MP3 Tracy Conover - Retrospective 1991-2006

This CD is a mixture of Texas Blues/Rock, Funk and Soul Music from a great singer-songwriter/guitar player from Austin Texas. Texas.

15 MP3 Songs
BLUES: Guitar Blues, BLUES: Texas Style



Details:
This album is a departure from anything I ever thought Iâd release. It is kind of a âpatchwork quiltâ of sounds and styles an aural echo of where Iâve been, and now that all of these 'vaulted' cuts have finally been released, perhaps a springboard to where Iâm going next. Two of the most soulful players that appear on this record (Jeff Hodges and A.D. Mannion, drummers both) have since passed away. I am so grateful for having known them as dear friends as well as wonderful musicians and it was truly important to me to include the songs I recorded with them on this album. The quality of musicianship on this CD is outstanding, and I consider myself very fortuneate to have had the opportunity to record with and learn from every single player on here without exception. A few of the musicians of note James Polk, who played piano for James Brown, Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon of Stevie Ray Vaughanâs âDouble Troubleâ, Chris Duarte, Barry âFrostyâ Smith who played drums for Bill Withers, Larry Fulcher, who plays bass for Taj Mahal, Tommy Taylor who plays drums for Eric Johnson.... the list goes on! Expect a few twists and turns, as musical genres change with practically every song I put them all on here to âGet them all out there!â

âLoving and Longingâ and * âLove is a Temporary Conditionâ were recorded at âBee Creek Studiosâ in Spicewood Texas, in December of 1991. On both songs; Tracy Conover, vocals and acoustic guitar. Tommy Shannon, bass. Chris Layton, drums. Floyd Domino, piano. Mitch Watkins, acoustic guitar on âLoving and Longingâ and electric guitar on âLove is a Temporary Conditionâ. Engineered by Spencer Starnes. I had just moved to Austin in October of 1991, and you can imagine how excited I was to get to record with my heroes Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon!

âI Shoulda Left Youâ was recorded at âBen Blank Audioâ in Austin Texas in 1994. Tracy on vocals and guitar. The late, great Jeff âLittle Calvinâ Hodges plays drums on this track, he is loved and missed everyday by those of us who were fortuneate enough to know him. The amazing Lou de la Noval plays bass.
engineered by Ben Blank.

âI Wanna be an Angelâ was recorded at âThe Hit Shackâ in Austin Tx. in 1995. Tracy on vocals and acoustic guitar. Riley Osborne on B3 organ. Leland Parks on bass. Tommy Taylor on drums. Jay Hudson, engineer.

âGarden of Colorâ and âMy Big Rockerâ were recorded at Arlyn Studios in Austin in 2000. Tracy on vocals and guitars. Chris Layton, drums. Tommy Shannon, bass. Gray Gregson, B3 organ. Stewart Sullivan and Larry Greenhill, engineers.

âCarelesslyâ and was recorded at Arlyn Studios in 1999. Tracy on vocals and guitar. James Polk on piano. Kevin Smith on upright bass. A.D.âBuffâ Mannion on drums.

âHelp Me Thru the Dayâ was recorded circa 2000 also at Arlyn. Tracy on vocals and guitars. Barry âFrostyâ Smith on drums. Larry Fulcher, bass. James Polk, B3 organ. Studio engineer, Stewart Sullivan.

âLovermanâ was recorded at Arlyn studios in 1999. Tracy Conover, vocals. Mark âKazâ Kazanoff, saxophone. A.D. Mannion is mesmerizing on drums. James Polk, piano. Kevin Smith, upright bass. Studio engineer Larry Greenhill.

âEscapeâ was recorded at Sugarhill Studios in Houston Texas in 2004. Tracy Conover, vocals and lead guitar. Chris Duarte, rhythm guitar. John Jordan, bass. Ed miles on drums. Engineered by Steve Christiansen.

âThere for Meâ same session, same personnel as above. Chris Duarte plays the beautiful guitar fills.

âBye Bye Babyâ same session and players, though this one was recorded live in one take with nothing overdubbed except the vocals. Tracy and Chris Duarte take turns playing lead and rhythm guitars, while John Jordan and Ed Miles rock out on bass and drums, respectively.

âTell Meâ was recorded in Houston at âBong Island Soundâ in 2004. Tracy on vocals and lead guitar, Roger Tausz plays bass, rhythm guitar, drums and synth. Engineered by Roger Tausz.

âLadykillerâ and âIronhorseâ were recorded at Arlyn Studios in 1996, with Tracy Conover on vocals, Barry âFrostyâ Smith on drums and Larry Fulcher on bass. Great session, however, I ran out of money before I finished recording the guitar tracks! I thought these two tracks were so cool though, that I dug them up out of the vaults, booked some studio time at âWireâ Studios in Austin, and laid down the guitar tracks six years later in January of 2006. Stewart Sullivan engineered the original session at Arlyn in 1996, and (by no accident!) also engineered the session that brought this project to completion at his own âWireâ Studios ten years later!

This entire Album project was mastered by Jerry Tubb at Terra Nova Digital Audio in Austin, Texas.

Cover and back photos by Mathew Sturtevant. CD Artwork by Bill Narum.