Mark O'Connor Heroes CD

Principally recorded at Cherokee Studios, North Hollywood, California; The Castle, Franklin, Tennessee; The Sound Emporium, Treasure Isle Studios and Javelina Studios, Nashville, Tennessee. Includes liner notes by Mark O'Connor and Matt Glaser.

"The Devil Comes Back To Georgia" was nominated for Best Country Vocal Collaboration in the 37th Annual Grammy Awards.

Mark O'Connor, one of Nashville's most in-demand session players, has brought together the cream of improvising fiddle artists for HEROES. Their virtuosity is enhanced by the special mixing of each track, so that O'Connor's violin solos are heard on the right speaker, while the guest violinists' solos can be heard on the left speaker.

Citing the inspiration and guidance he garnered from each of his collaborators, Mark O'Connor proves himself a versatile performer in HEROES, making this album a luminous event. When O'Connor and Zuckerman interpret "Ashokan Farewell" (from the PBS series "The Civil War"), they let the gloriously eloquent melody speak for itself, with a minimum of embellishment. His duets with Shankar on "Nomad" and Ponty on "New Country," however, are the basis for a furious series of rhythmic exchanges. Yet from the outer reaches of improvisation, O'Connor segues effortlessly into elegant swing with Grappelli and a series of good-timey jams on western swing, country, cajun and bluegrass themes with the likes of Clements, Daniels, Kershaw and Gimble. Each and every performance is marked by O'Connor's rich tone, precise intonation and uncanny lyricism. All in all, HEROES is the kind of performance O'Connor's been promising for years and years.

Mark O'Connor performs with his favorite fiddlers from a variety of styles, including Jean-Luc Ponty, Johnny Gimble, Vassar Clements, Pinchas Zukerman, and Lakshminarayana Shankar, among others. The set features "The Devil Comes Back to Georgia," a sequel to Charlie Daniels 1979 hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." ~ Brian Mansfield

Live Recording

Producers: Gregg Brown, Jim Ed Norman, Mark O'Connor.

Engineers: Peter Kelsey, Chris Hammond, Bob Sullivan, Bill VornDick, Kurt Storey, Sundance, Dave Sinco, Claude Ermelin, George Massenburg.

Personnel includes: Mark O'Connor (violin, vocals, guitar); Barlow Riley (guitar); Maurice Anderson (pedal steel guitar); John Hickman (banjo); Sam Bush (mandolin); Josh Graves (dobro); Kenny Baker (violin, vocals); Johnny Gimble, Byron Berline, Vassar Clements (violin); Lakshminorayana Shankar (10-string double violin); Joey Miskulin (accordion); Curly Hollingsworth (piano); Mike Lawler (Hammond B-3 organ); Wally Minko (keyboards); Baron Browne (electric bass); Dick Gimble (acoustic bass); Michael Barsimanto (drums); Caroline Shankar (tamboura); Terry McMillan (percussion, baritone harmonica); Sam Bacco (percussion); Puvalur Srinivasan (mrindangam); Dana McVicker (background vocals); Johnny Cash, Travis Tritt, Bill Monroe, Stephane Grappelli, Jean-Luc Ponty, Charlie Daniels, John Cowan, Marty Stuart.

The American Music Shop Band: Brent Mason (electric guitar); Jerry Douglas (lap steel guitar, dobro); Matt Rollings, Gary Smith (piano); Glenn Worf (electric bass); Harry Stinson (drums, background vocals).

Musician (12/93, p.92) - "...On HEROES Mark O'Connor shares the stage with his favorite fiddlers, illustrating not only his extraordinary technical and emotional gifts, but the rich history of the fiddle in improvised music...."
Stereo Review (4/94, p.91) - Performance: Smorgasbord / Recording: Very Good - "...O'Connor, a wonderfully versatile musician, knows how to play in each of his idols' styles and still retain his own voice--no small accomplishement...."