John Bunzow
"I feel lucky to have always made a living as a musician. I love to play."
-- John Bunzow
Portland, Oregon native John Bunzow has been called one of the finest roots writer/musician on the current music scene. Producer Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam, Meat Puppets, Steve Forbert) said he is "…without doubt the best artist I've heard in recent times." Chicago Tribune columnist Jack Hurst cites Bunzow with mixing "the rootsy with the revolutionary"
Bunzow's new CD, Darkness and Light on Sideburn Records, was recorded live in a friend's basement studio. "I was itching to get back to my roots music," Bunzow says, "That's the vibe I wanted - all one-take vocal and guitar parts - just as they came down live. Just like we do out in the clubs." The result is an eleven song guitar-driven alternative roots revival. (Co-produced by John Bunzow and Brian Willis, mixed by Ray Kennedy)
John started playing professionally while attending the University of Oregon at Eugene, and following college; he
spent 15 years playing clubs throughout the northwest United States. In the process, his fusion of roots rock and blues
garnered an extensive fan following. "I loved all styles of music while I was growing up." Bunzow says, "I listed to a lot
of blues and R&B, a lot of rock, Dylan and the Beatles. So I ended up playing everything from country rock to reggae."
The end result is that Bunzow's eclectic music is a melting pot of influences ranging from Dylan to Elvis Costello to
Merle Haggard and Tom Waits. As a guitarist he admired Albert King, Michael Bloomfield, Carlos Santana and country
superpicker Jerry Reed. During his developmental years Bunzow performed at the solo singer/songwriter venues, band
projects and even a country music tour of truck stops and county fairs. The artist also found himself bouncing around
various music scenes: San Francisco, Seattle, and LA; but it was Nashville where he found the songwriter Mecca. "I
found myself fortunate to work in venues where original material was appreciated." He says, "My focus was always as a
songwriter and that is what brought me to Nashville - twice."
His second Nashville sojourn resulted in a songwriting deal with EMI and a recording contract with Liberty Records. His critically acclaimed 1996 Pete Anderson-produced debut CD, Stories of the Years, was released to press and radio, along with a single and video. Unfortunately, just at the time the single was climbing the charts, the label folded, ultimately becoming Capitol Nashville. And while the CD was never released to the public, music journalists had heard enough to proclaim him one the brightest new talents on music's horizon. Bunzow is stoic about the unforeseen development. "That's showbiz" he laughs. "It was disappointing at the time, but it caused me to re-focus. Music by its very nature is progressive. It takes you where you need to go and I found myself heading in a new direction."
Following the Liberty Records label break down, Bunzow divided his time between playing guitar for Decca alternative artist Chris Knight, MCA's Allison Moorer, writing for Famous Music (cuts by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, artist Jack Ingram, produced by Steve Earle/Ray Kennedy, and a song included in a major motion picture) and touring in Europe and the Northwest club circuit. Darkness and Light is the result of his odyssey. "I feel lucky to have always made a living as a musician. I love to play."
Tim Carroll
It stands to prove that a good song comes down to the writing. Tim Carroll writes good songs. His songs are easy rolling narratives, which make way for hook-laden six-stringing. That's why the unjustly left-at-the-altar Carroll (jilted by Sire in the late '90s) still remains poised on the brink of big things.
A childhood in rural Indiana didn't keep Carroll from succumbing to the fate of most college students, however, when he wound up at Indiana University. He joined a punk band the Gizmos. That band carried Tim to New York, released a 12" called Hoosier Hysteria, and then went the way of most bands. Tim stuck around though, and after a stint in an office on Wall Street, formed the Blue Chieftains, a legendary New York bar-band that mixed country and rockabilly and gave Tim "an excuse to play guitar."
The Chieftains knocked out about 200 shows a year for 5 years, everything from a two-and-a-half year standing gig at The Continental Divide to a show at Macys. But soon enough Tim felt the lure of Nashville, the songwriter's Mecca in Tennessee. A vanishing publishing deal in that town didn't stop folks like John Prine and Robbie Fulks from using Tim's material, known for its witty realism as well as its country-rockin' heft.
Next up, a critically acclaimed album for Sire Records generously outlined the ultimate music industry lesson; that is, major labels don't know what to do with a good thing. The album lived in limbo, never making it to retail, while the label floundered and failed. Finally fed up, Tim seized the reins and released the album himself under the none-too-subtle title Not For Sale. Another indie recording Free Again, released in 1999, once again showoff his prolific writing and endless gigging.
Tim keeps busy as one of the most sought after guitar player on the Nashville roots-rock scene. Recent highlights include playing with 5 different acts at SXSW 2001, over 30 appearances at the Grand Ole Opry and guitar player for Nashville bad boy, Lonesome Bob and Warner Nashville artist Elizabeth Cook. All these endeavors have kept Tim's chops razor sharp and placed him firmly in the center of the roots-rock / alt-country scene. With all his popularity, one would be hard-pressed to open an issue of No Depression and not find Tim's name somewhere within.
And now… Tim graces Sideburn Records with his new release Always Tomorrow. 14 stampeding tunes that somehow marry the heart-broke soul of Roger Miller and Hank Williams with the rock and roll attitude of Chuck Berry and The Ramones. The penultimate title track, "Always Tomorrow", relaxed tone and all, brings things full circle. An expertly written hopeful lament, it epitomizes the lessons learned in Tim's life in the music business. For a musician with the indomitable attitude and skills of Tim Carroll, the point is taken, if the industry knocks you down, you get right back up and keep swinging, after all, there's always tomorrow.
For more information about John Bunzow, Tim Carroll or other Sideburn artists, contact us:
(503) 231-0876
music@burnsiderecords.com
http://www.sideburnrecords.com