Album Notes

Imagine that Deep Purple and Sly and the Family Stone had a love child that grew up in New Orleans listening to Ray Charles, Black Sabbath and Booker T. That love child would be the Sugar Free Allstars. This funky, organ-rock duo is sometimes hard to define because of its various musical influences and unusual instrumentation. They swing from New Orleans second-line to Memphis soul funk to Hammond B3 drenched gospel to straight up Rock and Roll within seconds, all with a touch of pop songwriting sensibilities.

On Hammond B-3 and lead vocals is Chris Wiser. Wiser pulls multiple duties in this outfit as he covers bass lines on the B-3 while cranking out Maceo Parker-style saxophone solos. His witty, sometimes goofy lyrics combined with the sound of the organ creates a Ben Folds meets Booker T vibe that cannot be denied.

On the drums is Rob (Dr. Rock) Martin. Martin lays down a rock-solid beat that gets the dancers on the floor and keeps heads a-boppin' and hips a shakin' all night. His no-nonsense, laid back style allows for jam sections from time to time and is a perfect fit for this groove-oriented crew.

The Sugar Free Allstars' reputation for high-energy live shows has given them the opportunity to share the stage with many diverse acts such as R.L.Burnside, Hank Williams III, Dick Dale, Marcia Ball, G. Love and Special Sauce, Bowling for Soup, New Orleans Juice, David Garza, Dr. Hook, Roger Cline and the Peacemakers, Soulhat, the Gamble Brothers, Wes Jeans, Dash Rip Rock, the All-American Rejects and, of course, LA Guns. Their penchant for catchy compositions has led to the inclusion of their music in the movie "The Wild Card" by Waldo West Productions, and the Tandem Arts short film "The Slumlord". In addition, several tunes from their CDs have gotten airplay on Oklahoma radio stations such as KGOU in Norman, KRXO in Oklahoma City, KXZY in Stillwater, KRSC in Tulsa and regional stations such as KXUA in Fayetteville, Arkansas and KDHX in St Louis, Mo.