Showing posts with label TOM GUERRA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TOM GUERRA. Show all posts

5.13.2020

SUDDEN SIGNS OF GRACE: TOM GUERRA'S NEW RELEASE OUT NOW!

Songwriter/Guitarist Tom Guerra

“Sudden Signs of Grace” is the fourth solo album from songwriter/guitarist Tom Guerra, following the success of “American Garden” (2018), “Trampling out the Vintage” (2016) and “All of the Above” (2014). After a recent experience crafting music for The Yardbirds, Guerra got back to writing songs for himself.


According to Pete Prown, music editor for Vintage Guitar magazine, “With his previous albums, Tom established himself as a fine rock and roll guitarist… ‘Sudden Signs of Grace’ shows his growth and new direction as a songwriter steeped in the Laurel Canyon school of songwriting.“

“Sudden Signs of Grace” contains nine new original tunes including the single "Lover's Time," and two covers: “Streets of Baltimore” as popularized by Gram Parsons, and “Gimme Some Water,” an early Eddie Money composition.


Said Guerra about his late friend Money “When I heard Eddie was sick, I recorded one of my favorite tunes of his and sent him a copy.” Former MTV VJ Martha Quinn, Money's longtime friend, also gave Tom's version a thumbs up.


Longtime collaborator Kenny Aaronson (bassist for Bob Dylan, George Harrison, etc.) said "Tom is a great songwriter. He has great pop sensibilities, and I really like his way of crafting a melody. He is a sensitive and keen observer of the human condition as one will hear in his lyrics."

Several tracks on the new album are tight, 3-minute songs recalling the lyrical and melodic creativity of Tom Petty, one of Guerra’s favorite songwriters. “I always loved Tom Petty’s economical approach to writing and try to live by his mantra of ‘Don’t bore us, get to the chorus’ on these songs.”


Other tracks, including “It’s All in the Skies” and “Just Like the Sun” were inspired by Guerra’s love of nature. “Just Like the Sun” (featuring former Queen/Mott the Hoople pianist Morgan Fisher) begins as a ballad then blasts off into a powerful rocker. The title track, a compact stunner, was written after Guerra heard a preacher proclaiming, “we’re all looking for sudden signs of grace.” They may just find it in this song and in this album.

Recorded prior to the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic, Guerra felt compelled to release it now because “people need music, especially during times like these.” - Peter Gerstenzang, Writer, NY Times

Purchase/Contact: Tom.Guerra

5.30.2018

MAMBO SONS' GUITARIST TOM GUERRA NEW RELEASE AMERICAN GARDEN!!



After I did the “All of the Above” and “Trampling Out the Vintage” solo albums, I continued developing new song ideas and recording them as I went along. A little over a year ago, my longtime friend, the bassist extraordinaire Kenny Aaronson, asked me about collaborating with him on songs for the upcoming Yardbirds studio album, scheduled to be produced by Jack Douglas later in the year.

Kenny’s been playing with The Yardbirds for a number of years and they are just a stellar rock and roll band. Of course, I jumped at this opportunity, and we started sending ideas back and forth. Over the next several months, we developed several song concepts into various stages of completion, and had a good time along the way!

Guest musicians including Kenny Aaronson (bass), Jon Butcher (guitar), Morgan Fisher (piano), and Garry Segal (harmonica).




All the while I kept working on my own as well, as there seemed to be so many things to write about. Real world inspiration produced many of these tunes, including the title track, which was written after some long conversations with some Vietnam vets – the verses are their stories, and the chorus is my take on how all of our vets continually to be treated; “Blood on the New Rising Sun,” about the Charlottesville protests; and both “Jack for Joe” and “Meet Me at the Bottom of Your Glass,” about lost friends.



I always wanted to write a tune using just piano and voice, a la Tom Waits, so that’s how the demo of “Meet Me” started out. For the final version, I enlisted the help of virtuoso pianist Morgan Fisher, who brought elegance to my ragged tune.

Another collaboration resulted from monster guitarist Jon Butcher’s suggestion that it would be fun to work together. I thought “Blood…” might be a good vehicle for a collaboration, since it had a lot of real estate for Jon to do his thing, and he did not disappoint, laying down electrifying guitar parts on his vintage Tele.

As the songs started piling up, I received the disappointing news that The Yardbirds would not be doing a new album, so I decided that some of the tunes that Kenny and I wrote together, including “Goodbye to Yesterday,” “The Lyin’ King” and “Family of One” would appear on this album. Also included here are my arrangements of “The Story,” popularized by Brandi Carlile, and “Walls,” a tribute to Tom Petty that I recorded in the days following his passing.

The last song I wrote for this record is the first song you hear on it, “Nevermore,” about a guy of a certain age who is trying to convince himself there are brighter days ahead.

So here’s my third solo cd, “American Garden.” 
 I hope you like it, and TURN IT UP LOUD!

-Tom Guerra, May 30, 2018

5.19.2017

TOM GUERRA: TRAMPLING OUT THE VINTAGE


Detroit Music has influenced millions including East coast lead guitarist Tom Guerra (Mambo Sons). Chatted online with Tom last night and he released a new LP a few months back "Trampling Out the Vintage"...Click the links to listen to each track. We loved it! 


Popa Chubby with Tom Guerra

Creem Magazine was the bible that I grew up on, and some of my all time favorite guitarists are Jim McCarty and Steve Hunter (who both did time in Mitch Ryder's bands!). From a songwriting perspective, the great Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland who wrote many of Motown's greatest hits were huge influences. Tom Guerra




ABOUT THE ALBUM: “Trampling Out the Vintage” is the second solo album from Mambo Sons’ guitarist Tom Guerra. The title is from a line in “Battle Hymn of the Republic” aka “Glory Glory Hallelujah”), and refers to the old guitars and amps used in the recording process. Like “All of the Above” (Tom’s first solo disc), “Trampling…” is an old school rock and roll record, but one written for these times. Joining Tom in the studio this time was…

Kenny Aaronson and Tom Guerra

"Most recently, Tom has been busy writing new original music with world class bassist Kenny Aaronson (currently touring with The Yardbirds) for a future recording project. "

• Kenny Aaronson – Bass guitar
• Morgan Fisher and Matt Zeiner – Piano and Hammond
• Mike “Double Dog” Kosacek – Drums and percussion

Here’s a blurb about each track in Tom’s own words…

All Purpose Song – In the old days, we’d have to tune our radios to pull in a song, and then “static evolved into grace.” This is a sort of riff rocker about how music can mean so many different things to people.

Dr. Nick and Elvis – I had a dream that Elvis and his good friend Dr. Nick ran a church to help cure the type of ills detailed in the verses. While writing it, I heard Lemmy had passed, so I included a line in about “The Ace of Spades.”

Purchase Click the Icon Below


Tell the World – The conflict between being feeling guilty to be happy when the world is going to hell in a handbasket, set in a 2 minute 43 second pop song.



BYOB – I’ve read that the NYC rock scene had some great parties in the ‘70s, and this is how I imagined them to be...

Make Your Own Kind of Music – As a kid, I fell in love with Mama Cass’ version after seeing her sing this Mann/Weil pop ditty on the Sammy Davis Jr. show. It is re-imagined here as a rock and roll tune.

Love Will Forget You – The flip side of love, in a funk styled tune. Kenny’s bass sort of propels this song along.


Pay In Blood – My favorite guitarists have all covered Bob Dylan, so here’s my contribution to that list, re-arranged with a more “Stonesy” vibe in open G tuning.

Supermoon – I was thinking of David Bowie and his space themed songs when I wrote this, about a rare celestial happening (also called a blood moon) that according to legend is a sign of the End of Days. Side Note: The ’63 Strat I played on this was formerly owned by Howlin’ Wolf, and is now on loan to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame until 2018.

Grow On Your Own – I wrote this about a friend of mine who was afraid to be alone.

Hard to Love – A simple ballad I wrote on piano about a not-so-nice guy that leaves his bride at the altar and ultimately realizes he’s the problem.

TG with vintage Gibson Firebird

More About Tom:

Since the late 1970s, Guerra has been on the New England club circuit, playing blues, rock and roll and R&B acts. Influenced by Rory Gallagher, Paul Kossoff, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and Joe Walsh, Guerra first gained notoriety after being featured in Guitar Player (March 1991).

Over the years, Guerra has recorded or played with Rick Derringer, The Dirty Bones Blues Band', Max Weinberg, Mark Nomad, Sticky Fingers (for which he wrote and arranged original music for the group's debut CD), The Easton Brothers with Muddy Waters bassist Charles Calmese, Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson from The Allman Brothers Band, Second Son, Guitar Shorty, Adolph Jacobs of The Coasters, Kenny Aaronson, and The Delrays.

Since 1998, he has written for Vintage Guitar, and has endorsed Brian Moore Custom guitars, Colby and DST-Engineering amplifiers and a variety of guitar related effects.

Tom and Scott Lawson

In 1999, he formed Mambo Sons with singer Scott Lawson, based upon a songwriting partnership that dated back to the early 1980s. Their debut album, released in 1999, featured Rick Derringer. This twelve-song effort contained both new music as well as songs the two had originally written a decade before. Read Full Bio on WIKI

6.05.2014

TOM GUERRA'S VINTAGE GUITARS USED ON NEW CD "ALL OF THE ABOVE"

Here are some of the guitars used in the making of "All of the Above," 
pic (c) 2014 Joe Lemieux

Tom Guerra L-R: 1959 Stratocaster, 1955 Les Paul TV Special, 1970-1 Fender Stratocaster (solid maple neck), 1960 Stratocaster, 1963 Stratocaster.

GET TOM'S NEW CD "ALL OF THE ABOVE" TODAY!




5.13.2014

MAMBO SONS GUITARIST TOM GUERRA HAS A NEW SOLO CD DROPPING JUNE 5!


We loved the Mambo Sons and sad that they broke up...but guitarist Tom Guerra has a great new solo project releasing June 5....Take a look and listen....Tom loves using vintage guitars and amps so we are certain our favorite guitarist friends will enjoy his new cd.....


  

For the past 15 years Tom has been the guitarist, producer and songwriter with the indie rock and roll trio Mambo Sons, releasing 4 critically acclaimed cds on Omnicide Records.
 
The new cd is a collection of 11 new guitar based rock and roll originals recorded using a fine collection of vintage instruments and amps. The album also features special guests Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople, Queen) and Matt Zeiner (Dickey Betts Band) on keyboards and has an official release date of June 5.

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