Thirty years before the devastating Amazon rainforest fire and decades before the global climate crisis was one of the crucial issues facing the survival of life on earth, keyboardist Merl Saunders forecasted the future after witnessing the destruction occurring in the Amazon. Teaming with Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, Saunders brought the need to preserve rainforests into pop consciousness by creating an album, “Blues From The Rainforest – A Musical Suite,” featuring Garcia that they described as “environmental earth music.” Merl’s son, bassist Tony Saunders, is continuing his late father’s mission with the October 25 release of “Peace To The Planet” by Rainforest Band, which drops on San Francisco Records with a portion of the proceeds going to The Jerry Garcia Foundation and Rainforest Action Network.

“The rainforests around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate. This band has three strong souls as leaders and our mission is to bring awareness with our music to a cause that needs vigilant attention – long before the Amazon fires put the issue back in the news. To honor the history of the music Jerry and Merl made and to do something to help save the planet is why we made this album now,” said Tony Saunders, who is based in the Bay Area along with his Rainforest Band mates, guitarist Vernon “Ice” Black and keyboardist Sylvester Burks.

“Peace To The Planet” was produced by Black and San Francisco Records chief Ron Umile with social activism at the fore. Umile said, “The band and I have been concerned about the rainforest, climate change and all the related issues. We are also concerned about senseless gun violence in America, the rise of bigotry in our country, the extinction of animals and plants, and the lack of acknowledgement and action from the present administration and general government to address these issues and seek real solutions. The music on ‘Peace To The Planet’ tries to instill calmness for a minute to allow reflection on how we can do our part to be part of the solution. If we can visualize a peaceful planet, we could possibly inspire our audience to take action to save the planet.”

While Garcia crossed genres to collaborate with Merl Saunders, who was an African American jazz musician, the twelve songs composed by Rainforest Band members for “Peace To The Planet” are rooted in improvisational contemporary jazz and soulful R&B. The disc features performances by Billboard chart-topping saxophonist Jeff Ryan, noted keyboardist Gail Jhonson, drummer Austin White and percussionist Maquinto Brasil. The first single garnering playlist adds is the funky “S.I.Z.” on which Ryan’s tenor sax wails up a thunderous storm.

The continued relationships and support of both nonprofit partners – The Jerry Garcia Foundation and Rainforest Action Network – was natural. Tony Saunders toured for a year playing in the original Rainforest Band concerts thirty years ago with his father and Garcia, including gigs for Rainforest Action Network. Garcia’s wife and daughter, Manasha and Keelin Garcia, run The Jerry Garcia Foundation and have collaborated with Tony on multiple projects and music catalogue decisions over the years. The foundations are the beneficiaries of the album release concert planned for November 1 at the Terrapin Crossroads Grate Room in San Rafael.

The Rainforest Band principals are seasoned professionals equipped with lengthy resumes built during accomplished music careers. As a guitarist, vocalist, producer, composer and music director, Black has amassed recording, touring and film credits that list Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Lionel Richie, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Spice Girls. Tony Saunders has played or recorded with legends Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, David Crosby, Joe Sample, Jeff Lorber, Paul Jackson Jr. and Paul Brown. He has won two Emmy Awards for writing television scores and is an award-winning composer of jingles and motion picture scores. Burks’ work with ten Grammy winners includes Patti LaBelle and Lalah Hathaway along with gospel superstars Yolanda Adams, Donnie McClurkin, Shirley Caesar, Bebe Winans and The Hawkins Family. For more information, please visit https://rainforestband.net.

“Peace To The Planet” contains the following songs:

“S.I.Z.”

“Consequences”

“Caribbean Sunset”

“My Mellow Ways”

“One More Time”

“Gumbo Groove”

“God’s Nature”

“Annisa”

“Just Before Sunrise”

“Reflections”

“Windows Of Time”

“Verano Dias”

The cliché “Don’t judge a book by the cover” does and does not apply to the cosmically colorful artwork that adorns the forthcoming sophomore album, “Nowhere Left To Go,” from Brothers Brown. The thirteen songs written and produced by the bluesy Americana jam band are a rainbow of musical styles. Both the cover and the songs on the Woodward Avenue Records collection dropping January 12 are vividly imaginative and vibrant. While the vintage Volkswagen van on the cover symbolizes the carefree era of the psychedelic 1960s, the eclectic blend heard on the album is far from retro. It’s a distinctly modern - perhaps even a futuristic set - reflecting the amalgam of art and culture of the present day.

The cartoonish illustration on the album cover accurately captures the spirited personality and wildly stylish character of Grammy nominee Brother Paul Brown (The Waterboys), the band’s vivacious keyboardist. He co-founded the group with his two-time Grammy-winning namesake, guitarist and singer-songwriter Paul Brown, who has produced more than sixty No. 1 singles for a galaxy of contemporary jazz stars including George Benson, Norman Brown, Boney James and Al Jarreau. The Nashville-based Brother Paul Brown met the Los Angeles-based Paul Brown at the Grammy Awards in 2014. The four-piece band is completed in equal measure by a taut rhythm section comprised of bassist David Santos (Billy Joel, John Fogerty, Elton John) and drummer-percussionist Peter Young (Loretta Lynn, The Burrito Brothers). Both Nashville-based musicians add vocals and guitar parts to Brothers Brown’s first new album since their 2016 debut, “Dusty Road.”

While the members of Brothers Brown are decorated veterans, “Nowhere Left To Go” is only their second outing as a band thus they’re considered newcomers again, which they find invigorating.

“There aren’t that many new artists coming along doing what we’re doing. Playing this music is like putting on your favorite old pair of blue jeans. Perfect fit and feel. We all grew up listening to and playing this type of music. It’s so great to be able to finally let it all hang out and do exactly what we want without all the restraints of the record business and trying to make a living. It’s gonna be a blast playing these songs live. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished and love being a part of Brothers Brown,” said “LA” Paul Brown about their unique mix of soulful blues, rootsy Americana, jam band grooves, edgy rock and twangy country nuances.

The album’s title track features blues legend Bobby Rush, who has been collaborating with Brother Paul Brown for over twenty years. Their fruitful history together spans four albums, three Blues Music Awards, one Grammy nomination for the album “Down in Louisiana,” and many miles traveled during multiple concert tours.  

“This song was nearly wrapped up when the grand notion of inviting Bobby Rush to lend his voice came to mind. The more I listened to David Santos' voice and the soulful depth it brings, the more I just knew his and Bobby's voice together would be a timeless soulful treasure. Bobby graciously accepted the invitation to sing on the track and beautiful history followed. Our friendship and musical kinship remain ocean-deep and ever-evolving,” said Brother Paul Brown, who plays Hammond B-3, piano and Moog synthesizer on the album and on Gloria Gaynor’s 2019 Grammy-winning gospel album, “Testimony.”

“Our esteemed guest, Bobby Rush, is a brilliant storyteller and a legendary one-in-a-million artist,” enthused Santos. “Lyrically, ‘Nowhere Left To Go’ is about a guy who has lost everything and is very near the end of his earthly journey. Our seasons change, and new ones, different ones, begin. In a fleeting moment of realization, he has a sense of hope, or even redemption, and perhaps he has found a little meaning to embrace for the remainder of his time here. There actually is ‘Somewhere Left To Go’ for all of us.”

The album opens with “Wrong Side Of Town,” a tale that Santos says, “is about a man who finds himself waking up alone in a strange place and missing the love of his life after having ruined their relationship.”

Brother Paul Brown says the anthemic “Junior’s Back” has special meaning to him.

“I've always been a fan of prog-rock synth solos, especially in groups like Pink Floyd, ELP, and, even more specifically, Foreigner, and the brilliant synth textures, hooks, and solos Al Greenwood brought to those albums. For a good while, I was headed in that direction until my musical journey turned more towards soul and blues. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought that in 2023, at the age of sixty, that I would find myself conjuring up a bonkers Moog solo for a tune on an American roots/blues/jam band album—and it actually worked! David's verse vocals and Pete’s chorus vocals are legendary on this track as well.”

The album includes several instrumentals, including one of the first songs the quartet ever wrote together, “Chitlin' Pickin',” which they describe as being “country funky.”

“Brand New Day” started as a taut bass and drum groove that evolved as they layered distorted and wah-wah guitar tracks along with an optimistic, chantlike vocal chorus.

“Sitting in the studio, we thought about what a brand-new day represents to all of us as a human race, how it’s always an opportunity for new possibilities and positive change, and how the sun comes up every day for all of us - no matter what. All four of us sang together on the same mic. The original lyric was ‘The sun is shining through my window.’ We changed it at various times to “through OUR window” to be more inclusive,” Santos shared.         

The melancholy midtempo “Give Me One Reason” is about the end of a relationship. It had run its course, and no one is to blame, but the partners are no longer in love.

“The protagonist realizes that the relationship is over. He knows they must be wise and strong and leave each other, but he just can’t let go. He’s having a conversation with himself and her at the same time, which I love. He asks himself why he should be in love with her when she obviously no longer wants to be with him. It’s so extremely hard to face the fact that someone has simply fallen out of love with you, and you must let go and move on,” said Santos.

Another bluesy rock tune, “Snakehole Road” travels into darkness and danger.

“There are those horrible hidden places where all forms of debauchery go down. These dens of iniquity are so evil that even the cops are afraid to go there. These are places you sometimes wanna check out for some ungodly reason. It’s a very disturbing song,” admitted Santos.

The edginess continues on the bitter “Black and Blue.”

“It’s an edgy and heavy dark blues joint about a guy who is hurting. He’s in love with a woman who doesn’t appreciate him and has made him feel abused. She cheats on him, takes his money, uses him and leaves him alone at night,” said Santos.

“Nowhere Left To Go” closes with the instrumental “Fifteen Minutes,” a sprawling sojourn on which each player makes a final curtain call. It’s a closing statement capturing the band’s ethos eloquently without a single word.        

“Coming from so many different musical genres, dating back to my years of living in a Nashville school for the homeless in the mid-70s, this album is full of so many full-circle moments for me personally, allowing me to incorporate my love for so many of those genres into one album with a group of three absolutely brilliant fellow band members,” Brother Paul Brown concluded.

The “Nowhere Left To Go” album contains the following songs:

“Wrong Side of Town”

“Junior's Back”                

“Runnin' Blues”                          

“Nowhere Left To Go” featuring Bobby Rush   

“My Baby”                                  

“High Up On The Mountain”  

“Chitlin' Pickin'”        

“Brand New Day”

“Whatcha Gonna Do”                 

“Give Me One Reason”

“Snakehole Road”                

“Black and Blue”

“Fifteen Minutes”

For more information, please visit https://woodwardavenuerecords.com.

In a remarkable fusion of talent and genres, the roots rock ensemble Brothers Brown has released their eagerly anticipated second album, “No Where Left To Go,” spotlighting the legendary blues singer Bobby Rush on its title track. This collaboration marks a high point in the group's career, blending an earthy mix of Americana with jam band sensibilities across thirteen original tracks. Each song, written and produced by the band, showcases the meticulous craftsmanship of these accomplished musicians, who have collectively garnered Grammy recognition for their contributions to music.

The title track “No Where Left To Go,” graced by Bobby Rush's distinctive voice, encapsulates the album's essence—an exploration of hope, resilience, and the complexities of human emotions. The accompanying music video, featuring Rush, can be viewed here, providing a visual backdrop to the song's compelling narrative.

Brothers Brown, while named after its two Paul Browns - one a Los Angeles-based guitarist, vocalist, and two-time Grammy-winning producer, and the other a Nashville-based Grammy-nominated keyboardist known as Brother Paul Brown, is a true collaborative effort. The band prides itself on its egalitarian structure, with significant contributions from bassist David Santos and drummer/percussionist Peter Young, whose combined resumes include work with music legends such as Billy Joel, John Fogerty, and Loretta Lynn.

The album is a journey through storytelling, with lyrics that delve into themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning. From the remorse and regret of relationships gone sour to the introspective examination of life's darker moments, “No Where Left To Go” offers a rich tapestry of musical storytelling. Notably, the album includes a couple of instrumentals, with the epic fifteen-minute closer "Fifteen Minutes" providing a fittingly grandiose end to the setlist.