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"Valhalla of Decadence"

L.A. Rocker Tony Gamble (left) has been through quite a lot over the past six years, including album releases, rock tours, and shows at the annual NAMM conference, where he represents ESP Guitars.

And...oh yeah, there was that murder, that body found in a trash bag in a dumpster wearing Tony's watch...

Oh-oh...

Tony Gamble is a RARWRITER Featured Artist in this edition, where he discusses the book he is writing on his experiences surrounding a highly publicized murder case in L.A., his childhood in Malibu, growing up with the Z-Boys of Dogtown and the children of famous rockers, and his plans for the future.

Click here to read the Tony Gamble exclusive.

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Artist Management Series

Could DIY Mean the End of the Paternalism that Killed Michael Jackson?

Chris Daniels (pictured left) has been a frontline performer from Colorado for three decades and counting. With his band Chris Daniels & The Kings he has recorded a dozen albums, played with B.B. King, Uncle Cracker, Blues Traveler, The Neville Brothers, Delbert McClinton, Sister Hazel, Sheryl Crow, Robert Cray, Taj Mahal, Al Kooper, Bonnie Raitt, Ziggy Marley, The Fixx, and many others. His previous bands Magic Music and Spoons were also important in Colorado music history.

All of those years of performing and managing his own career have taught Chris a great deal about the music business, which he has parlayed into an assistant professorship at the University of Colorado, where he teaches Music Business classes. Among his acolytes in the classroom have been Colorado band The Fray.

In this edition, Chris Daniels adds important insights to RARWRITER.com's Artist Management Series. Click here to read his article on the new "Do It Yourself" ethos that exists among young music makers. Will their Internet savvy and hands-on approach to career planning change the way musicians do business? And what will it mean to the traditional artist management industry?

"Who Proofreads this Stuff!?!"

Colorado buddy Steve Ignelzi writes to ask - "Colorado legend 'Christ' Daniels? Who proof reads this stuff?"

The sharp-eyed bassist of Boulder's Girls On Top party band, along with other jazz ensembles, refers to an error in the most recent email blast for RARWRITER.com that carried this bit of editorial carnage - "Colorado music legend Christ Daniels, who also happens to be an assistant professor at the University of Colorado..."

"Chris was not that popular..." writes Ignelzi of the errant elevation of Chris to Christ status. "Maybe, John Lennon and Beatles were..."

Steve's point is well made. Not that it will likely make any difference, but I promise to do better or find a proofreader. - RAR

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Trower Drummer Bill Lordan's Rock Life

 

Bill Lordan, pictured left, has been in the high ether of the rock, funk and soul universe for 40 years. Coming from humble beginnings in Minnesota, Lordan caught on with soul groups The Amazers and The Esquires, perfecting his chops at Harlem's Apollo Theatre, the only white guy in otherwise Black ensembles. Success in that company led to the big time with Gypsy, The Mystics, Sly and the Family Stone and the Robin Trower Band.

Bill Lordan, working with RARWRITER.com contributor Diana Olson, has written his autobiography, From the Basement to the Coliseum, charting his long and successful career. They are currently in negotiations with publishers. Lordan remains an active player, winning an L.A. Music Award as recently as 2004 for his compilation album "The Best of BLX" (i.e., the Bill Lordan Experience).

Click here to read a brief excerpt from the book and listen to MP3 from his "Best of..." LP.

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Robert Johnson and the Mariachi

RARWRITER.com's residient musicologist Douglas Strobel has always had an inordinate fascination with the stories behind every minute aspect of our cultural history, particularly as it relates to his favorite music subject, the Country Blues.

The snippet (left) of the famous R. Crumb cover for the "King of the Delta Blues Singers" LP that, quite after the fact, introduced iconic bluesman Robert Johnson to most of the world, is the type of thing that would capture Doug's attention. He would head off to the library to do a little research the old fashioned pre-computer era way, reading books on arcane topics, which would tell him about guys like those depicted in the brilliance of the R.Crumb drawing.

This edition, Douglas Strobel contributes "Robert Johnson and the Mariachi" (click here to read).

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