Thought-provoking pop dominated by John Montagna's fiery bass guitar playing.

7 MP3 Songs
POP: Power Pop, ROCK: Jam-band



Details:
FOUR EIGHTEEN is the brainchild of New York City bassist/vocalist/songwriter/producer John Montagna. The âPleasant Tensionâ CD is Johnâs attempt to capture the spirit of the classic rock and jazz he grew up loving, while bringing the concept of the ârock bandâ into the future.

âI wanted to make an album with a rock band that felt like a classic jazz album,â he explains, âwhere you can really feel the chemistry between the musicians because theyâre in the same room together, playing together as a group. I know it sounds like a simple concept, but these days it seems to be the exact opposite of how most people do it, for some reason.â

To that end, John, along with guitarist Joe Montagna, percussionist Alfredo Hidrovo and drummer Rich Zukor, entered the studio and recorded most of âPleasant Tensionâ in roughly 48 hours! âWe set up in a tiny rehearsal space in Harlem, turned on the machine, and went for it like it was a gig,â he says. âTwo days later, the basic tracks were finished.â

A minimum of vocal overdubs, sweetening and mixing were required; But ironically, it was Johnâs hectic schedule as an in-demand bassist and vocalist prevented him from finishing the project as quickly as it started (he has toured with legendary producer/recording artist Alan Parsons since 2003, in addition to providing world-class groove maintenance for a host of artists in New York). Fortunately, effective time management prevailed, and now âPleasant Tensionâ is making its way into the homes and ears of discriminating music fans worldwide!

If you still canât get enough of John Montagnaâs music, do check out his 1998 solo CD, âEnjoy Your Dessertâ (also available right here on CDBaby). In the meantime, dive in and bring yourself to the point of âPleasant Tension.â Youâll be glad you did!

Tom Walsh
Fall 2006