Kenny Carr - Kari-On Productions, LLC

Kenny CarrChanging Tidewww.kennycarrguitar.com

Kenny CarrKenny Carr (guitars), Donny McCaslin (sax),Tom Baldwin (acoustic bass),Frank Russo (drums)...Jazz Guitar Mastery, With SoulREVIEWS:After touring as a sideman with Ray Charlesfor over 10 years, Carr shows that he isequally talented as a composer. Carrdemonstrates that he is adept in writing andperforming in a wide range of styles.~Larry A. Detwiler, Jazz Improv MagazineEvoking shades of George Benson, EarlKlugh and Larry Carlton, Carr accomplishesthat and more. Carr, a Ray Charles bandalum, and saxophonist Donny McCaslin,blowing tenor, make for a particularly potentcombination when they have bop impetus anda soul-jazz groove working for them.~Mike Joyce, Washington PostMulti-instrumentalist Kenny Carr has puttogether a rump-shaking session.~Jason Bivins, Cadence MagazineFiery album from guitarist Kenny Carr. Afull-bodied effort~Jon Freer, Jazz Not JazzThis cat has chops and the music is all original.If you like contemporary, original, creativejazz then Kenny Carr is worthy of a listen.~S.H. Watkins, Sr., Jazz USACarr, stretching from rockish to introspective,R&B-ish to Wes Montgomery, who is responsiblefor this continually surprising set's widearray of personalities.~Scott Yanow, All Music Guide (AMG)For Additional Informationwww.karigaffney.comDistirbuted By:City Hall Records101 Glacier Point, Suite CSan Rafael, CA 94901(415) 457-9080Amazon.com, iTunes, EmusicBACKGROUND:Guitarist and composer, Kenny Carr, began playing violin atage nine, but at age eleven he realized his true passion wasthe guitar. Growing up in Santa Cruz with its inspiringnatural beauty set the stage for Kenny’s musicalcareer. It seemed everyone in his small California beachtown loved jazz. By his early teens, he was studying jazztheory with vibraphonist Rob Lautz as well as renownedtrumpeter Ray Brown.Growing up in Santa Cruz, he found himself surrounded bytalented and aspiring musicians who became his closestfriends. By age sixteen, he was performing at local venueswhere he met drummer Kenny Wollesen and bassist AndersSwanson, as well as tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin.In 1981, Kenny and his fellow Santa Cruz musicians wereinvited to open up for Carmen McCrea and FreddieHubbard at the Mount Tamalpais jazz festival.After high school, Kenny attended Berklee College of Musicin Boston. During his final year in 1986, he received thecall to audition for Ray Charles. “I remember running ontothe stage as Mr. Charles instructed me to ‘play the blues’,”Kenny explains. He toured worldwide with Ray Charles ashis guitarist for over ten years.Kenny’s debut release, Friday at Five, was originallyintended to be a demo project as well as an opportunity toreunite with some old Santa Cruz friends now professionalmusicians in New York City. “Magical things can happenwhen the right musicians are brought together under theright circumstances,” Kenny proclaims. Donny McCaslinand John Dryden as well as Tony Mason, John Bailey, andAndy Hess are those musicians Kenny is referring to.Friday at Five was recorded in a small studio inManhattan in 1997. To create more of a “live” feel, nosound barriers were used to separate the musicians, muchlike recording sessions of years past. This “demo project”was finished in two days and somehow ended up in storage.Eleven years later, Kenny’s music remains as fresh as theday it was recorded in 1997. This enduring vitality is theessence of Kenny Carr’s debut album Friday at Fivereleased in 2005.Kenny Carr’s sophomore 2006 release, Turn the Page, is anoriginal assortment of radio-friendly melodies with anunderlying influence of blues as he draws upon his decadeof experience playing guitar for Ray Charles. Turn the Pageagain features 2005 Grammy-nominated tenor saxophonist,Donny McCaslin, as well as highlighting nationallyrenowned acoustic bassist Tom Baldwin. New York basedmusician’s organist John Dryden as well as drummer FrankRusso complete the esteemed list of talented musiciansappearing on this CD.DESCRIPTION:Changing Tide, is guitarist, KennyCarr’s third release since 2005.This wonderfully expressive CDexplores straight-ahead jazz withsome contemporary jazz influences.The CD is slated for release in May2008. It kindles a blend of jazzflavors and moods with bluesinspirations.Kenny’s junior release demonstratesa musical maturation for Kenny ashe finds his unique niche in theworld of jazz. Changing Tidehighlights both trio and quartetarrangements with saxophonist,Donny McCaslin eloquentlyexpressing Kenny’s melodies on thetenor sax. Kenny’s creative rhythmsection, Frank Russo and TomBaldwin, again skillfully create themany canvases to express his music.DISCOGRAPHY:2005 - Friday at Five2006 - Turn the Page2008 - Changing TideRELEASE DATE:May 2008LABEL:TAS Management, LLCTim Schneidauwww.kennycarrguitar.comELECTRONIC PRESS KIT:www.karionpresskits.com/kennycarr3/kennycarr3.htmlPUBLICIST:Kari Gaffney, Kari-On Productions706.294.9996karionprod@knology.netwww.karigaffney.com