Tony Smotherman and Brain Station                Embracing The Spirit Tony Smotherman: Guitars, Sitar Andy Haney: Bass                                  Bruce Royal: Drums, Percussion

Review by Rich Acocella  

 I’ve never met Tony Smotherman or spoken with him, just a few email exchanges. But his CD went to the top of the review pile as soon as I saw it. I knew I was going to love this CD when I saw the cover art and read the liner notes, and I will explain my bias:

  See, back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, I was wayyy out there! I had a beautiful Indian sitar which I loved to play in the park on sunny days. I experimented with dozens of ragas. The sounds and tones produced by the sympathetic strings and melody lines on the main sting, along with the spiritual nature of the instrument, kept me enthralled for hours on end. I believed that by playing the sitar, I was expressing my sincerity and gratitude for the talent I was discovering in myself. Doing this simply helped me believe that my aim was true. So into it was I, that I became a direct disciple of Sri Chinmoy; making the trek every week from Asbury Park, NJ, to His headquarters in Queens, NY. There I was learning about meditation and it’s benefits in music from a true Master, often in the same room with great artists like Devadip Carlos Santana and Mahavishnu John McLaughlin (no, I didn’t jam with them.) Now, twenty five years later it is indeed a different time; still I recognize a bit of my young self in this CD presentation, Tony Smotherman and Brain Station – Embracing the Spirit.

  Listening to this CD, I was glad to find my intuition still functioning at full capacity. As it happens, this is one of the best showcase CDs we’ve ever heard. It’s an honest effort which states in no uncertain terms, I’m here, we’re here, and this is what we do.

  The CD begins with a twenty-eight second intro on the sitar, followed by eight excellent compositions by Tony Smotherman. It’s a competent recording (a judgment based on the BA in Music Production and Engineering I got at Berklee back in ’84) with great performances by Bruce Royal on drums & percussion, Andy Haney on bass, and Tony Smotherman on guitars. As a band, they’re not at all boring. Each member brings talent and experience to the group, and you get the sense that they really like arranging and performing Tony’s tunes. This power trio must be quite something to see live, with all the versatility and instrument changing.

  The album is a well ordered mix of heavy metal, blues, and jazz rhythms. There are lots of surprises like unconventional chord phrasing, quick changes in tone, open tunings, and unexpected meter changes; all with appropriate use of delays and reverbs.

  Tony takes chances with far out yet interesting progressions and melodies. His solos are relaxed and controlled; obviously a result of considerable time spent with the instrument. His influences are subtle, too; he’s no clone. He goes exactly where he wants to. His hammers are even, crisp, and clear. Sweeps are quite clean with lots of tonal play, and throughout the songs Tony doesn’t let up with his versatility and confidence. He seems more interested in his own purity of expression and its source, than becoming the next Yngwie.

  And it doesn't end there. Andy Haney on bass does the job with notable proficiency and brilliance. Like a good film score where you only seem to notice the music at the climax of the scene, realizing it was there all the time, Andy provides an unshakable rock-solid bottom and communicates well with the drummer. Speaking of which…

  Bruce Royal is outrageous! Bruce is a highly versatile drummer with good training and chops that can only come from playing a long time. Bruce justifies the efforts of the engineers Mike Nasworthy, Chris Kellam and Scott Whittier, ultimately delivering that "million dollar sound"; rare to find on a homegrown CD even of this caliber.

  But it’s the open tunings where Tony Smotherman meets the challenge, and shows his intelligence. Oceans Beyond the Moon just blew me away. It’s a beautiful composition. Fluid with daring and colorful intervallic leaps, and finger picked with skill and excellent timing, the tone is sweet and the melodic phrasing is compelling to say the least.

  Prospect Hill is a passionate odyssey of guitar styles set in a "Jimiesque" blues progression. This piece has a bit of everything; even a little slice of Three Blind Mice! This illustrates Tony Smotherman’s focus on fundamentals and goals, and the band’s overall ability to perform comfortably as a cohesive unit. It’s check your ego at the door with this group, and that in itself is a great thing.

  Following a total of eight very cool performances by Tony, Andy, and Bruce, is a fifty-two second sitar outro to let you down easy - and remind you from where it all started. (Clever, the way it loops back to the sitar intro as the CD begins again.)

  All in all, this CD is a page out of a book of faith in purpose and confidence. I recommend this CD to teachers, students, and aspiring guitar enthusiasts. Tony’s a deep thinker on the way to being connected to a higher source of self expression. Stay on the path Tony, your fans are already waiting for more.