Author Archives: Tony G

Prince

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Still trying to come up with the words…….It’s hard.  Real hard. But I guess the one sure way I can begin is by saying this: beyond a shadow of a doubt, Prince was the reason why I wanted to become a musician. I’m going to tell you a story my mom always loves to talk about and, well, I guess it’s time that this part of my history comes out of my closet.  As a five year old I did not take into account in my small mind what exactly Prince was singing about, but his music connected to me. …..more →

The Friday Factor – Lingo – 3/5/2011

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Every musician that I’ve met has gone through the same situation in some fashion. We’ve all had those gigs where either the crowd was absent, literally, or was there but didn’t care to watch or take part in the show. We also know that sometimes those nights are some of the best shows or “rehearsals” that the band does, when all preconceptions and predeterminations are tossed aside, and the band just plays and tests the limits of their craft. This show was one of those nights for Lingo. Thanks to “Taper” Steve Kwarten who decided to come out and see …..more →

Keith Emerson 1944-2016

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I was deep into my Genesis phase as a kid when my mom came in one day and gave me a copy of Keyboard Magazine. I can’t remember the year of the edition, maybe 1990, but the cover story was about a keyboardist named Keith Emerson. Keith Emerson? The name did not ring a bell in my 14 year-old head, but I went ahead and read the article. I remember it being a very in depth article about this man and how he approached writing music, in particular a song called Eruption, the first of seven parts in his 20-minute …..more →

The Friday Factor (Repost) – Ancient Harmony – 4/13/2007

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Here’s a quick tidbit. My process for Friday Factor shows deals with digital fate. I mathematically, randomly pick which show I would like to work on for the Friday Factor. Sometimes, the show that pops up from my stash just happens to be a show that is not only already up on Archive for all to hear, but in good enough quality too. A prime example of this is today’s Friday Factor of Ancient Harmony live at Charlie O’ Corley’s in Valdosta, GA on April 13, 2007. Uploaded by Marcus P, this is a classic Harmony show from what we …..more →

The Friday Factor – Blues Olympics 5-16-2007

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It was a simple concept. A drummer (who sings) and a bass player, holding down the rhythm to blues or blues-formatted songs, while everyone else blow people’s minds with unrelenting solos after solos after solos. And it worked! A brief history. When word got out that I was moving to Athens, GA in February 2005, Park Bench Trio drummer Rick Williams contacted me about this unique blues concept he wanted to try out with me on keys. With fellow bassist Stephen Simmons on board, he picked up John “Wayne” Tuggle and Scott Low on guitars. One night at Nowhere Bar …..more →

The Friday Factor – Last Waltz Ensemble 11-9-2007

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As I went through my batch of recorded shows, one collection showed up much to my delight in vast numbers – The Last Waltz Ensemble. I don’t recall exactly how I ended up doing a lot of shows with these guys, but it was likely another one of those Fuller Door Moments. Long story short, as I started playing live shows and getting into the scene, keyboardist Jason Fuller would have me sit in at times during gigs that he played, and it ended up opening doors for me for bands like Tishamingo and, in this case, The Last Waltz …..more →