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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, MVP, from the Milligan - Vaughan Project and it's a cool rocker. Opening with Soul Satisfaction, lead vocalist Malford Milligan teams up with guitarist Tyrone Vaughan for a classic rocker, backed by Chris Maresh on bass, and Brannen Temple on drums. Shuffle track, Driving You, has a cool saunter and low slung guitar work from Vaughan sets the track off nicely. Buddy Guy's, Leave My Girl Alone, is one of my favorite tracks with super gritty vocals and creamy guitar tones. Vaughan really cuts loose on this one with voracious guitar soloing, backed by Temple on drums, Jay Stiles on keys, Jorge Castillo on guitar and Jeff Hayes on bass. Classic jazz track, Compared To What, made popular by Les McCann and Eddie Harris finds new wheels here with solid vocals, a vibrant solo by Vaughan and electric keys by Michael Ramos. Another really nice track is original, Devil's Breath with soulful vocals by Milligan and stinging guitar riffs over heavy bass by Temple. Wrapping the release is Leon's Palace Of the King. Using Leon like guitar phrasing and powerful R&B vocals, this is a real strong closer for a cool new release.
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The Milligan
Vaughan Project Announces Debut Album, MVP, for August 4 Release on Mark
One Records
Austin-Based
Duo of Singer Malford Milligan and Guitarist Tyrone Vaughan Launch Their New
Group with CD Produced by David Grissom and Omar Vallejo
AUSTIN, TX – The dynamic Texas duo
of celebrated singer Malford Milligan and guitar slinger Tyrone Vaughan have
already begun their first extensive tour of the Lone Star State in-between
Austin recording sessions for their first album, MVP, produced by
David Grissom and Omar Vallejo, now set for release August 4 on Mark One
Records. MVP will be distributed on CD and digitally
through CDBaby and The ConneXtion.
Watch a special “making of” the MVP album
here:
The MVP album
features nine studio tracks recorded in Austin at Arlyn Studios and 512
Studios, as well as two tracks taken from their live show debut at the One 2
One club in Austin during SXSW. The studio tracks include originals written by
Milligan, Vaughan and producer David Grissom, as well as Buddy Guy’s “Leave My Girl
Alone,” “Compared to What” (popularized by Les McCann) and Rev. James
Cleveland’s “Two Wings,” a beautiful acoustic gospel tune with just Milligan
and Vaughan. The two bonus live tracks include the Grissom-penned “What Passes
for Love” and the Freddy King signature tune, “Palace of the King,” that closes
the album.
The music on MVP is a
powerful mix of blues, soul, rock and funk, with flourishes of jazz and gospel
textured throughout. That sound emanates from the musical DNA of both Milligan
and Vaughan and manifests itself throughout the new disc, whether it’s the
driving kick of “Soul Satisfaction” and “Little Bit of Heaven;” the funky-jazz
of “Compared to What;” the rockin’ “Dangerous Eyes”; the flat-out blues of
“Devil’s Breath” and “Leave My Girl Alone” (each powered by Milligan’s soulful
vocals and Vaughan’s blistering guitar attack); or the tender, soulful ballad,
“Here I Am.”
Backing Milligan and Vaughan on the
studio sessions are a cadre of all-star players, including Chris Maresh and
Jeff Hayes on bass; Brannen Temple and Kenneth Furr on drums; Michael Ramos and
Jay D. Stiles on keyboards; Jorge Castillo on guitar; and Mike Cross on
background vocals.
The group has already been burning up stages
in Texas on their first tour dates that will last through the rest of the
summer. The Milligan Vaughan Project has recently been added as special guest
on Bob Schneider’s July 14 show at Antone’s as part of that legendary Austin
club’s July anniversary month of shows. They’ll also do a special pre-release
in-store at Cactus Records in Houston the afternoon of July 15, preceding their
show that night at Fitzgerald’s (as special guests for Tab Benoit). Additional
shows scheduled thus far include July 21 at One 2 One in Austin; August 9 for
SUN Radio at Guero’s Taco Bar in Austin, August 11 at The Guitar Sanctuary in
McKinney, Texas, (outside of Dallas) and August 12 at The Texan Theater in
Greenville, Texas.
After an inaugural performance for Austin’s
SUN Radio, followed by their first public show at the One 2 One Club during the
2017 South by Southwest in March, Malford Milligan and Tyrone Vaughan are well
on the way to establishing their own exciting musical identity.
The Milligan Vaughan Project
(or MVP) is a musical partnership between Austin’s highly acclaimed vocalist
Malford Milligan and guitar slinger Tyrone Vaughan (son of the legendary Jimmie
Vaughan), both of whom have a rich musical history steeped in blues and rock
‘n’ roll.
Some of Tyrone Vaughan’s
earliest memories go back to the early days of Antone’s, “Austin’s Home of the
Blues.” Blues icon Muddy Waters once gave him one of his harmonicas on a
notable night. He also found himself sleeping in Boz Skaggs’ guitar case and as
a kid wearing out his toy guitars in no time. His first true guitar given to
him on his 5th birthday by his uncle Stevie Ray Vaughan was an old
Harmony scored at the local pawn shop. Later on it was Stevie, Lou Ann Barton
and WC Clark all pitching in and buying Tyrone a Fender Musicmaster. Stevie Ray
was very proud of that small-neck guitar and happy that his nephew was
following in his and his father Jimmie’s footsteps. Since those early years, he
has performed with Billy Gibbons, Doyle Bramhall, Doyle Bramhall II, (Little)
Jimmy King, SRV’s Double Trouble, Pinetop Perkins, John Popper and Eric Gales.
In April of 2015, Vaughan joined Royal Southern Brotherhood, featuring Cyril
Neville on vocals, for two albums on Ruf Records: one recorded at the legendary
FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals; and the other album recorded at Dockside Studios
in Maurice, Louisiana.
No stranger to the blues,
Malford Milligan was born in Taylor, Texas,
and in 1981 after a short stay in Lubbock as a student at Texas Tech, moved to
Austin to begin studies at the University of Texas. Instead of academics,
singing took precedent and Monday night blues jams became the beginning of a
life in music. His local band, Stick People, launched his career as a talented
singer. In 1994, he helped form the Texas super group, Storyville,
with David Holt, David Grissom
and the rhythm section from Stevie Ray Vaughan's Double Trouble: bassist Tommy Shannon
and drummer Chris Layton. Storyville released two stellar
albums on Atlantic Records, along with the independently released CD/DVD titled
Live at Antone’s. As a session singer, Milligan has always been
in great demand. He toured and worked on albums together with other outstanding
musicians, including Hal Ketchum, Marcia Ball, Alejandro Escovedo, Sue Foley
and Eric Johnson. He has also appeared on “The
Voice” NBC-TV series in 2013 and has been named “Vocalist of the Year” at The
Austin Chronicle Music Awards.
Both Malford and Tyrone have
a deep love for the blues, along with a strong mutual respect for each other,
and both share a part in Austin’s rich musical history. At the time when each
were looking to see what the future held and what musical path they might
take, one phone call followed by a short meeting brought the two
together, and The Milligan Vaughan Project was launched. There is a
feeling of family here. Though not technically related, the bond between them
is strong. The stage is where they are both most comfortable and the synergy
between these two musicians is already bringing audiences to their feet.
