TOM GORDON: RE-IMAGINING RUSH & MAX WEBSTER’S “BATTLE SCAR” + A LIFETIME OF EPIC RECORDING PROJECTS

Recorded live from David Coverdale’s studio in Nevada, Tom Gordon and I chat about iconic recording projects, common threads, and his love for causes. Check out his rendition (song and video!) of the classic track “Battle Scar”, a collaborative effort originally written by Canadian legends Rush and Max Webster.

A Reno native, Tom is a Record Producer, Engineer and Educator. His client list includes: Ozzy Osbourne, Dr. Dre, The Beach Boys, Boyz II Men, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Collective Soul, Whitesnake, Bruce Dickenson (Iron Maiden), Buddy Miles (Hendrix), Laurie Anderson, Leonard Nimoy, Cliff Robertson, Peter Graves, Nelson, G Love and Special Sauce, Dillinger Escape Plan, E40, Doug E Fresh, Shock G, and even Milli Vanilli’s come-back album where they actually sang! Classical clients include Eric Whitacre, Edgar Meyer & the Russian National Orchestra. TV and film work include Role Models (WB) Wife Swap and Inside Edition (ABC) Behind the Music (VH1) Celebrity Death Match and “2gether” (MTV) & The Secret Live of Walter Mitty and The Naked Gun (Fox).
Tom has been making records for 25 years with 5 Platinum and 1 Gold selling albums, 1 Emmy, 1 3M Visionary Award and over 200 independent CD’s of local and regional artists to his credit. He has also done audio post for several independent films. He currently runs Imirage Sound Lab and was the former head engineer at Granny’s House/ Sierra Sonics Recording Mansion. Additionally he’s the private engineer for Mike Love of the Beach Boys.

Tom also stage manages the “Black Potatoe Music Festival;” the longest running independent music festival in the US. There he’s worked with Honeyboy Edwards (Robert Johnson), Andy Summers (The Police), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel), Kevin Hearn (Barenaked Ladies), Bernie Worrell (P-Funk), Grace Potter, Lakeshore Drive, John Hammond, Edwin McCain, Buddy Miller (Emmylou Harris) Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan) and members of both Conan O’brien and David Letterman’s bands.

Tom is a session drummer and percussionist who has played in several area bands and independent theater productions for decades. He had a percussion scholarship to University of Southern California where he played in Trojan Marching band for 3 Rose Bowls, 2 Super Bowls,1 World Series and 1 World Expo.

Tom has a degree in Recording Sciences from USC and has been teaching Recording Arts for over 10 years at Imirage Sound Lab & the University of Nevada Reno. In 2013 he won the Affect 100’s “Beautiful Minds” award for outstanding educator of Northern Nevada.
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ALL ACCESS LIVE with MARTIN ZARZAR

The conversation I had with Martin will undoubtedly leave you feeling as I did… this man’s love for life and creativity is not only refreshing, but inspiring. Performing the debut of his recent single “The Storyteller” was just icing on the cake. Dig into this broadcast and learn more about a master of love song crafters.

“My life is a story of many languages and cultures, of searching for common ground, of learning new things. I found this through music. My family moved to the UK when I was two years old. That’s when I discovered music as my calling. I was inspired and encouraged by the musicians of the South African community there, including Eugene Skeef and members of the group District Six. I enjoy playing several instruments, and my interest in literature has been a driving force in my pursuit as a songwriter. As a child, I studied piano on and off for a few years and then I fell in love with the guitar and percussion. I spent much of my childhood between Europe and Lima, Peru, where I was born, and I believe all that traveling deeply influenced my outlook on life and music. As a teenager in the USA I toured with the band Al Andalus, an ensemble of musicians from many parts of the world which celebrated the music of Andalusian Spain. After attending Berklee College of music on a scholarship and graduating with honors I moved to Portland, Oregon to join the band Pink Martini.”

2013-Independent Music Award for Best Song – Story Song
2013-Independent Music Award for Best Song – Children’s Music
2013-Independent Music Award for Best Song – Vox Pop Award
2014- Independent Music Award for Best Song – World Beat
2014-Independent Music Award for Best Song – Love Song
2019-Independent Music Award for Best Song – Acoustic Song
2019-Independent Music Award for Best Song – Reggae/Ska/Dancehall
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THE ROMANTICS’ MIKE SKILL JOINS ALL ACCESS LIVE

Veteran Guitarist, Bassist, Songwriter and Vocalist Mike Skill has made his mark as a co-founding member of The Romantics for the past four decades. Skill recently released his debut solo album, entitled Skill on Friday, October 8, 2021.

Skill’s new album consists of 11 original songs penned by Skill as well as the rocker’s recent remake of “What I Like About You,” the classic party anthem that Skill co-wrote with Romantics bandmate Jimmy Marinos in 1979. The album features Skill on lead and backup vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar and bass along with Brad Elvis (current member of The Romantics) and Kevin Rankin (A Flock of Seagulls) on drums , Mc5’s Wayne Kramer on “67 Riot, Ricky Rat, Guitar, Chloe F. Orwell guest vocals and Patrick Harwood on harmonica.

With The Romantics touring halted during the pandemic, Skill turned to songwriting in his home studio in Portland, Oregon. While sheltering at home, Skill recalls that he “was bursting at the seams with that Detroit energy,” invoking the signature rock sound of his hometown which compelled him to write incessantly. Says the artist,”As I was writing, I couldn’t help reflecting on the Music that came before me, that I grew up with.”

As a result, Skill created several songs about his days as a young, struggling musician in Detroit. On the new Skill…Mike Skill album, “We Got Your Rock ‘n’ Roll” is Skill’s homage to his early years as a rebellious rocker in his hometown.

Also included on the album is Skill’s 2020 single, “‘67 Riot,” that he wrote about the infamous Detroit riots in the 60s. The track features Skill’s idol and fellow Detroit native, guitarist Wayne Kramer, from the legendary Detroit rock band, MC5.

American Songwriter describes “‘67 Riot,” as “on-the-spot reportage of the racial unrest that gripped Detroit in 1967 with the blistering garage rock that inspired the music he has made throughout his career.”

Skill’s reboot of his original 1979 song, “What I Like About You” also marks the rocker’s early songwriting days as a teen in Detroit. He came up with the famous three-chord guitar rhythm in his parents’ backyard before bringing it to his bandmate, drummer Jimmy Marinos, at rehearsal.
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ALICIA G and the “DAISY DUKE TWO STEP”

When Acclaimed pop singer and hip hop artist Alicia G was growing up she often found herself listening to Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw nearly as often as she listened to 50 cent and Eminem. But today, the energetic artist is channeling her country roots with her new single “Daisy Duke Two Step,” available on Jan. 19 on Apple Music, Spotify and elsewhere.

The energetic country-flavored new single, which recalls the comely “Dukes of Hazzard” character, blends, country, pop and hip hop with an infectious beat that encourages listeners to dance and revel in the catchy melody and Alicia’s distinctive voice.
“I love pop and hip hop, but I always wanted to record something with a unique country feel,” Alicia G said. “It’s definitely not your dad’s country music, but it’s a great blend of many influences I’ve had, namely from country to rock, pop, rhythm and blues and more – something that I think the fans will love!”

The music video, which is available on YouTube here or at https://youtu.be/UTxp_NAeuKk, features Alicia G performing in cowboy boots and Daisy Duke denim shorts at a barnyard hoe down.

The single was produced by veteran music producer Andrew Lane, whose past work includes such artists as The Backstreet Boys, Miley Cyrus and others. “Daisy Duke Two Step” follows the success of her hit single “It’s Little, But It Jiggles” last fall.

Coming to fame as a teenage beauty queen when she first appeared in the ABC reality series “Wife Swap” in 2008, where Alicia G was asked to portray a bratty teenager in the reality series. But in the backlash from her portrayal, she suffered incessant hate mail and abuse on social media which culminated in physical attacks at school and elsewhere. Despite the suffering, Alicia G persevered and went on to embark on a career in the music industry where despite occasional online hate, she has won over fans with such hits as “Talk to the Hand,” “Pretty Girl,” “Ca$h & Nap” and others in recent years.

Today, Alicia G is an outspoken advocate for children who are bullied and face online hate as well as a staunch supporter of women’s rights and efforts to protect the environment.

Besides her music and activism, Alicia G has joined the live streaming app Bigo Live where she broadcasts a daily show that soon grew her audience to more than 2.7 million fans who tune in nightly to watch her perform, DJ and entertain with her humor, style and boundless energy. To watch Alicia G on Bigo Live, download the app at the Apple Store or Google Play or click here.
For more on Alicia G, visit www.AliciaGWorld.com or follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/aliciagworld/ or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AliciaGWorld.

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MICHELE LINN SHARES THE WAY GRATITUDE HAS HELPED HER CONQUER ALL

Michele opens up about how important gratitude and spirituality has helped overcome some of life’s greatest challenges. Having been happily married for over 30 years, she also gives some great tips on how to maintain the best parts of a relationship. Loving life and those in it are such a visible part of Michele, and I’m grateful to have had her join me on the show to share those insights.

As a relative newcomer to the Northwest music scene, Michele brings breathtaking talent to the table. And though it would be easy to dismiss her as “eye candy”, her true beauty is both inside and out. There may not be a kinder soul on the planet, and those fortunate to enjoy her music in the Portland, Oregon area know how much of a gift she is.

Check out Night Rose (her full band) at https://nightrose.band on February 25, 2022 at 9pm:

Billy Blues Bar and Grill,
7115 NE Hazel Dell Ave,
Vancouver, WA 98665, USA

Also visit Midnight & Moonshine (her duet with Rich Petko) at: https://nightandshine.com.

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TOM GRANT joins ALL ACCESS LIVE WITH KEVIN RANKIN

TOM GRANT, master instrumentalist, talented singer and natural entertainer nimbly walks the line between jazz tradition and modern pop. This soft-spoken Oregon native’s inspired songwriting produces propulsive R&B grooves, infectious melodic hooks, and stylish ballads with equal ease.

He plays jazz piano with the harmonic sophistication and deep sense of swing that only comes from more than four decades on the bandstand. As one of the Pacific Northwest’s most renowned musical artists, Tom Grant’s career achievements reflect his unique ability to embrace the full spectrum of contemporary music.

Tom has appeared on the Jay Leno show and was featured in many of the national music mags as well as in a CNN news spot. He’s also enjoyed large followings in Indonesia and Japan.

Today’s episode featured a private, live performance by the jazz phenom in his studio and a warm conversation about life, what it took to get the international recognition he’s been awarded, and the challenges along the way. We also discuss his talented wife Mary’s prolific talents as an artist, and having to share the world with someone dedicated passionately to their craft.

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PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT JOINS ALL ACCESS LIVE

Director Douglas Jenkins and cellist Skip vonKuske join All Access Live to discuss the diversely talented ensemble that has taken the Northwest to a new cultural realm.

In the fall of 2006 a group of 9 cellists got on stage at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge to perform western classical music in an informal setting.

Many of the cellists that night thought it would only happen once.

But slowly that one-off event became a second, and a third, cellists joined and left and rejoined the group again, to perform in Portland’s most popular clubs. By 2009 the group had evolved into a nationally-recognized performing, recording and educational group with a revolving cast of cellists. Cello Project (or PCP as their fans affectionately call them) were quickly appearing anywhere and everywhere in North America, from punk rock clubs to symphony halls, from street parties to exclusive private events. By 2010 this self-described horde of cellos were spending more than a quarter of the year touring, featuring a diverse repertoire that quickly ballooned to over 1,000 pieces of music.

Under the artistic direction of Douglas Jenkins, the group grew and evolved, working with an all-star group of cellists in the Pacific Northwest (Skip vonKuske, Diane Chaplin, Nancy Ives, Gideon Freudmann, Kevin Jackson, to name just a few…). The group developed a three-part philosophy that has mostly remained unchanged over the years:

  • To bring the cello places you wouldn’t normally see it (from wild dance parties, to formal symphony halls, to street parties, to Millennium Park in Chicago…).
  • To perform music on the cello you wouldn’t normally associate with the instrument alongside music from the Western Classical Tradition (from Pantera to Taylor Swift to Kanye West to Elliott Smith, alongside Bach, Rossini, and Saint-Saens, to name just a few…).
  • To build bridges between different musical communities through educational, community outreach, and through collaboration with myriad artists, from The Dandy Warhols to Garrison Keillor to Ural Thomas to Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney) to Jolie Holland to Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul and Mary), among many others, and cellists such as Ben Sollee, Maya Beiser and Zoe Keating.

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MARK POWERS & ROB WYNIA join ALL ACCESS LIVE!

IGNITER PODCAST:
Hosts (and bandmates and jacks/hacks of many trades) Robert Wynia and Mark Powers have joined forces to bring you IGNITER, a brand new podcast aimed toward sparking your creativity. With suggestions, tactics, special guests, listener feedback, and sheer and utter randomness, Mark and Rob will send you on your day with new tools to increase your creative flow and effectiveness.

ROB WYNIA:
Robert Wynia is a native son of the Western US. Born in Oregon, he has been performing and writing all his life. He has been voted Best Male Performer, Best New Artist, and Performer of the Year in Eugene and Portland, been inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame, and has received two preliminary Grammy nominations for his work with his band “Floater.” He has appeared in numerous radio, television and web-based shows and has traveled extensively on tour.

MARK POWERS:
A percussion artist/educator and world traveler, Mark Powers has studied, performed and taught throughout North America, as well as in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the South Pacific. He has contributed drum set and/or percussion tracks to a number of incredible recording projects, including releases by M. Ward, She & Him, Mbrascatu, Haley Johnsen, Falls, Amanda Richards, King Black Acid, Robert Wynia & The Sound, Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons, Portland Cello Project, Floater, and many others.
Mark has also made music on stage with a diverse list of artists, ranging from Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen, Devon Evans (of Bob Marley and the Wailers), Clyde Stubblefield, Rolling Stones saxophonist Tim Ries, and America’s Polka King- the late Frankie Yankovic, to disco sensations The Afrodisiacs and ’80s nerd-rockers The Spazmatics.
Fun fact: He is also former co-holder of the Guinness World Record for Longest Drum Roll by a Group (shared with Namiah Tribolini, Peter Buxman and Pat Flanigan)!

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ALL ACCESS LIVE with ALICE COOPER’S GLEN SOBEL

Currently the drummer for rock legend Alice Cooper and the Hollywood Vampires, Glen Sobel has played in a variety of genres including rock, hip hop, pop, metal, punk, and fusion. Recently he has played, toured, and/or recorded with gigs ranging from hard rock (Alice Cooper), pop/r&b (tour with ELLIOTT YAMIN- American Idol finalist who topped the Billboard Hot 100), instrumental fusion (Glen played on PAUL GILBERT’s DVD), stadium/arena rock (Glen toured in 2010 with VASCO ROSSI- Italy’s biggest rock super-star, playing to crowds in excess of 40,000), last minute subbing with some of the industry’s heaviest hitters (Glen subbed a week for Tommy Lee in Mötley Crüe on a few hours notice pulling double duty on the Crue/Alice tour), to studio TV work (Glen plays drums on the new version of the MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL theme on ESPN).

Recent live events have found Glen playing in the house band backing such heavyweights as Steven Tyler, Rob Halford, Weird Al, Pat Simmons & Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers, Sammy Hagar, Richie Sambora, Joe Lynn Turner, Night Ranger, Jonny Lang, Nils Lofgren, Sarah Mclachlan, Nuno Bettencourt, Dexter and Noodles of The Offspring, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Ke$ha, Orianthi, Johnny Depp, Mike Myers and many more.

Other touring/recording credits for Glen include Chris Impellitteri, Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson’s guitarist), Tony Macalpine , Gary Hoey, Warner Bros recording act Beautiful Creatures (Ozzfest tour), Cypress Hill and many others.

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COREY GLOVER of LIVING COLOUR joins ALL ACCESS LIVE from SECRETS RESORT, CANCUN MEXICO

From The Sands festival in Cancun, Mexico, Corey sat down with me to talk about each step of his journey from a fledgling artist in NYC to acting in the Oscar-winning film by Oliver Stone “Platoon”. Join part one of our spirited hang as we chill poolside, with iconic bands playing in the background near the beach – pardon the background noise!
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Best known as the lead singer of Living Colour, the multi-talented Corey Glover has also issued albums as a solo artist and acted in movies/television. Born on November 6, 1964, in Brooklyn, NY, Glover met up with guitarist Vernon Reid (who was already a respected and in-demand sessionman) in the early ’80s, when Reid was impressed with Glover’s soulful rendition of “Happy Birthday” at a mutual friend’s party. The duo went on to form Living Colour (along with drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Muzz Skillings), but just as the group was creating a buzz in the N.Y.C. underground with their hard-rocking sound and socially aware lyrics, Glover had to briefly leave the group when he landed a part in Oliver Stone’s classic Vietnam movie, Platoon. Shortly after he returned, Living Colour was signed to Epic (thanks in part to a Mick Jagger-produced demo tape), and scored a big hit straight away with their debut recording, 1989’s Vivid, and smash single/video “Cult of Personality.”

Living Colour continued issuing challenging albums, including 1990’s Time’s Up and 1993’s Stain, but decided to break up in 1995 (Skillings had left the group a few years prior, replaced by session ace Doug Wimbish). Glover attempted to launch a career as a solo artist, issuing the overlooked Hymns in 1998, also finding time to appear as a VJ on VH1 and acting in the 1996 movie Loose Women. Glover reunited with his Living Colour chums in 2001.

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