there is precious little soloing from the ex-Roomful of Blues man here. While that makes for a democratic gathering, it's also a little frustrating if you're an Earl fan. That said, there are many fine performances here. Kim Wilson is at the top of his game, shining on Little Walter's "Blue and Lonesome" and "Last Night," two of the six tracks he sings on. The former boasts Earl's longest, most passionate solo on the album along with a harp turn from Wilson that oozes with emotion. The group clicks on all the tracks, but seems to work best on the slow blues of Earl's "Twenty-Five Days," Cotton's "One More Mile," and Thomas' showcase, a languid and heartfelt medley of "I'll Take Care of You"/"Lonely Avenue," one of the disc's undisputed highlights. An album for Sunday mornings as opposed to Saturday nights, Ronnie Earl and Friends is a subtle and intimate blues session, whose headlining star remains only a small, but essential portion of the event.

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Ronnie Earl - Ronnie Earl And Friends (2001)

Ronnie Earl - Healing Time (2000)

Guitarist Ronnie Earl continues his string of all instrumental albums with this stunning follow-up to 1997's critically acclaimed The Colour of Love. With sturdy yet subtle assistance from Anthony Geraci on keyboards, Mark Greenberg or Don Williams on drums, Michael "Mudcat" Ward on bass, and, for two tracks, special guest Jimmy McGriff handling the Hammond B-3 in his inimitable fashion, Earl peels off sweet and spicy jazz-blues-gospel licks with the touch of a musician whose heart and soul is intimately infused in his music. Earl's love of Muddy Waters shines on a sizzling cover of "Catfish Blues" where his guitar alternately screams and moans through the stop-start rhythm of the song as if it's singing the lyrics. But this is primarily a jazz album with a heavy blues influence, and Earl's Kenny Burrell and Grant Green roots are pervasive throughout. His tensile tone ranges from tender and sensitive to biting and majestic, with touches of Carlos Santana's unique phrasing thrown in. Whether digging deep into the achingly soulful slow groove of "Blues for Shawn" or closing out the album with a rapturous "Amazing Grace," Ronnie Earl proves himself to be a master of moods. Healing Time effectively moves him into the realm of the guitar greats he idolizes.

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Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - The Colour Of Love (1997)

The continuing musical saga of bluesman Ronnie Earl ventures further into jazz territory with this, his first release on the Verve imprint. As always, Earl is ably and tightly backed by the Broadcasters, featuring solid and empathetic playing from drummer Per Hanson, bassist Rod Carey, and keyboardist and co-collaborator Bruce Katz. It's Katz's "Hippology" that opens the album with a swinging bang, sporting guest appearances on alto sax from Hank Crawford and Allman Brothers alumni Jaimoe on drums. Crawford also shows up again on "Anne's Dream," while Jaimoe joins Marc Quinones for a two-drummer rhythm section guest turn on "Bonnie's Theme" and "Mother Angel." Gregg Allman plays Hammond B-3 organ and contributes the album's only vocal on "Everyday Kinda Man." But guest stars aside, this is clearly Ronnie Earl's show to direct, and his playing, as always, sports exquisite taste, economy, and tone for days. His nine-plus-minute soliloquy on Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" (the only cover on this album) blasts the venerable jazz standard into new territory as Earl's passages take on almost trumpet-like tonalities, while his "I Like That Thing You Did" (dedicated to Jimmie Vaughan) creates an organ-like sound with tons of ultra-shimmering Leslie vibrato. Since adopting an all-instrumental format several albums back, Earl's music has blossomed in a multitude of directions, embracing jazz, soul, and the rockier aspects of guitarists like Carlos Santana (the title track) and Peter Green ("Heart of Glass"), and bringing new life to the organ jazz combo format ("Deep Pockets") while remaining true to his deep blues roots, like in his closing tribute to Albert Collins, "O'Yeah." This release pushes the envelope even further and breaks new ground, wrapped in the velvet glove of Tom Dowd's production.

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Ronnie Earl - Plays Big Blues (1997)

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Ronnie Earl - Grateful Heart: Blues & Ballads (1996)

Perhaps the smartest move a non-singing guitar-playing virtuoso like Ronnie Earl could make was ditching the lame singers who permeate most of his earlier efforts and go with an all-instrumental program. On this outing, Grateful Heart: Blues and Ballads, he surrounds himself with an excellent quartet of players with David "Fathead" Newman on tenor sax, Per Hanson on drums, Rod Carey on bass, and Bruce Katz on keyboards, and the results are simply sublime. Instead of a bunch of Chicago retreads, we are treated to a heady mixture of blues, jazz, soul, swing, you name it, all of it infused with taste, tone and economy. When Earl burns, the results are jaw dropping; when he slows it down, his choice of notes is exquisite. "Welcome Home," "Still Soul Searching," "Drown in My Own Tears" and "Skyman (For Duane Allman)" are just a few of the highlights, but there really isn't a wasted note on this record to be found.

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Ronnie Earl - Eye To Eye (1996)

This CD is a fine showcase for guitarist Ronnie Earl, who is teamed with three members of the Legendary Blues Band (pianist Pinetop Perkins, bassist Calvin Jones and drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith), plus organist Bruce Katz. Although pianist Perkins takes vocals on most of the songs and bassist Jones sings on two of the numbers, nearly each selection has plenty of solo space for Earl and Perkins. Sticking exclusively to the blues at a variety of tempos, the fine program (which has superior instrumental playing that overshadows the personable vocals) should be of strong interest to both blues and jazz collectors.

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Joe Beard Featuring Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Blues Union (1996)

Although Joe Beard is a country-based bluesman and fellow guitarist Ronnie Earl (who brought along his Broadcasters for this set) is strictly city, they work together quite well. The emphasis is often on Beard's expressive vocals (which sometimes look toward John Lee Hooker and Lightnin' Hopkins but display their own personality). Beard and Earl contribute contrasting guitar solos, pianist-organist Bruce Katz fuels a grooving rhythm section, tenor saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman has a couple of cameos and the harmonica of Joe Dubuc is a strong asset on three songs. Even with its nods toward the past, this release is a fine example of blues in the mid-'90s.

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Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Blues Guitar Virtuoso Live In Europe (1995)

Although not released until 1995, this CD was recorded live in 1993 in Bremen, Germany. Live in Europe is Earl's tribute to his major influences, and Ronnie plays his favorite guitar throughout: a 1962 red Strat. The fast, driving "San-Ho-Zay" and "Blues for the West Side" go out to Magic Sam; "The Stumble" to Freddie King; "Thank You Mr. T-Bone" to T-Bone Walker and Duke Robillard (who inspired Earl to learn T-Bone). "Thank You Mr. T-Bone" features some cool call-and-response between Earl and Bruce Katz on the Hammond B-3. It segues nicely into "Akos," where you'll find more great B-3 (check out the improvised "Summertime" riff). An all-instrumental offering, Live in Europe includes a handful of tunes found on its predecessor, Still River, including "Szeren," "Rego Park Blues," and the aforementioned "Blues for the West Side." "Contrition," a slow, soulful tune penned by Katz, has some jaw-dropping runs by Earl. One can only imagine what it must have been like to be one of the lucky souls at this show. The only fault to be found on this album is the mislabeling of several tunes on the cover. (For example, "The Stumble" is listed as "Not Now Kovitch.") Still, it's this reviewer's all-time favorite album — thank you, Mr. Earl.

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http://rapidshare.com/files/150988846/1995_-_Blues_Guitar_Virtuoso_Live_In_Europe.part1.rar.html

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Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Blues And Forgiveness (1995)

Especially for the lovers of straight blues guitar, this album will be more than a welcomed addition to their Ronnie Earl collection. I always thought that he was best in a live situation, on stage, facing a supportive audience. We tried to capture that special feel, and the high energy of a Ronnie Earl performance. A treat for all lovers of hard-drivin' guitar blues, performed by one of the greatest guitar players on planet earth.

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Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Still River (1994)

This particular version of the Broadcasters was unarguably magical, and this recording reveals why. Recorded four years after Earl dealt with his demons (alcohol, drugs, nervous collapse), it is the first of a string of all-instrumental albums by Earl, and it drips with class and soul. It's not just the exceptional skill of the players, however, that makes it so special; it was recorded on one of a handful of audiophile labels (AudioQuest), and therefore features state-of-the-art production. From the ringing opening chords of Magic Sam's "Blues for the West Side" to the beautiful acoustic guitar/piano duet of "Derek's Peace," Still River is thoroughly enjoyable. "Kansas City Monarch" is slow and sweet, featuring Bruce Katz tearing up the low notes, a nice sax solo by Anders Gaardmand, and some great double-string work by Earl. There is a moody version of John Coltrane's "Equinox" and a bog-dwelling rouser written by the entire band called "Chili Ba Hugh." You'll also like the greasy Hammond B3 organ on "Soul Serenade." A tempo change three minutes into the song suddenly finds the listener "getting religion" and tempted to yell "Amen!." Earl's own "Rego Park Blues" also showcases some nice B3 and finds Earl in the place where he shines the brightest, delicately coaxing a hushed solo from his Strat. Although not as jazzy as Earl's subsequent efforts, Still River sows the seeds that sprouted a few years later with Language of the Soul and with the albums that followed.

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Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Language Of The Soul (1994)

Language of the Soul is a wonderful change of pace for guitarist Ronnie Earl. The record is the first all-instrumental album Earl has recorded and, if anything, it's even more successful than his full-fledged, band-oriented records. Working without vocals has given him the freedom to try all sorts of new things, whether it's the jazzy interludes of "Indigo Burrell" or the gospel-flavored "I Am With You." Earl's compositions aren't memorable in and of themselves (he wrote all but two of the cuts), yet they give him the opportunity to play freely. He comes up with some truly remarkable solo passages, offering definitive proof that he's one of the best contemporary blues guitarists of the '90s.

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