Album Notes

Who was the teenager who virtually invented rock cello in the 1970s? Yes, there were a few cellists playing rock back then, but most were classical cellists lucky enough to get a gig with an established band. This cellist was already an accomplished rock guitarist when he decided to study the cello with the expressed desire of making the cello into a rock instrument. It all started one day when he took home a cello from school, placed it over his knees, pulled out a guitar pick, and started strumming.

He called his new style "celtar." He went on to publish over a dozen music books with Oxford University Press that created a blue print for his new style. He is a Yamaha Artist, a D'Addario Artist, in "Who's Who in America," and the "International Who's Who." He has performed on "FOX and Friends," "Good Day New York," the "Joey Reynolds Show," among others. Have you guessed it yet? He is Von Cello, the leader of the Von Cello Band, the first cello fronted power trio in history! The band released their first CD, Von Cello Rules!, a few years ago, and just released their second CD, Excalibur, this year. Vermont DJ Edward Burke (WWPV 88.7-FM) reviewed the CD and wrote the following:

"At first glance, Von Cello may seem no more than a mere novelty - cello and rock music? Total gimmick, right? That's where you'd be wrong. Von Cello, aside from spending years of honing and developing his cool 'celtar' style, is an actual, accomplished classical cello composer. This album proves that fact by taking three, note-worthy classic rock songs, (as well as some unique original tunes), and making them Von Cello's own. The slow groove on the instrumental cover of the Beatle's "Dear Prudence" makes the cut, in this reviewer's opinion, much more powerful then the original. Von Cello takes the Dead's "The Other One" to new heights, and the frantic version of Hendrix's "Purple Haze" must be just plain possessed....as if Hendrix's version wasn't frantic enough."

After the heyday of classic rock, the major record companies turned away from instrumentalists and started promoting singers who dance, dancers who sing, and entertainers who rap. Finding no industry interest in revolutionary rock cello playing, Von Cello went back to performing classical music, his cello etudes, and American standards. But when the internet heated up, he joined the indie revolution. He launched voncello.com and soon rose to the top of most search engines. Just do a Google search on "rock cello" and see who comes up first! There are now thousands of pages on the web that mention him.

His band tours the country and gets radio play around the world. By now Von Cello should be a household name, yet he still suffers from the narrow-mindedness of a music industry that keeps releasing endless versions of what has already been done. So, despite years of indie success, Von Cello remains, "almost famous". If you haven't heard of him yet...that is why. But now you have heard of him! So spread the word! Help Von Cello go from almost famous to really famous. Then his innovative, genre busting ideas will finally get their due, and the cello will take its place next to the guitar and the other great instruments in the rock n' roll instrument hall of fame!