Alan Jackson

Who of those among us that where raised on country music didn’t like songs about trains?  You just gotta love an album titled “Freight Train.” In his latest work, Alan Jackson proves after 20 years in the industry, 50 million albums sold, and 34 number one hits, that he is indeed a legend in country music. He co-wrote eight of twelve songs on the album. Lee Ann Womack teams up with Jackson on a impressive cover of the 70’s hit “Til The End” for a rather fitting tribute to the late Vern Gosdin.

The opening track “Hard Hat and a Hammer” speaks to those who understand the satisfaction that comes from a days hard work, while “I Could Get Used To This” showcases some very nice work on steel guitar that is rather hard to find these days. The tracks “It’s Just That Way” and “Big Green Eyes” provide a glimpse at the more edgy side ,while the ballad “The Best Keeps Getting Better” offers something to those that prefer a softer tune. All in all it is an album that will delight die hard fans and make an impression on new country fans alike.

Maximum Ink: What was it like to work with Lee Ann Womack On Till The End?
Alan Jackson: I been trying to get her to sing a duet with me for a long time. She’s one of my favorite female country singers. Probably the only one out there left that’s singing real hard country stuff, and can really pull it off, I mean, I’ve loved her from day one, and I asked her to sing with me years ago and she turned me down. So finally she agreed to do it. I’m glad to have her on the record and “Till The End’s” been a song that I’ve always wanted to record as a duet, and it was Verne Gosdin song he had a hit on, years and years ago. I think one of his ex-wives wrote this song. Which I didn’t even know that until we got ready to record this. Verne, he passed away of course last year, and I wanted to do a song, in his honor. I got to do a song for Verne, and got to sing with LeAnn, and this, man, it’s a cool cut.

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Paul Gargano remembers Michael Jackson

I always wished I could moonwalk.

Not because I listened to hip-hop and wanted to add the move to my breakdancing repertoire, but because Michael Jackson made everyone wish they could moonwalk.

Michael Jackson is the King of Pop because he made awkward and pudgy white kids in suburban America wish they could move like he could. Gawky kids like me were the final frontier, and he was the great unifier. Everyone loved Michael Jackson, because you couldn’t not love Michael Jackson.

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Tim Janis

Tim Janis has worked with some of music’s most talented minds like Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, and Ray Charles to name a few. He has composed ten Billboard charting albums over the course of his career. Janis has had his work featured on four public television specials to date and is currently working on the special Celebrate America, which focuses on music in public schools. Tim has worked to promote several charitable causes like the American Cancer Society and Church World Service.

On December 2nd he brings The American Christmas Carol to Carnegie Hall to benefit Little Sisters of the Poor. Featuring a cast of truly talented artists it is a show you simply have to see. The cast comprises of Tim Janis, Chandler Lutz, Donald Braswell, Jim Cole, Sarah Darling, Wendy McPike, Emily Bear, and the ever talented Wisconsin native Eli Mattson (who I am sure readers remember from the third season of America’s Got Talent). Jimmy Nichols is the Music Director and Andy Hire, Todd Sullivan, and Kevin Cooper conduct the symphony orchestra and chorus. Rolland Smith is the host for the event, one of those rare events that remind you of the joy and wonder of Christmas felt as a child from the true meaning of the season, that the entire family can enjoy together.

Maximum Ink: Can you tell us a little about where you are from and how your early beginnings helped shape you into who you are at this point in your life?
Tim Janis: I am from Maine. I thank God for my gift to write music. I was at a Military HS when I decided to do music so I had a lot of catching up to do. But it was all in the heart.

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Danny Johnson

Looking at guitarist, DANNY JOHNSON’s musical resume is like reading a syllabus for a course in Classic Rock. Discovered at 18 years old by Rick Derringer (he of the “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo”), Johnson recorded three albums with him and moved on to joining the bands of Alice Cooper and Rod Stewart. Danny would go on to replace Steve Vai (who in turn had replaced Yngwie Malmsteen) in Graham Bonnet’s post-Rainbow project, Alcatrazz, and when they disbanded, became the guitarist in Eddie Van Halen’s production project, Private Life, in the late 80’s. During the last decade, in addition to performing with Tia Carrere on the Wayne’s World soundtrack, Johnson became the lead guitarist with the originators of the term “heavy metal”, Steppenwolf (still a touring entity almost half a century after forming.) Johnson has also released two solo albums, Grih-Grih Thing and Over Cloud Nine and is embarking on a solo tour through Wisconsin this November.

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Sass Jordan

U.K. born, Montreal raised Sass Jordan has proven she can make it in the rock world as well as the acting world. Her singing talents have been promoted by Gene Simmons of KISS, as well as the late composer Michael Kamen and hung out with counterculture guru Timothy Leary. Sass has recorded and toured with such acts as Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Van Halen, Carlos Santana, and Joe Cocker.

Sass took on the world of acting starring as Janis Joplin in the off Broadway “Love Janis.” She enjoyed a show stopping run in the Canadian version of “The Vagina Monologues” and was given a guest role on the NBC show “Sisters”. For six years she was a judge on Canadian Idol.

Her newest release “From Dusk Til Dawn” is set for March 16th on RBE Music/Kindling Music/Fontana. It features a remake of Tom Waits’ “Ol 55” along with her newest offerings. I recently had the opportunity to ask a few questions.

Maximum Ink: Did you mother, being a ballet dancer and actress, influence you to partake in acting yourself?
Sass Jordan: Not really, because she wasn’t actually working when I knew her. She quit it all to be a full-time Mom.

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Juliette Lewis

Actress and musician, JULIETTE LEWIS, knew she wanted to be an actress from the time she was six and she was nominated for an Academy Award before she was twenty years old. Known for roles in films like Cape Fear, Natural Born Killers, and The Other Sister, when she took the leap from acting to fronting a band, known as JULIETTE AND THE LICKS, in 2003 it might have been dismissed as a Jennifer Love-Hewitt or J. Lo-type vanity project. However, instead of sugary pop, she opted for a straight-up rock n’ roll and punk style and has since collaborated with the impressive likes of Dave Grohl from The Foo Fighters and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez from The Mars Volta. Earlier this year, Lewis let go of The Licks and has released her first completely solo album, Terra Incognita.

“We toured the world three and four times over with the Licks.”, Lewis says, talking about her old group. “Around the same time, I had a breakup with my band and a breakup with my love and I was contemplating my existence and the future… I figured if I wanted to evolve, then I should make music now as my own name. It was the first time I really created a record by discovering who I was musically and all the contrast .There’s so many kinds of songs and so much flavor.”

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Joel Pingitore and the Playground of Sound

Joel Pingitore isn’t wasting any time. He has been performing with his most recent group, The Playground of Sound, for only six months and they’re already booked and/or played 150+ shows. Besides a weekly show at The Dam Bar in Belleville, WI and a once-a-month visit to Stella’s Speakeasy in Stoughton, WI the band is fresh of a stint of gigs at Bike Week in Daytona Beach. In an e-mail interview Pingitore admitted he wouldn’t mind a show every day.

“Naturally,” He also conceded, “it’d be fantastic to be ‘The Next Big Thing.’” With an energetic six month old band that’s already working on an album and playing outside the state, however fantastic the dream, they seem to be aiming for it. On a more realistic, and partially realized note, Pingitore also said “I’d like to see [the band] as a nationally touring act.”

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