A trio of youthful souls introduced the Tony T New Year with a fresh blend of music.  Jonny & the Russos consists of Matt Russo (guitars), Dane Carmichael (bass, of Mythology), and John Russo (drums.)  J&tR's took over the studio the minute they realized that they were live and recording for the Tony T audience.  Matt Russo poured out his influences and skill into seamless guitar playing while singing the group's vibrant songs.  Dane Carmichael provided rootsy bass lines that when juxtaposed to his playing in his other band, Mythology, showed the duality of Dane's playing and how versatile a performer he is.  And synchronizing this great trio was John Russo on the drums.  In order to ground this band of genre jumpers, John perfectly completmented the unforgettable performance of Jonny & the Russos for the first performance of the year.  If Jonny & the Russos foreshadows the year 2010 on Tony T Radio, then the year is going to be truly amazing.

Kaz and the gang came in on a Friday night in November and entertained us as they do so well.  Simply put, this band is fun, eclectic and very talented to say the least.  A simple three piece, yet the combined musicianship of Kaz (vocals, harp & guitar), Rob (electric and standup bass, vocals) and J.W. (fiddle, saw) makes you think there is a room full of  musicians.  A must see !

From their bio:

"Cultural Confusion is our specialty," confides bandleader and founder Kaz Fujimoto, as he drains the last of his Guinness.  This cat is a Japanese Gypsy -- you can tell from his personal style -- maybe it's the colorful scarf, aviator goggles or his proper English accent.  No, it's the pants.  The guy has great pants. Kaz and bass player Robbie Simpson have been making music together for over a decade.  Robbie also has great pants and an impressive collection of Heavy Metal T-shirts.  Robbie lives for hard rock and other tribal traditions of his home: New Jersey.  Violin player J.W. joined the band after a seismic shift two years ago when Kagero began to develop their current sound. 

KAGERO regularly travels throughout the New York Metro Area and crawls into the Kazmovan to gig in Jersey or parts North, South or West. The sound has been described as a melting pot of tonalities and rhythms from Asia, the Middle East, South America and Eastern Europe -- "Cultural Confusion".  Sometimes the songs are beautiful imagery, sometimes sad folk tales, and sometimes silly songs about drinking.   But the tunes are always fun, and the show is often a very high energy dancing good time. Kagero’s world music goulash is very tasty -- even if you don’t always know what’s you’re eating. Just call us your local neighborhood urban-gypsophonic, border-jumping, international debtor’s prison groove-loving feel-good band next door. 

TonyTRadio had the honor of having Turbine perform in-studio on December 10th in the midst of their rigorous touring schedule.  It was a privilege to be able to have such talented musicians in an intimate setting.  

The sublime performance of the four piece band left listeners with sounds so imaginative that they can’t be defined. The richness and depth of the music was hypnotizing, drawing each viewer into the vibrancy of Turbine’s unique style.

Turbine consists of Jeremy Hillard (electric guitar, vocals) Ryan Rightmire (harmonica, acoustic guitar, vocals) Justin Kimmel (bass, vocals) and Octavio Salman (drums). Although made of four individuals, the band played as though they were one. They have the uncanny ability to read their band mates and create awe-inspiring jams.

Words cannot capture the true nature and quality of Turbine’s music. It is something that must be experienced firsthand.

This is not just your ordinary three piece band.  With driving beats, bow-drawn bass lines and leads, along with angelic harp plucking, this trio of talented musicians takes their art form to a higher level.  

 

Cellist Ardith Collins has a dynamic vocal range that on its own merit is superb.  Kristy Chmura's sublime vocal performance is like nothing we have ever heard here at TonyT's before.  Josh Bicknell equally has a vocal style all of his own, delivering a smoky smooth performance.  

 

Our expectations were high when we were first introduced to the band via the web.  Their performance  exceeded our expectations, and raised the bar here in the studio.  We strongly urge all you music fans to check out their page, give them a listen, and go see them live.