NEW CRAIG CHAQUICO ALBUM NOW
AVAILABLE!
Craig Chaquico, platinum-selling lead
guitarist and songwriter with Jefferson Starship as well as a chart-topping
smooth jazz solo artist, takes a walk on the bluesier side of the street with
the release of his Blind Pig debut, Fire Red
Moon.
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From the radio-friendly opening
tracks, "Lie To Me" (with vocal by Noah Hunt of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band)
and "Devil's Daughter" to the thunderous conclusion of Robert Johnson's
"Crossroads," Chaquico explores the thoroughfares and back alleys where blues
and rock intersect. There's an instrumental version of Albert King's signature
tune, "Born Under A Bad Sign," a rousing cover of Muddy Waters' "Rollin' And
Tumblin'," and sterling originals that echo the stylings of blues/rock
forerunners such as Cream, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top, and Steely Dan. There's even an
instrumental tune entitled "Blue On Blue" that would appeal to Craig's many
smooth jazz fans.
As a teenager, Chaquico (pronounced
Cha-KEY-so) was invited by Paul Kantner and Grace Slick to join Jefferson
Starship and played a seminal role in making that group (later re-named
Starship) one of the top selling bands in history, earning twenty platinum and
gold albums. On the best-selling album of their career, Red
Octopus, Rolling Stone remarked that "the emergence of guitarist
Craig Chaquico resulted in the finest San Francisco music since the heyday of
the Haight."
Chaquico became a central figure in the band, playing lead
guitar on all their hits from 1973 to 1990 including "Miracles," "We Built This
City," "Sara" and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," and developing into one of
their main songwriters. He wrote or co-wrote some of Starship's most memorable
songs such as "Find Your Way Back," "Jane," "Layin' It On The Line," and "Rock
and Roll Is Good Time Music." While others came and went, Craig is the only
person in the band to appear on every recording, tour, MTV video, album, and hit
song during that time.
Then, after finding himself at the
top of the national charts in each of three consecutive decades, Craig left the
fast-paced pop world of arena rock and reinvented himself as a top-selling
contemporary jazz/New Age guitarist, once again topping the Billboard
and radio charts. Altogether, the acclaimed guitarist has sold over a million
albums as a soloist. He was also voted the "Best Pop Instrumental Guitarist" by
the readers of Guitar Player while Jazziz magazine listed him
as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential Guitarists of All Time."
Now
entering the fifth decade of his illustrious career, with the release of
Fire Red Moon Chaquico continues his improbable journey from the
boy-wonder of 70's rock to genre-defying success as a top jazz and new age
guitarist, returning now to the roots blues he listened to in his early
teens.
Says Chaquico, "The multi-platinum
stadium rock period in my musical life was as rewarding as it was fun, and part
of my higher musical education. And as much as I still love instrumental smooth
jazz, which for me was always blues-based anyway, I sometimes missed the edge
that I could experience with blues-based rock and roll."
Blind Pig's
signing of Chaquico continues something of a trend for the label, and the music
business in general it seems - the release of roots blues albums from
well-established rock stars. In recent years Blind Pig has released titles by
two members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Ray Manzarek of The Doors and
Jeremy Spencer of Fleetwood Mac. Meanwhile, the market has seen very successful
blues releases from pop star Cyndi Lauper and even well known TV actor Hugh
Laurie.
For more info on Craig
Chaquico's new album, to hear samples from the release, or to purchase it for
only $15, please click HERE.
To get the CD for only $10 as part of our
special 5 CDs for $50 offer, please click HERE.
For digital downloads, please visit the iTunes store HERE.
For a limited time, you can get a free download of "Lie To Me," the lead track
from the CD featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd vocalist Noah Hunt, by clicking
HERE.
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