Billboard Premieres Lead Track "El Matador" from Double
Disc All-Instrumental Album Featuring Legendary Guitarist Schon With
Keyboardists Jan Hammer And Igor Len, Alongside Journey's Steve
Smith
New York, NY --- Mascot Label
Group's Music Theories Recordings and Neal Schon have announced the release of
Vortex on June 23. The 2-CD all-instrumental album utilizes rock as its
foundation, while also embracing elements of jazz, classical and world music in
an 18-track stunning, sonically explosive collection of original compositions.
The release is dedicated to Schon's
best friend and wife, who serves as his true inspiration every day (Both "Lady
M" and "Triumph of Love" were written for her, the latter of which he performed
at their wedding on December 15, 2013). Schon shares, "This is an evolutionary
album for me. I’ve always aspired to be a better player and push musical
boundaries. And sure, I’ve sold 80-million records with Journey, and I’m proud
of that, but this album is really me — all based on my guitar, which is
my ‘voice.’ It’s bold. There’s love, and there’s definitely fire and an element
of danger. And the energy level is off the hook.”
That’s evident from the
first, mysterious-sounding measures of “Miles Beyond,” the scalding tribute to
jazz genius Miles Davis’ pioneering fusion recordings that opens the album. The
tune blends Schon’s soaring leads, tectonic plates of grinding rhythm and
brilliantly layered melodies within an arrangement that embraces Middle Eastern
flourishes plus flashes of African drumming by Steve Smith. “Schon & Hammer
Now” is a furious jam between the guitarist and his longtime friend and creative
foil, Grammy-winning keyboardist Jan Hammer, whose many accomplishments include
charter membership in the groundbreaking Mahavishnu Orchestra. And the two
match their brilliant technique and relentless invention throughout, sparring
with the grace and speed of a young Mohammad Ali. Schon reveals, "Jan is all
over this album. I wrote the material to give Jan room to stretch. There are
not many three minute ditties. It’s all huge, epic, bombastic…futuristic.”
After hearing the completed album for the first time, Hammer made a succinct
observation, “This is fucking amazing.”
“Airliner NS910” is
further proof. It’s all speed and swagger, with Schon skywriting the song’s
sweetly singing theme in the indelible vapor trail of the instantly recognizable
operatic tones of his signature model Paul Reed Smith guitars. He reflects,
"Since Vortex is a two-record set, it's both my ninth and tenth solo
albums. That’s where the ‘NS910’ comes from."
The music of Vortex
originated in the hard drives that Schon is constantly filling with ideas
for riffs, melodies and chord progressions at home. But they came to life at
Berkeley’s Fantasy Studios, his preferred spot for recording since Journey cut
the 10-times-platinum number-one album Escape there in 1981. Schon
states, "It’s my home away from home. I spend so much time there that they’ve
given me my own locker.”
Schon produced and
played bass on Vortex, too, and was joined in the studio by Smith and
keyboardist Igor Len. Hammer and Len also appeared on Schon’s seventh solo
album, The Calling, which was followed by the blues-inspired hard rock
album So U. He offers, "Igor and Jan complement each other, and me,
beautifully." And Vortex’s “Eternal Love” is a testament to Len’s
creativity. The song, a richly emotional ballad, features Len alone on piano.
The guitarist observes, “He sat down and played the tune spontaneously, and it
was so gorgeous and deep that I had to have it on my album.” Schon offers his
own reflective solo performance on Vortex with the sparsely arranged
acoustic guitar meditation “Mom,” dedicated to his mother, Barbara Schon. He
reveals, "Like most of the performances on this album, it wasn’t premeditated.
I’d just pick up a guitar and tell my engineer Jesse Nichols to hit
ProTools.”
The intensely creative
guitar giant has always had a seemingly innate ability to make glorious music.
He began playing at age five and was inspired by soul vocalists like Aretha
Franklin and Gladys Knight, and blues and jazz guitarists ranging from B.B. King
Albert King, and Eric Clapton to Wes Montgomery. When Schon was just 15 years
old, Carlos Santana invited him to join his band. Schon’s recording debut was on
the classic 1971 album Santana III. He played the solo on the LP’s hit
single “Everybody’s Everything.” Recently Schon has been working with Carlos
Santana on a new album, co-writing songs and playing key performances including
homecoming Santana concerts in Guadalajara and Mexico City that included Journey
as the opening band.
Schon formed Journey in
1973 and has led the band through its astonishing 42-year history. Along the way
Journey has sold well over 80 million albums, amongst which the band's Greatest
Hits release was certified Diamond by the RIAA for sales in excess of 10 million
copies. To date sales now exceed 15 million copies. Eight other Journey album
releases have been certified multi-platinum. Neal Schon co-wrote the timeless
hit “Don’t Stop Believin,’" which now holds the title as the most digitally
downloaded song in history. Seventeen additional Journey singles were Top 40
hits, Schon has received multiple Grammy award nominations for both his work
with Journey and his solo recordings. And Journey has been nominated for the
Rock ‘n’ Hall of Fame.
Besides solo albums and
tours and his historic work with Journey, Schon has an extensive history of
blue-ribbon collaborations. These include co-founding the supergroup Bad English
and forming bands with vocalists Paul Rodgers and Sammy Hagar. He released two
collaboration albums with Jan Hammer, Untold Passion and Here To
Stay, while also performing on releases from Michael Bolton, Return to
Forever’s Lenny White and many others.
One thing he’s never
done is considered resting on his laurels. Schon reflects, "I feel more aware
and alive now than I've ever been. Part of that is the sobriety I've had for
the last seven years. I’ve also evolved as a person and a player though
understanding the value of being in the moment – letting things happen and not
thinking too much. There's an old blues saying: ‘If you’re thinkin’, you’re
stinkin’. When you stop thinking and just play from the heart, you discover
your own voice. That’s the real thing, and that’s what Vortex is about
for me.”
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