Tag Archives: Andy Kravitz

Taj Mahal: Like Never Before

On October 31, 1991, “Private Music” label released “Like Never Before”, the 17th Taj Mahal album. It was recorded in 1991, at “Studio 4 Recording”, “Paramount Recording Studios”, “Studio 55”, “Orca Studios”, “Platinum Island Studios”, “Criteria Recording Studios”,  and was produced by Skip Drinkwater.

Personnel:

  • Taj Mahal – vocals, guitar, banjo, piano, harmonica
  • Hiram Bullock – guitar
  • David Lindley – guitar, lap steel guitar
  • Mark Tyler – guitar
  • Paul Barrere – guitar
  • Jerry Williams – guitar, backing vocals
  • Eric Bazilian – acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin
  • Sonny Rhodes – lap steel guitar
  • Dr. John – piano
  • Mark Goodman – electric piano, synthesizer
  • Donald Robinson – keyboards
  • Mark Jordan – piano, organ, synthesizer
  • Jim Salomone – synthesizer
  • Rob Hyman – organ, accordion
  • Jerry Cohen – organ
  • Doug Grisby – bass
  • Tony Jones – bass
  • Andy Kravitz – drums, percussion, castanets, tambourin
  • Bill Summers – congas, percussion triangle, batas, guiro, percussion
  • David Johnson – percussion, bells
  • Phil Nicolo – cymbals, programming, engineer, mixing
  • Richard Feldman – programming
  • Rudy Costa – soprano saxophone
  • Ron Kerber – alto saxophone
  • Haywood Henry – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • “Jammin” Jay Davidson – tenor and baritone saxophone, horn arrangements
  • Claire Daly – tenor saxophone
  • Ed Kalney, Gary McKeen – trumpet
  • Jeff Lego – trombone
  • Art Baron – trombone
  • Howard Johnson – tuba, cornet, horn arrangements
  • Daryl Hall, John Oates, Sheryl Crow, Porter Carroll, Augie Johanson, Greg Maha, Louis Patton, Reggie Ellis, Willie Green, Rob Hyman – backing vocals
  • The Pointer Sisters (Anna, June, Ruth) – backing vocals
  • DJ Jazzy Jeff – turntables
  • Myric “Freeze” Guillory – washboard
  • Joe Nicolo – engineer, mixing
  • Bruce Weeden, John Moyer, Michael Schlesinger – additional engineering
  • Brandon Harris, Doug DeAngelis, Steve McLoughlin, Christopher Thomas, Lou Catanzaro, Mark Schulz, Chris Furman, Kurt BuJack, Scott Blockland – engineer assistant
  • Skip Drinkwater – mixing
  • Greg Fulginiti – mastering
  • Andy Van Dette, Ray Legnini, Scott Hall – digital editing
  • Andy Bauer, Mark Goodman – guitars technician
  • Larry Vigon – art direction, design
  • Brian Jackson – design
  • Chris Callis – photography
  • Brooke Drinkwater, Robert L. Stephenson – production coordinator
  • Jamie Cohen – executive producer

Track listing:

  1. Don’t Call Us – Richard Feldman, Taj Mahal
  2. River of Love – Jimmy Scott, Porter Carroll, Richard Feldman
  3. Scattered – Mark Jordan, Patrick Dollahan, Richard Feldman, Taj Mahal
  4. Ev’ry Wind (In the River) – Richard Feldman, Taj Mahal
  5. Blues with a Feeling – Walter Jacobs
  6. Squat That Rabbit – Joe Nicolo, Taj Mahal
  7. Take All the Time You Need – Jerry Williams
  8. Love Up – John Martyn
  9. Cakewalk into Town – Taj Mahal
  10. Big Legged Mommas Are Back in Style – Taj Mahal
  11. Take a Giant Step – Gerry Goffin, Carole King

Billy Joel: River of Dreams

On August 10, 1993, “Columbia” label released “River of Dreams”, the twelve Billy Joel studio album. It was recorded in 1992, at The Boathouse at the “Island Boatyard” in Shelter Island, NY, “Cove City Sound Studios” in Glen Cove, NY and “The Hit Factory” in New York City, and was produced by Billy Joel, Danny Kortchmar, Joe Nicolo and David Thoener. The album was certified 3 x Platinum in Australia by “ARIA”; Platinum in Austria by “IFPI Austria”; 3 x Platinum in Canada by “Music Canada; Platinum in Germany by “BMVI”; 2 x Platinum in Ireland by “IRMA”; Platinum in Japan by “RIAJ”; Platinum in Netherlands by “NVPI”; Platinum in New Zealand by “RMNZ”; Platinum in Switzerland by “IFPI Switzerland”; Platinum in UK by “BPI”; and 5 x Platinum in US by “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Billy Joel – lead and backing vocals, clavinet, Hammond organ, piano, organ, synthesizer, keyboards
  • Tommy Byrnes – guitar
  • Mike Tyler – guitar
  • Leslie West – guitar
  • Danny Kortchmar – guitar
  • Jeff Jacobs – synthesizer, additional programming
  • Jeff Lee Johnson – bass
  • Schuyler Deale: bass
  • Chuck Treece – bass
  • M. Stevens – bass
  • Lonnie Hillyer – bass
  • Liberty DeVitto – drums
  • Steve Jordan – drums
  • Zachary Alford – drums
  • Andy Kravitz – percussion
  • Jim Saporito – percussion
  • Richie Cannata – tenor sax
  • Arno Hecht – baritone sax
  • Laurence Etkin – trumpet
  • Osvaldo Melindez – trombone
  • Wrecia Ford – backing vocals
  • Color Me Badd – backing vocals
  • David Witworth – backing vocals
  • Frank Simms, George Simms – backing vocals
  • Crystal Taliefero – backing vocals, vocal arrangements
  • Marlon Saunders – choir vocals, backing vocals
  • Phillip Ballou, Katreese Barnes, Dennis Collins, Will Downing, Frank Floyd, Diane Garisto, Stephanie James, Devora Johnson, Corliss Stafford, Brenda White-King – choir vocals
  • Curtis Rance King, Jr.- choir conductor and contractor
  • Ira Newborn: orchestration
  • Bob Thrasher, Bradshaw Leigh, Dave Wilkerson, Jay Healy – recording
  • Carl Glanville, Joe Nicolo, Phil Nicolo, Dick Grobelny – engineer
  • Dan Hetzel, Brian Vibberts – engineer
  • Niko Bolas, David Thoener, Joe Nicolo, Phil Nicolo – mixing
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Jeff Schock – art concept
  • Christopher Austopchuk – art direction
  • Christie Brinkley – cover painting
  • Sara Rotman – design
  • Glen Erler – photography
  • Lewis Del Gatto: orchestra manager
  • Bill Zampino – production coordinator
  • Andrew Baker, Artie Smith, Courtney Spencer, Dave Hofbauer, David Hewitt, Doug Kleeger, Greg Garland, Howie Mendelson, Jon “J.D.” Dworkow*, Larry DeMarco, Laura Delia, Lester Baylinson, Peter Goodrich, Steve Bramberg – technical support

Track listing:

All tracks by Billy Joel.

  1. No Man’s Land
  2. The Great Wall of China
  3. Blonde Over Blue
  4. A Minor Variation
  5. Shades of Grey
  6. All About Soul
  7. Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)
  8. The River of Dreams
  9. Two Thousand Years
  10. Famous Last Words