Portland, Oregon native John Bunzow has been called one of the finest writers and roots-musicians on the current music scene. Producer Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam, Meat Puppets, Steve Forbert) said he is "... without doubt the best artist I've heard in recent times." Chicago Tribune columnist Jack Hurst cites Bunzow with mixing "the rootsy with the revolutionary."

Bunzow's new CD, Darkness and Light, on Sideburn Records, was recorded live in a friend's basement studio. "I was itching to get back to my roots music," Bunzow says, "That's the vibe I wanted - all one-take vocal and guitar parts - just as they came down live. Just like we do out in the clubs."

John started playing professionally while attending the University of Oregon at Eugene, and following college; he spent 15 years playing clubs throughout the northwest United States. In the process, his fusion of roots rock and blues garnered an extensive fan following.The end result is that Bunzow's eclectic music is a melting pot of influences ranging from Dylan to Elvis Costello to Merle Haggard and Tom Waits.

Website:

http://www.johnbunzow.com/

Denny Bixby has spent much of his career lending his playing and vocal talents to award-winning artists in many musical genres, but his true love has always been jazz. During the 80s as a budding musician in Portland, Oregon, Bixby began studying, writing and playing traditional and modern jazz in formats ranging from trios to big bands. When an early composition for a ten-piece jazz/funk album received widespread acclaim and airplay on regional jazz stations, he worked even harder to develop as a composer while honing his already keen musicianship as a bassist. In 1983, he toured with Jeff Lorber alongside Kenny G, and went on to join an original contemporary jazz sextet with alumni from the Stan Kenton Orchestra and guitar great Dan Balmer. In 1987, Bixby moved to Nashville to perform, tour and record with artists including Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Rodney Crowell and many others, contributing to several platinum albums. The late 90s marked a return to his roots as a founding member of the jazz-infused trio Metropolis, playing in Nashville clubs and writing tunes for the band's self titled CD. Bixby's long-standing desire to develop a solo project came to fruition with Fish Out of Water. The album's varied tunes, which wander from playful to wrenchingly beautiful, are bound by the common elements of Bixby's gorgeous chord progressions, haunting melodies and deep grooves. As a whole, the collection reveals the compelling musicianship and creativity of a career rich in artistic styles and influences. www.dennybixby.com

website:

http://www.dennybixby.com