Our Musical Family
ANDY REISS:LEADER of THE SLUGGO SMITH CHRISTMAS ORCHESTRA... GUITARIST,PRODUCER;Andy Reiss grew up in San Francisco, Calif., playing in a wide variety of bands all through high school. Finding himself in a starving rock and roll band after high school, when given the opportunity of joining a showband and going on the road, he jumped on it. It was the beginning of a dozen years of playing in a wide variety of bands, ranging from honky tonk bands in bars and casinos to playing show tunes in theaters. He moved to Nashville in 1981, where Andy’s career took on several new dimensions.
One of Andy’s first contacts was the legendary producer/steel guitarist Pete Drake, who helped Andy understand the inner workings of the Nashville studio scene. His first Nashville session was an album for Slim Pickens, an album that had such Nashville greats as Drake, Charlie McCoy, Bob Moore, Pete Wade, Pig Robbins, the Jordanaires...talk about an education!! This led to spending the next 20 years in the Nashville studios, playing on hundreds of records including two that won Grammy awards, BJ Thomas’ “Amazing Grace”, and the Reba McEntire/Linda Davis number one hit “Does He Love You”. Andy currently tours with THE TIME JUMPERS, two time GRAMMY Nominees.
Andy proudly endorses CB Guitars- hand made by master builder Chris Bozung www.cbguitars.com
Heritage guitars- classic archtops built by the masters in Kalamazoo Michigan-www.heritageguitar.com
and LaBella strings- the best flat wounds made- the set on Andy's 1966 Gibson Barney Kessel model are OVER EIGHT YEARS OLD!!-www.labella.com
EDDIE KILGALLON: PRODUCER, CHORAL ARRANGEMEMNTS,CONDUCTOR, MUSICIAN:Eddie Kilgallon was born and raised in Upstate New York. His musical roots started to take hold as he performed in countless school musicals and concerts, and he started writing songs soon after the family got their first piano.
Instead of college, the gigs and appearances took over. He was enjoying increasing success, but something was missing.
In 1988, Eddie met veteran Nashville songwriter Tom Paden, and spent 3 years corresponding. In 1991, Eddie went to Nashville to record a demo session and never looked back.
He married his hometown sweetheart, Terry, and they moved to Nashville. Upon arriving, Eddie placed an ad in the local newspaper, The Scene. "Keyboardist available, pro gear-pro attitude. Willing to travel. Doubles on vocals and sax. Serious inquiries only…" Soon after, the guys from "Ricochet" called, and Eddie was offered the position.
That's where the road began. Ricochet was signed to Columbia Records in 1994, and soon after began a whirlwind touring schedule to promote the overwhelming success of their debut album. With three top 10s, a number one and a Gold album under their belt, Ricochet was ready to take on the world. Eddie's vocal arrangement of "The Star Spangled Banner" can still be heard today on radio stations throughout the country. After many years of touring, endless radio interviews, television appearances, studio sessions and the like, he decided to leave the band in 1991 to pursue other musical interests.
During a terrible rainstorm in August of 1996, Eddie co-wrote a song with Roger Cook and Earl Bud Lee that became ASCAP's "Song of the Year" in 1997. "One Night At A Time" was recorded by George Strait, and held the number one position for five straight weeks. Soon after, he was signed to a major publishing deal with BMG music, which yielded a catalog of over 100 songs.
Throughout his career, Eddie has been performing on Yamaha Keyboards. His current touring rig includes a Yamaha P90 piano and a Motif 6 synth. During writing sessions, he composes on a Yamaha PSR740. "Yamaha has always stood for excellence in musical gear. You need the right stuff to cut it out on the road these days, and my Yamaha gear always fires up and gets the job done."
Currently, and quite possibly forever, Eddie is playing keys with the multi-platinum SONY Music act, "Montgomery Gentry."
MANDY BARNETT: VOCALIST:
Mandy Barnett, a native of Crossville, Tennessee, started singing at five years-old. She has been singing since.
As a teenager, Mandy starred as country music legend Patsy Cline in the stage show "Always...Patsy Cline" at the celebrated Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The performances were sold out nightly and received rave reviews across the country. Mandy, in role as Patsy, appears on the Decca Records cast recording.
Mandy soon signed with Asylum Records where she released her first CD as herself, appropriately entitled, "Mandy Barnett." The album received glowing reviews in major trade publications and magazines, including "Time" magazine, as well as praise from veteran country artists and fans.
In due course, Seymour Stein, who introduced the world to Madonna, Seal, the Barenaked Ladies, and k.d. lang, heard Mandy's voice and was, he said, "spellbound." When Stein launched Sire Records within Warner Music Group, Mandy was the first artist he signed. Mandy's Sire Records project paired her with the undisputed pioneer of the Nashville Sound, producer Owen Bradley. The album that they made together, "I've Got A Right To Cry," would be his final contribution to the community who knew him through his work with legends Ernest Tubb, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, and Kitty Wells. Owen passed away four songs into the project, but not before leaving his unmistakable mark on the album. His brother and longtime partner, Harold Bradley, inherited the delicate task of finishing the album with Mandy. A legal pad filled with Owen's handwritten notes for each song guided the two through the rest of the sessions, and what was to be Owen's farewell to the world was poised to propel Mandy and her remarkable vocal talent once again into the national limelight.
"I've Got A Right To Cry" was a huge critical success. "Rolling Stone" magazine named the CD the top country album of 1999. Other stellar reviews appeared in "People," "Newsweek," "Interview," and multiple national newspapers. Mandy appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" as a result of her acclaim.
In addition to her own CDs, Mandy has been featured on a variety of movie soundtracks, including "A Walk On the Moon," "Traveller," "Space Cowboys," "Election," and "Drop Dead Gorgeous." Mandy also sang on the Spongebob Squarepants CD, "The Best Day Ever," released in late 2006, sharing the spotlight with the likes of Brian Wilson, Tommy Ramone, Flaco Jimenez, and NRBQ.
Mandy is currently working on a variety of projects and a new CD. She continues to play shows, both nationally and internationally, and is a frequent guest on the Grand Ole Opry. Mandy reprised her role as "Patsy Cline" in the acclaimed production "Always...Patsy Cline" at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, during April and May 2009, in honor of the 15th anniversary of the celebrated venue's extensive renovations and re-opening.
JIMMA MATEJEK: GUITARS, Jimmy was born in Houston, Texas and grew up
in a house where the sound of a guitar was
commonplace- both his father Donald Sr. and his
older brother Donald Jr played guitar. He decided
to try his hand at playing at around 8 years of age, and soon set Chet Atkins as his first major guitar hero. Jimmy credits his family for exposing him to many forms of music at a young age- Chet and traditional country from his dad, Bill Doggett and 50's era-Elvis from his Mom, Judas Priest and Jimi Hendrix from his brother, and 70's-era Elvis and Lynyrd Skynyrd from his two sisters, just to name a few early influences. After many years of playing in church, then local VFW halls and parties, then nightclubs around the country Jimmy relocated to Nashville by way of Georgia in the late 90's and in 2000 started playing acoustic guitar, 6-string banjo and harmony vocals with Montgomery Gentry. Home recording, building guitar-based electronics
projects and gigging on lower Broadway in Nashville occupy his time when he's not on the Jim Beam bus.
RANDY PLUDE: CO WRITER, Pianist, composer, Red Sox fan...Guy Gilchrist and Randy Plude, and their musical adventures started back in 1974 when juniors in high school. They spent hours on end listening to the likes of Jackson Browne, Linda Rondstadt, the Eagles and Dan Fogelberg and wrote their first song together sitting an an old upright piano at the tender age of 16. They were the only ones in high school history across the nation given an 'A' for never showing up in English LIt classes while they wrote and scored the script, music and lyrics for a comedy musical film remake of the "Iliad and The Odyssey in 1975 which was played countless times (at least twice) at Avon High School. They also teamed up to be co-emcees for the 1975 Avon High School Variety Show and won great reviews (mostly for getting off the stage at the end of the show!). They wrote more songs than they can remember, some of which were published by independent record labels and a Nashville publishing house. Guy and Randy's efforts were also recognized by the American Song Festival for numerous songs. Guy and Randy also collaborated on music for Guys "Tiny Dinos" tv shows and commercial jingles, and "Little Ages" cartoons and was often heard on various N.Y. Radio and television networks. They have been lifelong friends and recently wrote "Christmas Light" together.
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