Kennedy / Mallie Acoustic Heartland 2 CD

A follow-up to the first Acoustic Heartland project but definitely not just "more of the same"... James is featured on 4 solo guitar tracks. Allan is featured on 4 solo piano tracks. James Kennedy - known for his contemporary and straight ahead jazz , latin, rock/fusion - shows us that he has a "quiet" side too... demonstrating another aspect to his style of "Midwestern Contemporary Music". This distinctly Midwestern flavor sets James apart in a market full of clichés and clones. Allan lives and works in rural Mt. Vernon, Iowa and composes piano music in his own unique style. Allan cites his musical influences as classical, jazz, and even a bit of polka music from his childhood. His impressionistic compositions also clearly reflect his rural surroundings as well as his extensive travels in Russia and Belarus.Bio: Allan Mallie was born an Iowa farm boy. He and his siblings loved it when their father would pull out his tenor saxaphone and play a few tunes. The children also enjoyed listening to the radio "Sunday Morning Polka Hour " with their mother. Allan had a few months of piano lessons and then turned to the saxaphone. He played in concert and marching band, excelled at solo and ensemble contests and loved to improvise solos in the high school jazz band. He also had leading roles in "The Music Man", "Annie Get Your Gun", and "Hello Dolly". Although he did not major in music in college, he did enjoy playing bari sax in the college marching band and has been singing in the church choir for many years. Allan settled into farming with his family after college but felt "something was missing". His search for that "something" led him to a music store. He sat down at one of the pianos remembering those long ago piano lessons of his childhood. He'd always heard songs in his head waiting to get out, and now he'd found a vehicle for them. Slowly and methodically, he taught himself piano. The music within started to take shape and come to life. Allan has travelled to parts of Russia and Belarus, where he met his wife. He has clearly been influenced by these travels and by listening to his mother-in-law play Russian folk music on the piano and sing with family and friends.