BE by Blues Evolution

In many blues groups the vocals pale in comparison to the instrumental virtuosity of the group. However, the vocals are the centerpiece in the music of Blues Evolution. The soulful vocal approach of Elexus Quinn has been favorably compared to Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, and David Clayton Thomas. The well-placed use of background vocals is also an intricate component of the Blues Evolution sound.

Ziggy True has a "quirky" but subtle approach to guitar playing. His influences are very very broad and his less-is-more approach to playing distinguishes his playing in comparison to typical blues guitar players. As the primary arranger for Blues Evolution, he utilizes his guitar in synergetic relationship with the other instruments from his orchestral arsenal.

Finally, it is the songs themselves that distinguish Blues Evolution from other blues bands. Blues Evolution does not rely on blues covers and twelve bar boogies and shuffles, or guitar pyrotechnics as you might expect from a contemporary blues band. The new CD by Blues Evolution contains original music by Elexus Quinn and Ziggy True. The songs are well crafted with interesting changes, thought provoking lyrics and images, and are enhanced by subtle and sophisticated arrangements. The only non-original offering on the new CD is a rhythm and blues treatment of the Procol Harum hit, A Whiter Shade Of Pale.

As the name implies, Blues Evolution is about pushing the boundaries of what we have come to think of as the blues. The challenge for the group has been to meld their eclectic musical influences into an original sound, which is broad in its scope while retaining those elements that are the heart and soul of the blues. After years of collaboration, Quinn and True have developed a style that is unique yet familiar, sophisticated but listenable, and very very cool.

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Elexus Quinn is the singer in the group. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now resides in Columbus, Ohio.

In Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Pittsburgh, and Los Angles, Elexus Quinn has performed in rock, blues, and gospel groups and he has worked as a session player and music producer for other artists. Since his earliest teenage years, Quinn has developed his musical style in barrooms and dancehalls, while also writing, performing, and promoting original music. Having formed Blues Evolution with Ziggy True in 1990, he has subsequently been writing and recording exclusively with Blues Evolution.

Ziggy True, the guitarist and musical arranger for Blues Evolution, is from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He now lives in Ventura California.

Except for a few years spent studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Ziggy True has earned a living exclusively as a professional musician; performing in pop, rock, and jazz groups. He has been on the road all of his life.

HIGHLIGHTS:

The commercial CD release of Blues Evolution:

* BE

The music of Elexus Quinn & Ziggy True has been published by:

* Al Galico Music

* Vanity Records

* Transition Music Publishing

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Chuck Kerrigan has spent a lifetime mastering the drums. After having learned the fundamentals with a local teacher he began a period of self-study working through the various methods books. He also studied the styles of a variety of drummers by transcribing parts from their recordings and performing the charts in local rock groups. In this way he learned the styles of Ian Pace, Carmine Appice, Michael Shrieve, Keith Moon, Bill Bruford, and many others.

Chuck began his formal musical training at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied with Alan Dawson. He has also studied under Armand Santarelli, Bernard Purdie, and Joe Morello.

Articles by Chuck have been published in Percussive Notes, Creative Drummer and Modern Drummer magazines, including several in The Best of Modern Drummer Volume II. In a recent issue of Modern Drummer, Jim Chapin listed Chuck as one of his all-time favorite drum-book authors.

Chuck has been performing with Elexus Quinn and Ziggy True since their adolescence and he continues to perform and teach

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