Andrew Jon Thomson


RIP Willie Mitchell 1928-2010, The Papa of Funky Memphis Soul I have only known my dear friends the Mitchell family for a few short years, but I feel like I have always known them, as Poppa Willie Mitchell, the inventor and prime propagator of funky Memphis soul music has been in my soul and my music since the 60's. Here's the best Obituary I have found so far, he deserves much more. Producer Ian Berzon and I were lucky enough to have met with and gotten to know Willie and his talented and friendly hardworking sons Archie and Boo Mitchell (We love you Archie and Boo!) in the dark recesses of the old Royal Recording Studio, on Willie Mitchell Blvd in Memphis, where so many greats cut their funkiest and most heart wrenchingly soulful records over the years. We had planned and negotiated a major recording project with the Mitchells at their studio, to feature many members of my superband as well as local legends of the Tennessee soul scene. We had the rare honor of having Willie himself agree to personally oversee and produce the project, despite his semi retirement from the studio control room at that point. Willie was generous enough to offer me in-house family rates for the chance to work on a project with a family reunion of great old and new soul and funk players of the past and future, but he told me we might have to postpone the recording dates "if the Rolling Stones or Al Green stop by for another surprise session" Thank you for all the great music Willie, and thanks to you and your amazing next generation of old school studio wizards for welcoming us into your hearts and your precious family studio sanctuary. We will attempt to continue the plan despite Willie's untimely and tragic passing, but for now we celebrate his life and mourn his loss. In lieu of flowers please send donations to MusiCares in Willie Mitchell’s honor to the address: MusiCares 1904 Wedgewood Avenue Nashville, Tennessee 37212 877. 626.2748 or to the Willie Mitchell Foundation and Scholarship Fund 1320 Willie Mitchell Blvd. Memphis, TN 38106
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Click here to go to my podcast website! Or search for HelloAndrew on Itunes or your favorite podcast catching software to subscribe to my free video and audio podcast. News Flash! Andrew's new all-star studio album project has been launched with the world's greatest musicians playing from all over the planet! See below for more information.
Hello to you too! I am singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, filmmaker, writer and activist Andrew Jon Thomson. I am currently producing my first studio solo album project, a mammoth multi album series covering the best of 20 years as a performing songwriter. The musicians performing with me in this project are one of the greatest recording ensembles ever assembled, including some of the world's top living players, all well known and acclaimed artists in their own right, and the creators of some of the best loved recordings in history. I am honored to have the following incredible musicians playing on this album series from around the world, mostly connecting musically through the internet, all joining in my International All Star Superband: Horns and winds arranged and performed by The Memphis Horns' Wayne Jackson, with Jack Hale Sr. and Thomas McGinley, - Nashville, TN (Stax records horn section, The Mar-keys, Sam and Dave, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, King Curtis, Rufus Thomas, The Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes, The Doobie Brothers, U2, Robert Cray, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, B. B. King, Al Green, Elvis Presley, Neil Young) With much love and thanks for all the music to the great Memphis Horns' Andrew Love* who's untimely retirement predated this project.* On Grand Piano and Rhodes Electric Piano: Mike Garson - Southern California (David Bowie {Since 1972}, Smashing Pumpkins, No Doubt, Stan Getz, Nine Inch Nails, Seal, Stanley Clark, Stevie Wonder, Polyphonic Spree) On Hammond Organs: Clayton Ivey - Muscle Shoals house organist playing the original Muscle Shaols M3 organ as heard on songs such as "If lovin' you is wrong I don't want to be right" and "That old time rock and roll" in it's last recordings before being donated to the musician's hall of fame. Tommy Mars - Frank Zappa Band Wayne Cook - Steppenwolf, Alice Cooper, Player Arthur Barrow - Frank Zappa Band, The Doors, known as the Clonemeister for his role as Frank Zappa's musical director and bass player. On Drums: Anton Fig - New York, NY (David Letterman show band/CBS orchestra/World's Most Dangerous Band house drummer for 19 years, also with Booker T and the MG's, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Warren Zevon, Frank Black, Joe Cocker, Kiss, Joan Armatrading, Cyndi Lauper) Victor Indrizzo - Los Angeles, CA (Macy Gray, Daniel Lanois, Beck, Gwen Stephani, Willie Nelson, Michael Penn, Liz Phair, Avril Levigne, Depeche Mode, Dixie Chicks, Alanis Morissette) Sammy Merendino - New York, NY (Cyndi Lauper, Cameo, Billy Joel, The Beach Boys, Ziggy Marley, Darden Smith, Pat Metheny) Pat Mastelotto - Austin, TX (King Crimson, XTC, The Rembrandts, Mr. Mister) Walfredo "Wally" Reyes Jr. - Los Angeles, CA (Santana, Traffic, David Lindley Y El Rayo X, Smokey Robinson, Jackson Browne, Mickey Hart) Paul Robinson - London, UK (Paul McCartney, Nina Simone {20 years}, Van Morrison, The Buggles {Video Killed the Radio Star})) Charlie Morgan - Nashville, TN (Originally UK) (Elton John, Kate Bush, Orleans) On Bass: Chuck Rainey - Dallas, TX (The most recorded and most influential bass player in history; Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin, The Rascals, Louis Armstrong, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones, The Jackson 5) Graham Maby - New York, NY (Joe Jackson band, They Might Be Giants, Natalie Merchant, Darden Smith, Joan Baez) Fima Ephron - (Gil Scott Heron, Yerba Buena, MeShell Ndegeocello, Walter Becker, Medeski, Screaming Headless Torsos) Arthur Barrow - Frank Zappa Band, The Doors On Guitar: Andrew Jon Thomson - Remote rural Northern California, 20 miles from the nearest small town (23, Saddle Pals of the Western Frontier, Freedom Farmers, Suite Sweet Bulbs: That's me, honored to play with these music giants!) Paul Robinson - San Francisco/Marin, California (Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, Hot Club of San Francisco, Al Stewart) Dweezil Zappa - Los Angeles, CA (Solo artist, Zappa plays Zappa, Z, The Vandals, Lisa Loeb, Ozzy Osbourne, Weird Al Yankovic, Spinal Tap) David "Fuze" Fiuczynski - Worthington, MA (Yerba Buena, MeShell Ndegeocello, Medeski, Screaming Headless Torsos) David Gilmore - (Wayne Shorter, Joss Stone, MeShell Ndegeocello, Don Byron) Marc Muller - New Jersey (Shania Twain, Dr. John, Branford Marsalis, Blood Sweat and Tears) David West - Santa Barbara, CA (The Cache Valley Drifters, Kate Wolf, Pickin' On ...) On slide guitars, dobros, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, assorted stringed instruments: Richard Nelson - Dublin, Ireland, UK (Van Morrison, Daniel O'Donnell, Mary Duff) David West - Santa Barbara, CA ( The Cache Valley Drifters - founder, the late Kate Wolf's guitar and string player, Primary player/producer/arranger: "Pickin' On..." bluegrass cover album series famously covering hundreds of favorite rock and roll songs as bluegrass) On percussion: Tom Roady - Nashville, TN (Muscle Shoals, Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Ricky Skaggs, Paul Simon, Dr. Hook, Bob Seger, Bela Fleck and Newgrass Revival, Joan Baez, Donovan, The Dixie Chicks, every top country act working!) Pete Lockett - London, England, UK (Peter Gabriel, Afro-Celt Sound System, Bjork - Dancer in the Dark, Sinead O'Connor, Texas, Womad) Walfredo "Wally" Reyes Jr. - Los Angeles, CA (Santana, Traffic, Steve Winwood, Jackson Browne) I am producing and arranging the album series, along with longtime friend and collaborator, Bay Area harmonica player and multiple music venue manager Ian Berzon, the "human encyclopedia of music", and some of the most talented and successful multi-grammy-and-platinum-album producing producers, mixers, mastering engineers, and all the rest, including , Paul Robinson (USA) Bob "Bassy B" Brockman, and Bruce Sugar and Arthur Barrow. Look for more news and updates to this spectacular lineup of musicians in my international super band coming soon here! In the meantime, please enjoy this unedited take from the upcoming video for my song Let it Rise, and speaking of "Rise", the B-boy Krump dancing kid in the video is my neighbor IJahl who is believe it or not, only 6 years old! and here is a video of a 20 minute super funk jam on the song Pantegruelion with Andrew, Destani Wolf and friends (most of the members of Agua Libre) plus Ian Berzon on harp and Tom Roady on percussion