Sunday, November 3, 2013

The Fruit Doesn't Fall Too Far From The Tree

(The BeeGees-Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb)

I'm sure you're wondering why I have a photo of the Bee Gees in this blog post. Well, there's a story behind this. As a teen, this group was one of many favorites that I enjoyed. The close-knit Gibb family was one that I wished to be part of. And even though two thirds of the group ave passed away, my love of their legacy has not left me. Barry Gibb, the eldest of the group, just wrapped up his Mythology Tour which took him to Europe and Down Under, where his son Stephen and niece Samantha were part of the band. I appreciate the fact that Barry was willing to get out on the road and keep the Bee Gees brand alive.

Naturally, due to my passion for this band, when I found out that the children of these amazing men were making their own mark in the music industry, I had to check them out for myself. I gotta tell ya, the music that these 'kids' are putting out is nothing short of amazing.

First up is Samantha Gibb, who is Maurice Gibb's daughter. I discovered Samantha's talent in 2006 when I heard her on MySpace and then sent away for her CD. I was floored by her vocal range. Maurice had mentored Samantha's entry into the world of music and in his honor, she'd named her band M.E.G. (Maurice Ernest Gibb). Maurice's last project before his untimely passing in 2003, was to produce the M.E.G. album in 2002. The album was released in 2005.

I had been blown away when Maurice passed away due to the suddenness of it. When I found out about M.E.G., it made me miss him less. The album is very evocative of the Bee Gees production style. The other members of this band include Lazaro (Laz) Rodriguez on guitar and Nick Sallons on bass. The band got their start in Miami Beach and then struck out for Nashville iin 2007, feeling that Nashville would provide more opportunities for their music. While there, they did a documentary called 'A Nashville State of Mind' which featured many new up and coming bands. While in Nashville, they changed their name to Samantha Gibb and The Cartel. Below is their band photo.

(Samantha Gibb and the Cartel)
You can find out more about Samantha Gibb and the Cartel by visiting-www.facebook.com/sgandthecartel as well as www.reverbnation.com/samanthagibb and follow on Twitter @sgandthecartel. There is also a great article about this band here http://www.americansongspace.com/d02b63cc7c46e907c2e48ac97b6c550d2558c576

Barry Gibb, the eldest surviving Brother Gibb, has talented offspring as well such as Stephen Gibb, who is quite a great guitar player and singer in his own right. Stephen grew up around music from a young age and started playing guitar at age 13. He formed his first band in 1989, calling it NNY which stands for No Name Yet. Stephen was first a guitar tech for his dad while the Bee Gees were on their All For One Tour. He also later played as part of the Bee Gees touring band. Stephen's latest activity was to be part of his father's touring band while on the Barry Gibb Mythology Tour.
Stephen's other musical endeavors include Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society; Crowbar; Kingdom of Sorrow and 58 with Nikki Sixx. You can check out Stephen Gibb's Fan Page here-https://www.facebook.com/groups/59830323299/ . Also you can find out more by going to www.stcgibb.com and on Twitter @StephenGibb. 

(Stephen Gibb)
Barry and Maurice aren't the only ones with multi-talented children. Robin Gibb (who passed away in 2012) has two sons that are both making their way in the music industry. Spencer Gibb is Robin's oldest son. When you first hear him sing, he sounds a bit like Dad in the same way that Dhani Harrison sounds like dad George Harrison and Julian Lennon sounds like John. 

Spencer's music is a mix of old school R&B as well as indie rock with a bit of folk thrown in for good measure. Spencer started writing songs on piano and keys at 12 and then left school at 14 to become a musician. Spencer formed his first band in 1996 called Jez Spencer and then later in 1998 formed 54 Seconds. Currently, he is working as a solo artist. 

(Spencer Gibb)

You can find out more about Spencer Gibb's work by going to-www.spencergibb.com. You can find him here on Twitter @spencergibb and here www.facebook.com/SpencerGibb2012. Also on You Tube at 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc3ZmgC6olU. (This is the Spencer Gibb Official EPK 2012.)

I also have to give props to RJ Gibb, who is Robin's youngest son. RJ is an actor, singer, composer and many other things. Shortly before Robin's untimely passing, the two worked together on what became the classical album release 'Titanic Requiem' which came out April 2012 to commemorate the 100th Anniversay of the sinking of the Titanic. 

Check out RJ Gibb here-www.rjgibb.co.uk/biography. Also 

(RJ Gibb)

For more information on the activities of this group of talented people, feel free to check out www.facebook.com/BEEGEES2

As talented as the Gibb clan is, there are a few more musicians and bands that deserve mention in this post. I am a fan of the band known as SPC-ECO. I have everything they've ever put out and each time they do put something out, they just build on what came before. 

(SPC-ECO performing live in London)

SPC-ECO is comprised of the multi-talented Dean Garcia, who used to be part of UK band Curve; Rose Garcia (Dean's daughter) and Joey Levenson. Dean plays bass,drums, guitar and programming, Joey plays guitar and Rose sings. Rose's voice isn't that far from Curve singer Toni Halliday in style, breathless, ethereal and just pretty damn amazing. I guess the best way to describe SPC-ECO's sound other than flipping brilliant is 'Shoe-Gaze'. Past bands of this style include Ride and the Cocteau Twins.

You can find out more about Dean Garcia by checking out this page- http://whenthesunhitsblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/interview-dean-garcia-of-curve-and-spc.html. Also check out this interview with Joey Levenson at- http://whenthesunhitsblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/interview-joey-levenson-of-spc-eco.html.

(Dean Garcia)


To find out more and check out SPC-ECO, visit www.facebook.com/SPCECO2; www.spceco.com and spceco.bandcamp.com. You can find them on You Tube under SPC-ECO and Twitter @SPCECO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Cv80PqI58Q  SPC-ECO's 'Delusional Waste' 

(Rose Berlin)

And last but not least is yet another stunning female artist, Lucy Walsh. Lucy is the progeny of musician and singer Joe Walsh. I first found out about Lucy on MySpace about six years ago and have been hooked ever since. 

Lucy is a singer, songwriter, musician and actor. She's played keyboards for Ashlee Simpson and Ry Cuming. As a songwriter, she has worked with Taylor Swift and Britney Spears. Lucy's also part of the organization known as The Art of Elysium which enriches the lives of artists and critically ill children, Lucy plays music and teaches songwriting to the patients. 

You can find out more about this talented young lady by visiting-www.facebook.com/LucyWalshMusician as well as lucywalsh.blogspot.com. On Twitter, you can catch Lucy here @thelucywalsh. To find out more about The Art of Elysium, visit www.theartofelysium.org and www.facebook.com/TheArtofElysium. 



(Lucy Walsh)

This video is for Lucy's song 'Lullaby'. (I don't think this is available anywhere, sorry to say except on YouTube.) 


You can also find Lucy's EP '1882' on iTunes as well. 

I encourage you to check out these great talents, support them, buy their stuff, see their gigs if you can and lastly spread the word. The future of music is looking pretty damn good from where I sit as evidenced by these brilliant artists. 



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