Ron Sunshine Deluxe CD

"Ron Sunshine is one of the very few cats out there who sings the blues in a way that does not compromise the integrity of the source from which it comes. As he is a serious student of the 'old masters,' his commitment to their legacy remains sincere and undimmed.So the Swing scene has come and gone once again, and this week it's 'the blues' that are the music industry buzzwords, conferring an instant cachet of cool authenticity. In both cases, Ron was there before everybody else. So when the hype-meisters finally get tired and the faddish move on to something "new," Ron Sunshine will still be here making great music that candidly speaks to us, about ourselves."Aaron Luis Levinson(Grammy-winnning producer and record executive)==========="He's got all the right ideas, and he should be selling them to the American people." --Lester Grinspoon, Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, author of "Marihuana, the Forbidden Medicine" (upon listening to 'Coffee & Reefer' 10/14/03)===========From the November 2003 issue of Big Takeover Magazine:Ron SunshineDeluxe (Golden Bug)Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter/harmonica hotshot Sunshine's focus here is the sophisticated black pop that flourished in the late 1950s and early '60s. The covers offer good reference points for the territory: the Lou Rawls hit "Natural Man," penned by the great Bobby Hebb ("Sunny"), on which the band really cooks, and Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Me Someone to Love," complete with strings-and-horns arrangement by trumpeter Tim Ouimette, a key player on this disc along with longtime Sunshine collaborator/tenor saxophonist Craig Dreyer, who co-wrote many tracks. As cool as those covers are, the originals are just as good; Sunshine is a fine songwriter. "Coffee and Reefer" is a humorous yet realistic recommendation for a well-balanced lifestyle. "Tumblin' Down" is an excellent minor-key lament, and "Still Too Late" is a perfect ballad of longing. "Tore Up" ("from the floor up") is an urgent uptempo blues romp (with a great double-time rideout) on which Dreyer's hot, direct solo recalls Illinois Jacquet and Jimmy Forrest. This is not so much retro as a continuation of a timeless style that never completely disappeared from the cool lounges andnightclubs of America, however distant from the current pop charts these sounds may be. (www.ronsunshine.com) -Steve Holtje==========CREDITS:PRODUCED BY CRAIG DREYER AND RON SUNSHINEExecutive Producers: Jason Salzman and Anne Button; Ruby and Gerson BarterRecorded at Dubway Studios, NYC on January 9, 2003. Additional recording done at Mighty Toad, No Comment, Valhalla Sound, and Luna Park Music. Engineers: Emanuel Kiriakou, Craig Dreyer, Ron Sunshine, Tony Viscardo, Jim Gately. "Natural Man" basic tracks engineered by Bil Emmons at Studio 900, NYCAssistant Engineer at Dubway: Mike Presta*Mixed by Jim Gately at Valhalla Sound Studios, New York, NY +Mixed by Craig Dreyer & Ron Sunshine at Mighty Toad, Pawling, NYMastered at Turtle Tone Studios by Mike Fossenkemper+Freeze on Me-Jason Pharr-drums, Jim Greene-upright bass, Rick Germanson-piano, Dan Hovey-guitar, Ben Stivers-Hammond B3 organ, Wycliffe Gordon-trombone, Craig Dreyer-tenor sax, Ron Sunshine- vocals and harmonica.+Coffee & Reefer- Jason Pharr-drums, Jim Greene-upright bass, Rick Germanson-piano, Dan Hovey-guitar, Doug Petty-Hammond B3 organ, Wycliffe Gordon-trombone, running commentary, Dawn Hampton-whistle solo, Craig Dreyer-tenor sax, left field vocals, Ron Sunshine-vocals and harmonica. *Little Bit Shy-- Jason Pharr-drums, Andy Hess-electric bass, Rick Germanson-piano, Al Street-guitar, Ben Stivers-Hammond B3 organ, Tim Ouimette-trumpet and flüglehorn, Rick Kriska-baritone sax, Nate Mayland-trombone, Susan Didrichsen-background vocals, Queen Esther-background vocals, Craig Dreyer-tenor sax, sax solo, Ron Sunshine-vocals and tambourine. Horns arranged by Craig Dreyer and Tim Ouimette.*Tumblin' Down-- Jason Pharr-drums, Rick