The Mike Glendinning Band
© Copyright-Mike Glendinning
(634479095030)
Record Label: The Mike Glendinning Band
No items available in your wishlist
Mike Glendinning is a Bay Area Songwriter and musician. He was born in 1976 and has been playing guitar since he was 12 years old when he was first inspired by the music of Jimi Hendrix. Since then Mike's music has continued to grow, change and develop. He played guitar in his high school jazz band and, after that, performed in a rock band for four years. But his own, original music really began to take off in 2002 when he built a home studio and started recording original compositions. Nine months later Mike put out his first CD-Machine In The Sky- featuring himself on guitar and his wife, Christina, singing.
Mike's second CD-The Mike Glendinning Band-was released in 2005. This time out Mike and Christina were joined by Blair Reese on bass and Ron Gainer on drums for an introspective, avant-grade performance of original Glendinning material. Theo Cedar says, "Mike Glendinning's latest CD uses many tools from his diverse guitar arsenal to paint an inviting view into their private world." Guitarist Joe Livoti calls it an "Interesting and captivating collection of tunes with clean production, sweet ethereal vocals, and a cool, diverse mix of guitar styles. Mike mixes Middle Eastern sounds with jazz, country pickin' and some thick, nasty distorten freak outs".
Mike call his music "grunge jazz," referring to his preference for grimy, distorted chords and complex textures blended with a sweet, melodic jazz line. His gritty, distorted guitar gives his music an avant-garage, punk-rock/grunge DIY feel, while his musical influences range from Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk to Frank Zappa. Mike admires musicians who go their own way and dare to adventure into uncharted musical territory. Besides playing a schedule of Bay Area gigs, Mike Teaches rock, folr and jazz guitar to private students and at the Albany Adult School.
Mark Fisher of Indie- Music.com writes about Glendinning's gap-bridging uniqueness: "[He] must be doing something tight because [his] CD has quickly become an object of fascination for me, and I have certainly listened to it more than the average CD I get to review...Be carful because you could end up under its spell."
Read more...
Please
log in to review the album.
"This has quickly become an object of fascination for me, and I have certainly l
author: Review
This is a review from www.indie-music.com By Mark Fisher.............. "There have been very few times in my life where I was completely undecided on what I thought about a CD. This, however, is one such time. The Mike Glendinning Band describe themselves as grunge jazz, and I think that’s a pretty good call. The guitars have an avante garde and dirty sort of feel to them throughout a lot of the CD, which gives it that punk rock/grunge DIY feel. Also contributing to that side of the fence are Christina Glendinning’s off-kilter vocals. She sounds flat at times, but I’m tempted to say it’s intentional. Intentional or not, it is definitely one of the things that gives this CD its unique feel. When Mike isn’t grunging it up on songs like “Test” and “Home,” he is offering up a smooth jazz style that sort of bridges the gap between jazz standards and Radiohead. Most of the CD falls into the aforementioned style, which makes the grungier moments that much more intense when they hit. The haunting “Let You Go Part B” as well as the bare-sounding opening tracks (featuring only guitars) ”Ghost A” and “Ghost B,” are the best examples of Mike’s gap bridging uniqueness. Not one to be boxed apparently, the band also offers up a down-home country song in “Mama Don’t Cry,” which, while it doesn’t really fit with the album’s overall vibe, shows the listener another side of the band. The focal point of the CD though seems to be “Yellow Flowers of January,” which was co-written with Christina. The lyrics are a well-written look back at the time that has passed since the death of Mike’s mother. It’s one of the weaker vocal moments unfortunately, but the lyrics are really strong and are able to carry it through. I really am left baffled by this CD. This has such a basement recording style to it that it was sometimes hard to tell what I was listening to. But these guys must be doing something right, because the CD has quickly become an object of fascination for me, and I have certainly listened to it more than the average CD I get to review. You should definitely check out some samples on this one before buying, but be careful because you could end up under its spell."
Read more...