From Jarkko, manager of The Leonard Cohen Forum:
Leonard gave us the names of the musicians in his new tour band. Singer(s) to be announced later.
Roscoe Beck - bass & vocal (Musical Director)
Neil Larsen - keyboard, accordion, brass instruments
Bob Metzger - guitar, steel guitar & vocal
Javier Mas - acous. guitar, oud & misc string instruments
Christine Wu - violin, viola, cello & keyboard
Rafael Gayol - drums & percussion
Dino Soldo - keyboard, saxophone, wind instruments & vocal
Additional information on The Leonard Cohen Files.
Roscoe Beck
Roscoe Beck is the founding member of Robben Ford and the Blue Line, playing on and/or co-producing their six discs. He has played with and co-produced many other artists' work including Jennifer Warnes' Famous Blue Raincoat, an album of Leonard's songs. In addition Roscoe has recorded with Patti Austin, Dixie Chicks, Jimmy Witherspoon and many others. In 1997, Fender Musical Instruments recently released the Roscoe Beck Signature Five-String Bass, a popular addition to Fender's line of legendary instruments. Roscoe was the bass guitarist on Leonard's 1979 Field Commander Cohen tour (check out photos by Hazel Field), Roscoe also toured with Leonard in 1980, co-produced I'm Your Man and served as musical director for the 1988 tour.
Roscoe Beck recently released a much anticipated CD of original RB tunes -- Walk On -- is now available at Waterloo Records in Austin, Texas.
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Clips from Walk On:
"Outrage"
Instrumental
David Grissom - guitar
Riley Osbourn - hammond organ
José Galeaño - percussion
Brannen Temple - drums
"Blues For a New Day"
Instrumental
Paul Ostermayer - tenor saxophone
Mitch Watkins - guitar
Brannen Temple - drums
John Mills & Eric A. Johnson - horns and woodwinds
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For more information, see the Official Website of Producer/Bassist Roscoe Beck
Neil Larsen
Neil Larsen is a composer/keyboard player from Florida that has been successful in several different fields. As a recording artist, he has recorded four solo albums, one of which was nominated for a Grammy. After teaming up with guitartist Buzz Feiten, they recorded two albums with their band Full Moon, and one with the Larsen-Feiten Band, which included the top ten single, "Who'll Be the Fool Tonight". As a session musician, Neil Larsen has played on over 150 albums, including three with George Harrison, three with Kenny Loggins (and the single "Footloose"), Whitney Houston, Jimmy Cliff and 4 albums with Rickie Lee Jones, including the single, "Chuckie's in Love". His string and horn arragements are featured on albums by Gregg Allman and B.B. King among others.
As a composer, Neil has written over 60 songs on various albums, including albums by George Benson ("Weekend in L.A." & "20-20" ), Gregg Allman ("Playin' Up a Storm"), Rickie Lee Jones ("Girl at her Volcano"), Will Smith ("Willenium") and Miles Davis ("The Complete Montreaux Recordings") . He has toured extensively with many artists, including Gregg Allman, Michele Branch, Kenny Loggins, Rick Springfield, Joe Sample and Dr. John and was musical director and pianist for singer Al Jarreau for eleven years, that included tours of South America, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa, and over 20 tours of Europe. (from The Official Blog for Westcoast Music in France.)
Orbit is the new release by Neil Larsen with his new band, Robben Ford (guitar), Jimmy Haslip (bass), Tom Brechtlein (drums), Gary Meek (saxophone), Lee Thronburg (trumpet) recorded and mixed live.
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Clips from Orbit:
"Jungle Fever"
"Sudden Samba"
Neil Larsen, piano, organ
Robben Ford, guitar
Jimmy Haslip, bass
Tom Brechtlein, drums
Gary Meek, saxophone
Lee Thronburg, trumpet " flugelhorn
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Bob Metzger
Bob Metzger has previously toured with Leonard in 1988 with the "I'm Your Man" tour and in 1993 with "The Future" tour where he played electric and acoustic guitars, pedal steel guitar and sang backup vocals. He has also appeared in concert with Ian Matthews, Don McLean, Randy Crawford, Spencer Davis and LeAnn Rimes. Bob has been an integral part of Leonard's more recent albums. He was co-producer with Leanne Ungar of the 1994 CD 'Cohen Live' and is listed as a consultant on Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979, played guitars, pedal steel and bass on 'The Future' and guitar on 'Ten New Songs'. Bob plays six different instruments.
Javier Mas
Christine Wu
Christine was born in Germany and has lived in 9 different U.S. cities. After high school, Christine studied violin in Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Los Angeles and studied studio production at Berklee College's online school. Christine's professional performance career started at age 17. She has since played as a soloist and ensemble member all around the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. Professional touring has taken her to Carnegie Hall as well as most of the well know concert halls throughout Europe. Christine has appeared as a guest soloist with a diverse range of musicians including Bedrock Records artist Randall Jones, world fusion band Global Grooves and the world music band Moodafaruka. She has performed in concert with artists such as k.d lang, Lyle Lovett, Eric Benet, Wayne Shorter and Johnny Mathis. As an electric violinist, she has played in nightclubs, private events and conventions. Christine performs regularly in Houston, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Cape Cod, MA, Jackson Hole, WY and Aspen.
For more information, see the Official Website of Christine Wu and her My Space Page - ViolinVixen
Rafael Gayol
 Rafael was born in Mexico City and raised in Los Angeles, California. He has worked as a drummer/percussionist/vocalist recording and touring with such diverse artists as Doll Congress, BoDeans, Sun 60, Charlie Sexton, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, David Rice, Joe Ely, Kelly Willis, Bruce Robinson, Jon Dee Graham, The Flatlanders, Eliza Gilkyson, Bob Schneider, Billy Harvey, Robert Rodriguez, Patricia Vonne, Tonio K, Bascom Hill, Mason Ruffner, Trish Murphy, Michael Thomas, Maggie Walters, Robbie Robertson and A-ha.
He is also the voice of Dell Computers Online, NASCAR.com, Southwest Airlines, Kinko's, Time-Warner Cable, Nortel and Toshiba television commercials.
Rafael's original music is also due for 2008 release tentatively titled, "Waiting For Buddha".
Dino Soldo
Growing up in La Verne, California with sons of local orange growers, Dino Soldo was encouraged by his parents to start guitar lessons at age five—which were followed shortly thereafter by years on clarinet. “My high school band director saw I was a spaz right away, and could do more things, and so he pushed me to piano, guitar and sax, whatever the orchestra needed,” he says. “My dad was a harmonica player, and I had already toured with Tower of Power as a saxman before I picked it up and started playing it for him when I was 23!"
Although Soldo’s resume boasts superstars like Lionel Richie, Beyonce, Elton John, Cyndi Lauper, Barry Manilow, LeAnn Rimes and Sam Moore—and includes a load of “unrepeatable stories” from several mid-90s bus tours with the great Ray Charles—he learned the most about performing for an audience from blues great Johnny “Guitar” Watson. “I started doing weird things ...jumping around onstage, and he just joined me,” Soldo laughs. “I learned a lot about connecting with people from the stage from him.”
Even as a sideman, Soldo has developed into one of contemporary music’s biggest onstage hams. “When I performed with Down To the Bone,” he laughs, “they let me perfect the art of stage diving and one handed pushups. What I really feel is missing in live entertainment and music these days is the old tradition of vaudeville that gave the audience a job as well…a place to feel they can have as much fun as we have. I always want to include them in the act.
“Thinking about future side gigs and solo recordings,” Soldo continues, “I hope I can always surprise myself. I like being a sideman and a leader as long as the musicians I am working with have the same goal, entertaining people. Musically, the thing that will define me is my big warm tone on the horn, which I adapted from other players but is definitely different in today’s world. Everyone has the image of a smoky sax in their mind, and I want to bring the smoky tenor back to the music.”
Yet when the band starts up, the Los Angeles based saxophonist and harmonica whiz is all about the music--and seeking a Balance, the name of his first all-instrumental solo CD, between his prime soul-jazz influences (Lester Young, Ben Webster, Eddie Harris), pop, contemporary jazz/funk and a lifelong love affair with the blues.
Helping him achieve that on Balance is an incredible array of L.A.’s top musicians, including Mindi Abair, Chuckii Booker, Lenny Castro, Sheila E., Bryan Head (Soldo’s regular drummer), Reggie Hamilton, Rodney Lee and Standring. Balance, which also features the presence of two of Soldo’s personal heroes, Hammond B-3 master Art Neville and sax great Ernie Watts, is more than simply an incredible jam session led by a versatile musical talent whose time has come; both in title and spirit, the 12-track collection reflects Soldo’s personal, heartfelt philosophy of music and life.
For more information, see the Dino Soldo, The Official Website
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