Live At The Blues Cafe

TRACK LISTING (YNOT Records 004)

1/ Intro 2/ Something’s Got To Give 3/ Baby What You Want Me To Do

4/ Crocodile Tears 5/ Intro 6/ Wish You Didn’t Have To Go 7/ Deliver The Goods

8/ The Wind Crys Mary 9/ Mustang Sally 10/ Hey Joe

11/ Gone With The Wind 12/ I’ve Got News For You 13/ Food Court Blues

REVIEW

Two things made me wary of this CD. The first was that it was a live recording, the second that the cover shot gave a strong Stevie Ray Vaughan clone impression. However these first impressions are quickly thrown away once the business end begins to happen, with the recording being a quality and standard befitting a studio production. Yes, there are some distinct traces of SRV within Tony’s style, but this guy is a guitar whiz, full of passion and expression, sizzling his way through 6 originals and some well known yet gracefully rendered covers.

The smooth approach to Jimmy Reed’s classic “Baby What You Want Me Do” is one example of how to attack a classic and not destroy by overkill. Peaceful yet dynamic and gets the message across in blazing fashion that he is a guitarist with licks that would shake some of his peers. Another great aspect is that Tony doesn’t command all the attention like some artists do, take a listen to the smooth rocky original “Crocodile Tears” and you sense the creative room he gives his band to express themselves, with a great sax solo shining out here too. More passionate creativity in the soulful marathon of another original “Wish You Didn’t Have To Go,” which continues to soar as the song progresses throughout it’s entire 10.13 minutes, concluding in a frenzied crescendo. It is hard to describe Tony’s vocals, for Australians I would say there is a similarity to our Geoff Achison, sort of a smooth yet husky sound. Once again another great rocky original with some sizzling sax solos in “Deliver The Goods” before a soulful rendition of the classics “The Wind Cries Mary” and “Hey Joe.” Before you go, ‘not another set of Hendrix covers’ these two renditions stick with me as among the finest interpretations I have heard and they are on fire in this live situation, with an interesting version of “Mustang Sally” separating the intensity between the two. Check out the awesome sax solo in “Hey Joe” which compliments the guitar licks. I just love this CD, it is blues rock at it’s finest hour, well actually 73 minutes of it. This is not a CD that you skip through the songs … it keeps you riveted from track to track. Great arrangements, musicianship, songwriting, production … when is this guy coming to Australia?

Three more tracks round off this recording, concluding in a great sax filled “Food Court Blues” which is the strongest evidence of Tony Janflone Jr’s respect for his fellow musicians allowing them to take the limelight before coming in with more scorching guitar as the song builds to an exciting climax. I am in awe of this guy and his band.

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I had the great pleasure this evening to spend time on the phone with Tony Janflone, Jr. from Washington, Pennsylvania. Janflone, who is an excellent young guitarist and singer/songwriter, is busy these days on several fronts. I found him to be a remarkable person and he was most gracious with his time towards me.

I asked him first about the past and what it was like growing up with a Jazz guitarist and music teacher for a Father. He told me that because his Father was so active in music that “for me as a kid playing music wasn’t necessarily special; it’s just what we did. I am not only a musician but I am also an entertainer. When I was young, I was the kind of kid who would walk up to everyone in the store and say ‘hi’. I am comfortable entertaining and I prefer playing live as it is kind of like playing at home. I like being in touch with the crowd and I get energy from them.”

Janflone has a diverse style, due in part to his diverse background. “My Dad was a big fan of Wes Montgomery and John Coltrane. When we were kids, my brother and I used to sing Coltrane songs. Since my Dad was a guitar teacher, I got to hear a lot of music growing up. I have always loved all kinds of different music from Kiss, The Rolling Stones, Chet Atkins, and many others.” I told Tony that I had a similar variety of favorite artists from Hendrix to Doc Watson, who also turned out to be one of his favorite guitarists. “Doc Watson, Jerry Douglas, and Tony Rice are also some of my favorites”, he added.

I then asked him about the present. Along with playing 175-200 shows per year in support of his “Live at the Blues Cafe” CD, he also owns his own 48 track studio in which he records “my music, some T.V. and radio commercials, and material for short films”. He is producing a Jazz CD of his Father and working on new material for himself as well. He also plays a Sunday show at the Blues Cafe (where the Live CD was recorded). He said “the place is generally packed with 250-300 people”. No wonder, considering the high quality of both the music and this musician. His band is most capable and Janflone spoke highly of each of them. Tom Salyers on keyboards has played with him for about 11 years, and bassist George Elliott (a former guitar student of Tony’s Father) joined him about 6 years ago, provide excellent support to Tony’s great vocals and fretwork. “I am very much a ‘vibe guy’ and my guys are really great”. I found it most refreshing, in this day of big egos and personality clashes, to hear Tony speak so well of his band.

Not only did he speak well of the band, but was most complimentary of his wife, his wife’s family, and his own family for all of the support they had given him. “I can’t say enough good things about my wife”, he said. “My family is the most important thing to me”. Again, I found it refreshing to hear a man speak well of both his wife and mother-in-law. But, this is the kind of person he is: one who is not totally consumed by his own desire to succeed professionally at the expense of all else. He added, “It bothers me to hear musicians and athletes say that they are not role models. Just because they don’t want to be one doesn’t mean they aren’t one. I watch what I say and how I act in front of young people because we are role models whether we like it or not”.

The internet is becoming a more important promotional tool to Tony, as it is to most recording artists. “Despite all the bad things associated with it, the internet can be a great thing.” I told him that I had first heard his music on an internet station Down Home Net Radio. I emailed DHNR’s founder Mark Douglas who kindly told me about Tony. Janflone also told me that he has a site at MP3.com where he plans to “upload my first 2 CDs and create DAM recordings. I am re-issuing ‘In Time’, fixing a few things I didn’t like about it and adding some bonus tracks.” Janflone said he plans to sell the re-issued “In Time” along with “Live at the Blues Cafe” CDs at CDBaby.com, a site which he spoke of with high regard. I will also echo his sentiments, as I have bought several CDs from CDBaby.com with excellent results.

And the future? I asked him to imagine that it was 20 years from now. I then asked him to tell me looking back on his career, what would he like to see that he had accomplished? He said “I would like to see that I have done God’s will with the talent He has given me. I’d like to see that I have given people good quality music and entertainment and that I had given my best. I would like to see that I had treated people well for 20 years and that I was basically the same as I am now, only a little wiser….no, a whole lot wiser. I hope to have the opportunity to perform all over the world….that is my dream. And, oh yes, I want to still be married to the same woman!”

If you have heard his “Live at the Blues Cafe” CD, you will know that Tony Janflone, Jr. has the special talent it takes to become popular throughout the entire world. After speaking with him this evening and witnessing first hand his integrity and character, I think he just might get to where he wants to go. It surely could not happen to a nicer guy.

Vistit Tony on the Web at: www.tonyjanflonejr.com

It’s clear, without any rumor or information – that Mr. Janflone has the hearts of the Pennsylvania audiences he performs for – and perform he does – with generous room provided to his accompanying band, on his Live CD, “Live at the Blues Cafe”. The venue, it is told in the liner notes, has scheduled Tony and his PROXY guitar nearly every Sunday afternoon.. . and apparently the format is well received – imagine that – Sunday afternoon becomes the ideal time for rock/blues in a bar – immediately after services. We can only imagine the turnout for Saturday nights if provided. They come on Sunday, and they come to hear the music.

Tony is an accomplished, gifted, fluid, blues/rock guitarist – ala a couple of Stevedore – Lukather and the God known as Stevie. Janflone’s playing sits in the rhythmic strat pocket during his leads much as Vaughn did – yet, he moves through more ambitious scales on his way to the Luckather comparison – with chromatic passings during flurries and melodies – showing his understanding of key centers, composition, and targeting the emotion while carrying the chord progression in his single lines. His playing is stellar. His voice is passionate. And whether he’s riffing and crying to original tunes like, “Wishing You Didn’t Have to Go”, or covering the two Hendrix familiar “Wind Cries Mary” and “Hey Joe”, Tony’s live licks have all the imprints of a tortured and tremendous guitar communicator. The CD is, of course, live – and his band accompanies him admirably – with room given to both keyboard and sax solos in the process – but we couldn’t wait to get to another Tony break – as his unpredictable finesse through his works kept us on the edge of our ears. Of particular note is the 4 some odd minute guitar solo in “Joe” which begins with a tender entry and finishes with a violent and compelling fury. The CD contains 13 tunes – and he even thrown in an uplifting version of “Mustang Sally”. A guitarist’s guitarist – and soulful performance.

Don K. at earBuzz.com

I am amazed almost every day to see the number of younger artists who are currently recording either blues or blues/rock material. It seems that Strats and Les Pauls have replaced the Willie Mays signature baseball bats of my youth as the toys of choice for the world’s youth. That is good news to people like us, who derive so much pleasure from this great music. It is comforting to this old fellow to know that the music is going to continue to live on for many years to come. While other forms of musical expression have come and gone, the blues and it’s influence on today’s music continues to thrive for future generations to enjoy.

The advantages of falling in love with a guitar at a young age are considerable. Washington, PA’s Tony Janflone, Jr. is such a case in point. This extremely talented and versatile guitarist draws from a wealth of both experience and diverse influences not commonly associated with an artist of such relative youth. Janflone first picked up a guitar at age 9 and had decided at 13 that this was his life’s calling. Guided by his guitarist father, the younger Tony was exposed to a wide variety of musical styles ranging from blues to classical music. This, along with hard work and God given talent, has produced an artist who properly falls into the category of “complete package”.

“Live at the Blues Cafe’” is an excellent showcase of the multi-talented Tony Janflone, Jr. Backed by a most capable supporting cast of bass, keyboards, drums, and horns, Janflone scorches his way through 11 first rate tracks, 6 of which are strong original compositions. His covers include a couple from Hendrix and Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What you Want Me To Do”. Each song is laced with Janflone’s potent fret work but this man does not live by axe alone: his passionate and soulful vocals are among the very best I have heard in this style of music.

From the opening number “Something’s Got to Give”, through the wonderful instrumental ballad “Wish You Didn’t Have To Go”, past the powerful and sensitive covers of “The Wind Cries Mary” and “Hey Joe”, and on to the finale, a jazzy original instrumental “Food Court Blues”, this is a recording that I cannot imagine any blues/rock fan not thoroughly enjoying.

One final note: the sound quality of this CD is excellent for a live recording. At times, it reminds me of the sound of Eric Clapton’s “24 Nights”. This live recording does, what any great live recording should do: it makes you wish you had been there for the show. Needless to say, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of this wonderful CD.

“Live at the Blues Cafe’” is available at many online locations. Mine came from the good people at CdBaby.com

Tom Branson, BluesRockers.com

……..Being a road warrior may be hard on certain relationships, but it can foster

others,like the one he has with Washington native Tony Janflone Jr. Janflone was traveling and performing on the hotel circuit with his dad, Washington resident Tony Sr.,and his brother several years ago. One night, after having driven several hours through a snow storm to get to Fredonia,N.Y.,gig where they faced uninterested lounge lizards, the Janflones were pretty depressed. Then Pat Metheny walked up and told them,”This is the first time I’ve ever heard music come out of a Holiday Inn.”

Metheny, who was staying at the hotel after playing at a near by college, recalls the meeting perfectly. He and Tony Jr. stayed in touch, and Metheny has recommended him to other jazz artists in need of a guitarist.”He’s an exceptional player, no doubt about it,”Metheny says of Janflone, whom he’s confident will go on to greater fame.

I can’t begin to express how much I enjoyed this album. Great Blues Rock delivered with an energy that is unmatched. This is also one of the best sounding live albums that I’ve heard in a long time. The sound quality is excellent and the atmosphere is lively and jumping. Tony and his band keep the place rockin’ throughout this 13 song set. Great blues guitar, great vocals, killer tunes, and a rhythm section that simply smokes. What else could you ask for? Tony has a similar guitar style that reminds me a little of Stevie Ray Vaughan. I’m not sure why, but it does. Now don’t get the impression that this is an all guitar album. While the guitar work is great, Tony takes the stage with a full blues band and is backed by horns, keys, and the works.

I can’t imagine any blues rock fan not finding this CD to be enjoyable. Tony not only shows himself to be a great performer on this disc, but a great songwriter as well. His music is real and down to earth, conveying a style and presence that is all his own. If that wasn’t enough, Tony also throws in a few covers from the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy. Now I’ve heard a lot of Hendrix covers in my time, but the Tony Janflone version of “The Wind Cries Mary” is absolutely amazing to hear. Another great cover is Tony’s take on “Mustang Sally” and “Hey Joe.” This is great music and if you’re a blues rock fan, you’re only missing out if you haven’t heard it. This CD comes highly recommended around here.

- Michael Allison
- THEGLOBALMUSE.COM

Tony has been selected as one of the Global Muse’s Elite Artists

The tradition of the blues in American music has been an ever evolving genre. The blues has always been a music that is best heard live. Tony Janflone Jr. is Pittsburgh’s premier blues prophet. His new album‚ “Tony Janflone Jr. LIVE at the Blues Cafe‚” finds him and his band telling the story of the evolution of the blues. Tony and his band are seasoned players who sound fresh and sharp.

The opening cut “Something’s Got to Give‚” gets you in the groove with solid rockin’ from the band while Tony shows off his powerful voice. It’s really just the appetizer, but the horns are up‚ and the band goes to town. Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You Want Me to Do?” is an old blues shuffle that goes down smooth till Tony kicks it with his guitar solo.

Here’s where you begin to notice that this guy is not only a commanding blues and rock singer but his guitar chops could blow most of the big guitar giants of today off of the stage. The instrumental ballad, “Wish You Didn’t Have to Go‚” is a dense blues meditation that hypnotizes. It pulls and releases with a grand sweep of guitar virtuosity: truly a compelling composition. The power of the music is evident in this recording when you hear the audience response . Not a bummer cut on the whole CD!

http://www.TonyJanfloneJr.com

by Patrick Arena The Southern Voice