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NEIL IS FEATURED ON NEW ALBUM BY
JRZ SYSTEM WITH TOUR TO FOLLOW
Critically acclaimed instrumental trio JRZ System returns with another timeless soundtrack featuring a trio of Z wildest cosmic string benders from the galaxy! This time around bass and drum monsters Troy Johnson and Todd Roberson are joined by Neil Zaza for their fourth full-length CD titled "Cosmic String Theory" which combines soaring melodies, soulful blues and mindbending shred. Neil takes the System to a new level as he replaces guitarist Mark Zavon for this album, although Zavon does perform on one track. As always Johnson and Roberson provide the low-end rhythm and zen orchestration with an array of otherworldly techniques in classic JRZ style. Highlights of the CD are the stunning opening track "Drive (Rush Hour)", the trippy "Tippy Toes" and the grand finale 9-minute opus "The Phantom."
"Cosmic String Theory" is NOW available for preorder through the Melodik Records Online Store. A limited number of band autographed CD's will also be available. Official release date is May 6th.
Neil will also be hitting the road with JRZ System for a two week tour to support the album! The following is a list of venues and their website links:
The Cosmic String Theory Tour 2008
4/16 The Joint-West Los Angeles
4/17 House of Blues-Las Vegas
**Opening for Ratt**
4/18 House of Blues-Hollywood **Opening for Ratt**
4/19 House of Blues-Anaheim ** Opening for Ratt**
4/20 The Cat Club-Hollywood
4/21 Club Vegas-Salt Lake City
4/22 Union Station-Colorado Springs
4/23 Eck's Saloon-Denver
4/24 Knickerbocker's-Lincoln
4/25 The Chesterfield-Sioux City
4/26 House of Bricks-Des Moines
4/27 The Waiting Room-Omaha
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THE NEW MELODIK RECORDS STUDIO
TO BE EQUIPPED WITH CABLE UP CABLES
We're proud to announce that the new Melodik Records Recording Studio in Akron, Ohio, which is nearly complete, will be equipped with high performance cables by Cable Up which are manufatured by FDW-Worldwide. Neil Zaza proudly endorses these cables for any musician's studio or professional recording needs.
As recording and live sound configurations become increasingly complex, there is one basic component that one should always be able to rely on; the cabling. For this reason, Cable Up's mission is to provide audio professionals with a wide assortment of reliable, quality cables for commercial recording facilities, post-production, live sound and broadcast.
In addition to standard microphone and instrument cables, Cable Up offers products that connect multi-track recorders, digital mixers, computers, and even esoteric cables for specific high-tech devices. Each product is rigorously tested to ensure it meets or exceeds the expectations of the most discriminating sound engineer, while staying priced to fit nearly every budget. With up to a five-year warranty on all of its products, musicians and audio professionals alike will agree that Cable Up provides the perfect blend of quality, variety and affordability.
For more information on Cable Up visit www.cableup.com. A very special thank you to Sean McBryde and everyone at FDW-Worldwide for their support!
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THE LEGENDARY POWER TRIO REUNITES
IN CALIFORNIA TO CELEBRATE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF "SNAP, CRACKLE & POP"
Neil Zaza, Bobby Rock & Bill "The Buddha" Dickens will reunite for the first time in almost a decade to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the release of "Snap, Crackle & Pop...Live!" The power trio, who were known for their over-the-top performances during their 7-month tour of North America for Peavey in 1997, will perform together as one of the opening acts for Heart at the Epiphone VIP Party on January 19th. The exclusive party is the climax of the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California and is a standing room only event. This highly anticipated reunion is sponsored by X2 Digital Wireless Systems.
The trio of Zaza, Rock & Dickens was last heard breaking the sound barrier with their critically acclaimed double live opus, "Snap, Crackle & Pop...Live!" The album sent players back to the practice room in droves after hearing their respective instrument taken to the sonic brink. It was a legendary live recording of instrumental rock which featured such highlights as extended versions of Neil's I'm Alright, Amazing Grace & Hailin', Zaza-fied cover versions of Aerosmith's Walk This Way & Jungle Boogie, a 9-minute solo from Neil that will leave you breathless, Bobby Rock's unprecedented 18-minute-plus drum solo and Bill "The Buddha" Dickens' 8-minute bass workout. The
2-disc CD set is available at the Melodik Records Online Store. To celebrate this performance, all copies ordered in January will be autographed by Neil at no extra cost plus we've got a limited supply that are signed by all 3 members!
Bobby Rock has been extremely busy in the last 10 years. He has toured with Gary Hoey, Carnival of Souls and a reunited Vinnie Vincent Invasion, performed on albums by Neal Schon's Hardline, Gary Hoey and on several movie soundtracks, recorded and produced an instructional video for drums and has written a number of books. Visit Bobby's website here.
Bill "The Buddha" Dickens continues to be one of the top session bassists in the world. He has performed on albums by Victor Wooten, Walt Whitman and Bootsy Collins plus performed with Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, George Michael, Grover Washington and Janet Jackson. He has released 4 instructional videos on bass including two for Warner Brothers which were produced by Bobby Rock. Bill also has his own signature-line of bass pickups which are manufactured by Bartolini. Visit The Buddha's website here.
Stay tuned as there's sure to be more news coming for the trio...
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THE ITALIAN CONNECTION
LEADS TO OSN 2007
You've been hearing a lot about the Italian Supergroup this year on the website. Neil has now toured with them twice in 2007 with a third tour coming this Fall! This has not been just a coincidence, it has occured because of Neil's discovery of the band's sheer talent and enthusiastic drive, for which Neil has found a true kinship with. The band has taken material from Neil's catalog to a new level and has stunned audiences of 10,000+ in Italy. The music also took a turn towards the Christmas kind, namely songs from "One Silent Night..." which eventually led to the band recording material for a new volume of music in a studio in Italy during the Summer Tour. After playing together for so long and with the band having learned the new Christmas music for "One Silent Night... Volume 3", the inevitable topic of the Cleveland show came up and the rest, as they say, is history...
We are extremely proud and unbelievably excited to announce that Keyboard Maestro Mistheria, Bassist Walter Cerasani & Drummer Fabio Colella will be featured in this year's "Neil Zaza's One Silent Night..." concert at the Palace Theatre on December 15th!! Bassist Raymond J. Liptak and Rhythm Guitarist Nick Greathouse will complete the band for the show. Other special guests will also be announced very soon.
Neil further explains the story; "While I was in Italy this Summer and not performing, I was in the studio cutting tracks constantly with Fabio, Mistheria and Walter.ÊFirst up was to complete some sessions that took place earlier in the year for rerecording my second CD, "Thrills & Chills" (more about this at a later date). Next was to track some brand new material that is going to show up in a later release and finally, OSN Volume 3 is officially in the works! Eight to ten basic tracks were recorded and are now waiting for my finishing touches.Ê
I totally changed the show in 2006 and these changes were based off of some demos that I did of new arrangements of holiday material.ÊAfter listening to the demos, I thought they sounded good enough to actually tweak up some parts and make it the next evolution in the OSN progression.ÊThe recording sessions in Italy went great and between rehearsals and when the band comes over from Rome in November, I'm sure we'll track even more ideas that are going to end up being performed on December 15.
Every year this show gets more and more personal for me.ÊThe music has always been something that I have been in love with, but as I change the arrangements to really suit what I am feeling musically at this time everything takes on a deeper and more personal perspective.ÊI have to say that this is really true of this year and the new material especially. With the new band breathing a renewed life into these songs, this year is really going to be something amazing."
Stay tuned for more details, band bios and media! "Neil Zaza's One Silent Night..." is on sale now but tickets are going fast! Visit the OSN Page for ticket information.
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THE MUTUAL GIFTS GOSPEL CHOIR
BRING THEIR LOVE OF MUSIC TO OSN '07
They were first brought together by their faith. It was the love of singing that transformed them into a full-fledged choir. In their seventh season, The Mutual Gifts, the company-sponsored gospel choir of Medical Mutual, has performed the National Anthem before Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Indians games and with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra at Severance Hall and Cain Park and with the first run of Disney's "The Lion King" in Cleveland.
A group of Medical Mutual employees that attend regular bible study sessions at work, first thought about forming a company choir several years ago. But it was only in 2000 that the choir finally came together. The number of members, some that sing professionally, grew to 20 after auditions were held. Led by Coordinator Juanita Wilcher, Mutual Gifts performs original compositions as well as popular gospel standards.
Medical Mutual has been supportive of the choir, providing the beautiful cream and teal robes that they wear, in addition to being flexible with their work hours to provide time for them to appear at special gatherings or facilities to practice during their lunch hour. But it is the members themselves who make Mutual Gifts special, volunteering their time, including their lunch hour to practice, to appear at evening and weekend engagements.
A very special thank you to Juanita Wilcher, Jimmy Wilcher, Debra Green, all the enthusiastic singers in the choir and everyone at Medical Mutual of Ohio for this wonderful opportunity and their support of OSN!
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CHINA'S CME ENDORSES NEIL
FOR THE STAGE AND STUDIO
Neil has just been endorsed by CME products for his use of the groundbreaking VK8 master controller keyboard! Neil explains: "Writing and producing my music has always entailed me being involved with a keyboard in some capacity. Whether I am writing changes, triggering loops or samples, or orchestrating the arrangements my hands are always on a keyboard a majority of the time. With CME's VK8 I have an amazing feel keyboard that is the ultimate production tool. With moving faders, plenty of knobs to control my soft synths, and a USB connectivity, the VK8 is the ultimate tool to help me compose and realize my musical vision! There is no better keyboard out at any price."
CME is the registered trademark of Central Music Company, a high-tech enterprise founded in Beijing, China in 1993 and focused on the growing digital music production market. Cental Music Co imports and distributes into the Chinese market many of the worldÕs top music production brands including Apogee, Emu, Event, Kurzweil, Millennia, Moog, MOTU, Novation, PreSonus, RME, Rode, and Terratec (among others). Central Music Co. was also the distributor for Yamaha music production products in China until April 1 2005 when Yamaha founded itÕs own Chinese subsidiary. Using the experience gained from distributing these products in China, Central Music Co. began researching both the Chinese and overseas markets and started developing itÕs own products. These products are now sold worldwide under the CME brand name. The company uses its unique talents and vision to develop brand-new digital musical instruments to meet the needs of the new generation of professional musicians.
For more information on CME visit www.cme-pro.com. A very special thank you to Liu Qiangqiang and everyone at CME for their support!
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THE LEGENDARY LIVE CD BOXED SET
"SNAP, CRACKLE & POP" BACK
IN STOCK
"Snap, Crackle & Pop...Live!" captures Neil, drummer Bobby Rock and bassist Bill "The Buddha" Dickens live in concert during their extensive 1997 North American tour. This double-live disc contains over 100 minutes of the most over-the-top instrumental rock around. The set is attractively packaged in a slim-line 2-CD jewel box with a full-color, eight-panel insert that features the complete tour itinerary, a photo collage and a personal memoir about the tour written by Bobby Rock.
Featured on this live CD is:
- Extended versions of I'm Alright, Amazing Grace & Hailin' from "Sing"
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Zaza-fied cover versions of Aerosmith's Walk This Way & Jungle Boogie
- A 9-minute solo from Neil that will leave you breathless
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Bobby Rock's unprecedented 18-minute-plus drum solo
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Bill "The Buddha" Dickens' 8-minute bass workout
- An in-depth interview with Neil and Bobby Rock on Cleveland's WCSB
This simply is a must-have for any Neil Zaza fan! Orders are now being taken at the Melodik Records Online Store. The first 100 ordered will be autographed by Neil Zaza! Hold on to your seat as you've never heard anything like this before!
Reviews of "Snap, Crackle & Pop...Live!":
"This is unquestionably the be-all/end-all live record I've ever heard!"
- American Underground Music Journal
"Super chops, super players, two CDs worth of live, in-your-face instrumental power rock fusion. They take no prisoners as they blast through two killer sets of mostly original material...musicians interested in serious rock should not miss this one.” - Fuse Magazine
"Hard-rockin' fusion doesn't get any tastier than this. These fifteen tracks have just the right balance of structure, melody and virtuosic showmanship to keep you enthralled from start to finish.” - Progression Magazine
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DOUG JOHNS RELEASES
DEBUT ALBUM
ON MELODIK RECORDS
Melodik Records is extremely proud to announce the release of longtime Neil Zaza bandmate Doug Johns' highly-anticipated debut CD, simply titled "Doug Johns." The album is packed with 17 stunning tracks which feature Mark Leach from the Neil Zaza Band on Hammond B3 Organ, Chris Ceja on Drums ("Thrills and Chills" & "One Silent Night..." Volume 1) and Joe Miller on Trumpet who also played on "When Gravity Fails."
Laying down grooves abnormally thick in the traditions of his teachers, Jaco, Stanley and Bootsy, Doug believes in soul. "You're really gonna dig this" is most people's reaction to this debut CD. It's layered with fat horns in the tradition of Tower of Power as well as stripped down funkbass and congas, some even say "angry jazz." There's definitely variety here but with one common theme ... truth.
Sample Clips:
Pimpasaurus Rex
Are You Free?
Stairway To Heaven
Hippobottomus
Sunrise, Sunset
"Doug Johns" is now available through the NZ Online Store.
All copies are autographed by the super funky master himself. |
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MIDWEST SHOWS NOW ON SALE
To support "When Gravity Fails", Neil will hit the road for a short tour of intimate venues this September! This will be your opportunity to experience Neil live and on fire, plus see him in a trio situation with Doug Johns on Bass and Bill Cioce on Drums. The following are dates that are confirmed with tickets now on-sale:
Friday, September 22, 2006 at 8:00pm
MIDDLETON, WISCONSIN - THE WAREHOUSE STAGE
With Teer & John Masino - $10 advance, $12 day of show
On-sale at the venue.
Saturday, September 23, 2006 at 8:00pm
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - PHOENIX HILL TAVERN
With Teer - $15 advance, $18 day of show
On-sale at the Phoenix Hill Box Office, EarX-Tacy Record Store & Ticketweb
Tell your friends about this rare opportunity to see one of the most talented guitarists in the world, performing live in America! Get your tickets now as they're sure to go fast! A special thank you Serge Entertainment.
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NEIL TO HEADLINE IN THAILAND...
Neil and his band will be headlining The Grand Pattaya International Music Festival 2006 on Friday, March 17th!
This annual three-day festival is held at Pattaya Beach in Chonburi, Thailand
and features more than 150 local and international acts on three stages!
PHOTOS ARE NOW AVAILABLE HERE |
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