Don't Let The Fire Go Out by The John Sherry Group

This song had me just boiling over with emotions of the good old days of rock and roll and of the friends I used to enjoy it with, some of whom are here no more. You struck THE chord with this song. My hat's off to you!

VH-1 Song of the Year reviews for "Sure Had a Good Run"

Now this is what good songwriting is all about! Pure emotion and meta-phoric wording. These lyrics come straight from the heart and soul. Outstanding!

The blues guitar in this song is exquisite! I hear some B. B. King, Muddy Waters, and even a bit of Clapton in there. The organ gives the song that somber mood. While the vocals are just dripping with pain. Fantastic work!

Monterey guitarist/songwriter/composer John Sherry recently received the honor of placing several times in the VH-1 sponsored Song of the Year songwriting contest (http://www.songoftheyear.com). Song of the Year is an international songwriting competition supporting VH-1's Save the Music Foundation. The Song of the Year judges are some of the biggest names in music, including many Grammy Award winners.

Song of the Year is excited to recognize John for his exceptional songwriting ability for "Lordy Me," "Sure Had a Good Run," "Just Yesterday" and "Letters Home." "Lordy Me," which was written by John and the great story teller Jerry Swisher, received the honor of being named one of April's four Finalists, while "Good Run" and "Just Yesterday" received an Honorable Mention. The lyrics for this song were written by John's wife Joyce. The couple collaborated on the lyrics for "Letters Home" which placed in the Runner Up category. John competed against songwriters from all over the world for this honor.

These four songs, as well as several others, are featured in John's latest release, the blues/rock CD "Don't Let the Fire Go Out."

The members of The John Sherry Group are Ramon Vallejo, Pete Rose and, of course, John Sherry. This CD, his fourth, consists of nine new original tunes and a gospel/blues cover of "Blackbird" by the Fab Four. Lyric credits go to Jerry Swisher, a gifted songwriter and storyteller, for the songs "Lordy Me" and "Totally Consumed." The lyric for "Sure Had A Good Run" was penned by his wife, Joyce Sherry, and together they wrote the rest of the lyrics, with the exception of "Just Yesterday" which, "came to me in a sudden, beautiful, mindless flash," reflects John.

The lead vocals of Ramon Vallejo are outstanding (not to mention his kick-ass organ playing) and the guest performance of Charmaigne Scott, as "the ghostly voice in a red silk dress," on the opening track "Lordy Me" is breathtaking. The fabulous bass work of Pete Rose provides the bedrock groove for the band; some standouts are "Lordy Me," "The Zip Code Song " and "New Day," and Pete's high, clear voice is an integral part of the vocal harmonies. Also, the guest drumming of Kim Edmundson, Gary Kehoe and John E. Sample should not go without recognition. Their great playing and musical sensitivity really made the songs come alive. As for John's part, it is arguably the best work as a writer, guitarist, vocalist, and producer he's done to date.

The style is blues/rock, inspired by some of his earliest influences from the late sixties and early seventies: Super Session with Michael Bloomfield, Fleetwood Mac the blues band, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin, the Jeff Beck Group, and you can hear those influences throughout the CD. As John says, " This isn't a trip down memory lane. No, technology has changed and so has the world of music and culture, and that has influenced my music as well, but I would have to say that with this work I feel like I have come full circle in my journey, back to my roots." Indeed, his roots go deep and the innovation is inspired. "Don't Let The Fire Go Out" is a musical work that will resonate a long time.

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