The guitarist and songwriter known as
Kelley Bern has released his latest LP record, “Jams.” The album
is composed of 9 original, instrumental tracks and a cover of Stevie
Ray Vaughan's “Riviera Paradise” for an approximate total
listening time of half an hour. It has been proudly published as an
independent release without financial backing from the corporate
music industry. A grooving, rocking, remarkably performed collection
of guitar-driven trio and quartet sessions, “Jams” by Kelley Bern
is far, far more than its modest title proclaims it to be.
Kelley Bern, who writes, records and
produces his music in Oregon, cites as main artistic influences such
legends of guitar as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan,
Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, and John Scofield, each an
instrumentalist of the highest caliber. As fans of flawless guitar
playing
will no doubt intuit, Bern's own
playing bears attributes of them all, with the possible exception of
the usually heavy-handed Hendrix.
Bern describes his record as a “jam
medley” and a “mix of rock, jazz and blues.” Careful listeners
will hear also elements of pop and R 'n' B. The overtone of “Jams”
is deeply rooted in classic rock, however, which in turn is itself
anchored in blues with some notable forays into jazz circles. For
Kelley Bern, this blues/rock connection is especially strong.
This is at least partially because of
his enthusiasm for the work of Eric Clapton. Asked to describe his
start in music, Bern writes simply that he began by, “Playing
guitar to Eric Clapton's 'Unplugged' album.”
Clapton, the only player to be inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on three separate occasions
(Yardbirds, Cream, and solo) was one of the first rock musicians to
leave rock 'n' roll to play the blues. “Jams” by Kelley Bern is
steeped in this same classic, blues-rock style, but also decorated
with tracks from other genres, such as funk and reggae, and closing
out with a Riviera-inspired slow jam.
“Jams” by Kelley Bern is available
online worldwide.
-S. McCauley
Lead Press Release Writer
www.MondoTunes.com
“Jams” by Kelley Bern –
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