World Music Blog: composer | Discover the Best Music of the World

Ian Thomas

About: Ian Thomas

Ian first hit internationally in 1973 with "Painted Ladies". With a Juno award, four SOCAN classic awards for Painted Ladies, Right Before Your Eyes, Hold On and Pilot, a UNICEF Danny Kaye Humanitarian award, Juno and Gemini nominations,15 albums and nearly as many top twenty records later, Ian has now added author to the mix with two novels, Bequest (Manor House 2006) and his latest The Lost Chord (Manor House 2008).

Ian’s lyrics have been utilized in English textbooks while his songs have found international success with many artists such as Santana, America, Manfred Man, Chicago, Bette Midler and Ann Murray. He also records and tours the country regularly with good friends Murray McLauchlan, Marc Jordan, and Cindy Church in a band called Lunch At Allen’s. From 1990 to 2000, Ian wrote &recorded four albums and toured with his band “The Boomers” who were comprised of some of the Canada’s finest musicians - Peter Cardinali, Rick Gratton and Bill Dylan. When you add twenty movies as a film composer, six seasons on the Red Green Show as character Dougie Franklin and over a thousand commercials voicing characters from Clive Firkin of Firkin Pubs to Snap the Rice Crispie, the credit list starts getting ridiculous.

2009 saw Ian touring both as a solo artist and with Lunch At Allen’s, while completing the music for the animated series The Adventures Of Bob and Doug McKenzie and scoring two Hallmark Movies, The National Tree and Fairfield Road. With the new Lunch At Allen’s CD completed and 2010 underway Ian is currently writing and recording a long awaited new solo album. To hear him live is to spend time with a master songsmith and humorist. Ian lives with his wife of nearly 40 years in the Niagara wine region of Ontario because he likes both wine and his wife.

Discography: http://www.ianthomas.ca/Ian_Thomas/Discography.html

Contact: Robert Wilson: bob@firebonesmanagement.com

Ian Thomas – Official Website

http://www.ianthomas.ca/
Ian Thomas - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Thomas_(Canadian_musician)
Ian Thomas – Last FM
http://www.last.fm/music/Ian+Thomas
Ian Thomas - Twitter
https://twitter.com/IanCThomas
Buy Music!
Ian Thomas - iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/ian-thomas/id26132996
Ian Thomas – Amazon
http://www.amazon.ca/Looking-Back-Hits-Ian-Thomas/dp/B0000262US

About: Budi Satria

Born in PADANG (West Sumatra), Indonesia and now living in Jakarta, Budi Satria has taken his life experiences and transformed them into a music meld of cultural heritage, emotion, empathy and vision.

Since the age of 14, Budi has honed his musical skills through live performances at many hotels, cafe's and night clubs throughout Indonesia. He enjoys combining western music with more traditional influences of his own country, but always looks for new ways to find a fusion of American and European music with his native Indonesian sounds. Budi has also written music for many TV Soap Operas and other media productions in the East and is now looking to take on new challenges in Western medias. Most of Budi’s work has been in the New Age, World, Pop, Blues, Fusion, and Oriental music genres but he leaves the window wide open to more creative avenues.

2011 News:

Indonesian star Budi Satria signs worldwide digital distribution agreement with Sydney powerhouse label Wolf Entertainment!

"When I heard Budi's music for the first time, my heart just opened up. He is a wonderful composer, and at the same time a world class producer. Combined with his guitar skills he is just incredible. What makes him even more lovable is his humbleness, and his willingness to work with our team. Since I have introduced Budi to a part of our world, I have heard nothing but praise for him and his music. He is a real asset and he will spearhead our more new age and chill orientated artists."

Contact: http://www.reverbnation.com/budisatria

Learn how to get your song on itunes at ReverbNation.com

Budi Satria - Reverbnation

http://www.reverbnation.com/budisatria
Budi Satria - Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/budi.satria.315
Budi Satria – Indie Music Channel
http://www.indiemusicchannel.com/profile/BUDISATRIA
Budi Satria – GHP Radio
http://ghpradio.ning.com/profile/budisatria
Budi Satria – Sound Cafe
http://soundcafe.ning.com/profile/budisatria
Budi Satria – New Age Music
http://newagemusik.ning.com/profile/BUDISATRIA
Budi Satria – World United Music
http://worldunitedmusic.blogspot.com/2012/02/budi-satria.html
Videos!
Budi Satria - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/budisatriaful
Buy Music!
Budi Satria - iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/budi-satria/id493862184
Budi Satria - Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B006V03WFS?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Budi%20Satria&index=digital-music&search-type=ss

BIO: John Sokoloff

John Sokoloff’s music comes from his Russian-American heritage. Melodic and soulful, John's piano-based songs are unique in their lyricism and passionate honesty. Combining a variety of instruments and styles seamlessly, The John Sokoloff Band has released five compact discs of compelling, instrumental music.

John served as composer for the critically acclaimed CBS Primetime "The Bonnie Hunt Show" for David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Productions. He composed and played on the theme and all incidental music for the show.

A song from his debut cd Vacation Beach, was the featured theme for Moscow’s 850th Birthday official documentary, produced by award winning director Tofik Shefardeev. Commissioned by Mayor Lushkov and sanctioned by the Moscow government,

DVD copies of the documentary were distributed to the gathered mayors of the world’s major cities.

Additionally, The John Sokoloff Band has been heard on radio and television in the United States and Russia.

The piano-based band also allows for eclectic instrument combinations and a variety of influences - from Blues and Classical to Russian Folk.

From congas to violin, electric guitar to balalaika - the common denominator is soul…

The Albums:

Vacation Beach: Release date - 1993

"Vacation Beach refers to an area in Northern California near Guerneville on the Russian River. I spent all my summers there as a kid and had gone back in the early nineties to re-discover the ghosts of the past.

So the title is partially ironic. Many of those I looked for there were gone...

The recording process was preceded by about 4-5 months of rehearsals at CBS TV City where I was working for Carol Burnett's production company at the time. This first cd was like giving birth. No rules yet established. Seeing your work through the prism of a band: Hardly pain-free, but wonderfully cathartic...."

Valleys: Release date - 1996

“Valleys”…concerns emotional, as well as physical valleys. A reflection on a time in the 80’s when I worked as a manager of a Floor Covering Distributorship in the San Fernando Valley, while driving the 210 to Rosemead (San Gabriel Valley) on evenings to visit my then girlfriend.

It was a distinct and transcendently compelling period. Of a time, yet seemingly timeless.

A decade later when I heard she was getting married to my friend, I regressed into reflection. An epoch crystallized. Valleys was the result …”

Eastern Shadows: Release date - 1998

“Eastern Shadows”…had a terrible crush on a girl who didn’t have a terrible crush on me. However, in her reticence, she presented enough of an empty canvas on which to draw my delusions. And draw I did. Needless to say, opposites did not attract. Eastern Shadows is about reaching into a void. Grasping at smoke.

Listening to one’s own music….”

Bliss Misplaced: Release date - 2000

"Bliss Misplaced”...An artist he shuffles, when able to fly…an artist he soars, when the well does run dry...An artist shall seek, a life full of friction...where others want normalcy, he contradiction..."

Bliss Misplaced is about this masochism of the artist. Creating conflict in order to transcend it through art. Grabbing the thorns while ignoring the rose. Choice?

In The Melancholy Way: Release date - 2004

“The best way to describe In The Melancholy Way is Russian Blues. Because Russians often see life in a melancholy way. The songs styles vary with some utilizing two electric guitars, drums and a B3 Organ; while others might use a piano, violin and flute or balalaika. The common denominator is a sense of the blues…. A sense of melancholy….with a distinct minor key Russian feeling.

The band felt quite good together and we recorded several of the songs live…with minimal overdubbing…This brought an energy that makes me want to go out and perform this material. We plan on doing that.”

If you have comments or questions please e-mail us at:
johnsokoloff@aol.com

or write to:

The John Sokoloff Band
Orchard Avenue Records
15824 Hartland Ave
Van Nuys Calif. 91406