John Hart and the LittleJohn Band delivers Jazzed Up Rock n Funk [NEW ALBUM RELEASE]

John Hart and the LittleJohn Band is an East Bay band, deeply rooted in the musical traditions of two, great, bayside cities, San Francisco and Oakland, California. Armed with a new album full of original songs, the band that never bowed to the insider, corporate politics of their record label where they made their debut, John and his band embrace the indie spirit and resume their journey in a label-less-world, where freedom of expression and musical plot twists and turns flourish.

So, fasten your seatbelts all you who have ears to hear, it’s likely to be one helluva jazzed up rock ‘n’ funk ride!

NEW ALBUM RELEASE PREVIEW

Looking back: In England, John received his music education at the hands of some of Britain’s best known rockers and by playing sweaty, boisterous clubs located in London’s East and West ends. When John came to California, he was introduced to some amazing sounds coming out of the Bay Area, mostly funk, jazz, soul, R&B.

John made a point of getting to know some of the musicians who were the creative force behind the music.From a warehouse location on the High St. in Oakland, CA, John formed the horn rock band ‘Little John’, forging original material with all of its rough edges, raw energy and power.

Bill Graham opened us at Winterland in San Francisco, sharing the bill with the Allman Brothers and Albert King. On the same night, we played across the Bay at Pepperland in San Rafael with Tower of Power and Linda Rondstadt.

And now -: John’s progression as a songwriter has been a step-by-step evolution from writing lightweight, wry songs about girls, rebellion, angst and disillusionment to lyrics that frequently express his immersion into the many dimensions of what it means to be truly awake and aware as a human being.

Today, like U2, we’ve ‘stopped stressing out about it’ and flaunt our ‘spiritual/showbiz contradictions’ while at the same time introducing some raw, just-for-fun tunes, for the simple joy of expression without motivation.

We’ve turned to many of the East Bay’s most creative spirits to help interpret and bring our new material to life. The “3 Amigos” kicked off this new musical adventure in midsummer, 2009. The “3 Amigos” are lifelong friends, John, Journey bassist, Ross Valory and Stevie “Keys” Roseman (Mickey Thomas, Cold Blood, Little John). Ross persuaded Tom Size, the legendary Bay Area sound engineer to record our music, while Stevie Keys called on friend, brass player supreme and Tower of Power alumnus, Mic Gillette to form the horn section and write the arrangements.

Mic recruited some of the finest horn players on the planet Marc Russo (Doobie Brothers, Yellowjackets), Johnnie Bamont (Huey Lewis, The Sons of Champlin), plus TOP bandmates, Stephen “Doc” Kupka and Tom Politzer to blow on our tracks.

Meanwhile, John enlisted close friend and mentor Mike Williams, the gifted Bay Area guitar great along with another longtime friend, well known for his prodigious keyboard chops and stand up (or fall down) comedy, John R Burr (Alison Brown, Maria Muldaur) to join the expanding ensemble. When you listen to the tracks, you’re grooving to their rhythm section arrangements.

Any artist making music today knows the importance of choosing the ideal singer to make the songs ‘work.’ Ross, in a stroke of genius and knowing full well the style of the music we intended to make, recommended Alex Ligertwood, the unmistakable voice of Santana for over 16 years. John and Stevie Keys placed the call that intrigued Alex enough to come up from Santa Monica, listen to what we had ‘in the can’, and maybe(??) sing ‘one or two’ songs. Which, he did, making a bold statement while imprinting his signature style on all of our songs.

The next time Alex came up from L.A. to sing ‘one or two more of our songs’, we needed some powerhouse backing vocals to match his full on vocal pyrotechnics.

Through Mike, we brought together Dawn Coburn and LeeAnn Christopherson, two virtuoso vocalists in their own wright. ‘Les Girls’ can sing like wild women, or angels (depending on the mood of the track, of course).

Courtesy of Tim and Stephen at ‘Nuts and Saddles’ John is introduced to British rock guitar superhero Guthrie Govan (Asia, the Aristocrats) at the 2010 NAMM show, bringing John full circle back to his UK guitar roots. So, what do you say to a man who knows his way around a guitar, the way few of us humans are ever likely to? Would you? Could you, please sir, adorn some of our tracks with your guitar wizardry? Fortunately, I did and he said ‘yes’!

On a trip to Barbados, dear friend Cicely introduces us to Anderson Ward “aka” Mr. Impact“, who’s performing at the Waterfront Cafe in Bridgetown. Inspired by ‘Impact’ and the sheer beauty of his island, John returns home and writes a song in the island style, later flying to Bridgetown with wife Sandy and producer Tom Size to record Anderson at CMI studios. The result? This homage to the island life, “Two Lovers As One“, is now our first single release!

Island music is steel drum music and Tom, who had previously recorded an album with brother Andy Narell, invited the supremely talented Jeff Narell (George Benson, Olatungi, Bobby McFerrin, The Grateful Dead) to create the ‘real steel’ sound and vibrant feeling tones that places this tune firmly on ‘island time.’

The first time John hears Dave Scott (Boz Scaggs, Toto) playing a jazz set with Fundz Jazz, he knows he is in the presence of pure genius. The next time, with Tom in tow, we realize we have just the right man to take the lead with trumpet, flugelhorn and vintage coronet on the haunting ballad, “Lady Friend.” As Mic might say, this is pure ‘ear candy.’

Speaking of Fundz Jazz, we ‘borrow’ ‘kick ass’ drummer, John Xepoleas and powerhouse bass guitarist Marc Levine who with master percussionist John Duarte, rounds out our rhythm section.

Oakland’s own LaTanya Carmical, joined the growing list of talent on this project and she gave us a soulful, passionate and wonderfully bluesy vocal performance on a tune we aptly named “So E-Sensual.”

As the ’round up’ continues, Stevie “Keys” reels in our friend and muscled-up musical talent, Rich Lewis (Little John) bringing him back into the ‘fold’, trombone totin’ and rarin’ to blow, which he does today – better than ever. Out of all of these great performances, Tom, indispensable to this project from the start and without a doubt our very own ‘5th Beatle‘, creates the magnificent soundscape that defines our entire album and here we are world, here we are.

John Hart, 2011
http://www.johnhartnow.com