************************************************************
News & Reviews
CD BABY LISTENER REVIEW:
What an uplifting CD...I marvel at how good it makes me feel.
author: Ed Morneau
The jangling guitars, psychedelic fills (I smile broadly during the break in Holly--that Disraeli Gears,
We're Going Home tonality), the solid rhythm section & percussional touches, that freakin great accordion, and those vocals, those glorious heavenly harmonies--what an uplifting CD. I've listened to it twice and marvel how good it makes me feel (quite the antidote to what I'm up to). Sometimes I feel like I'm walking through some kind of pop history on a Funny, Sunny Day, flipping pages between the Lovin' Spoonful, Kinks, XTCs Oranges & Lemons, Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks, Nuggets!!! (Through Your Eyes), Beatles & Brian Wilson (No Saints Can Say--Wow!), yet it's all fresh and eminently tuneful--my kind of songwriting. This is really great work. I mean it. The keyboard touches are really effective, especially in Somedays--is that a harpsichord, clavinet (it's not credited, whatever it is)? This, in parts, is a long-awaited Beach Boys record (you must know I'm obsessed with the BBs). Then it's a Dukes of the Stratosphear meets Open Hand (Heart of the City intro segueing into a Country Joe & the Fish / Flying Burrito Brothers amalgam, yet, jesusgod, that great accordion pushes it beyond its influences). Then, here comes Not This Time--if that's not a hit freakin record then.... Anyway, ballsy middle sections, nice guitar work, nice Lennon-solo-years Steel & Glass, but, omygod, then the suite goes on into scat and it's all boiling over so nicely. I gotta tell you--very ambitious. I'm a big fan of progressive pop suiteness, song cycles and narrative ambitions. Finally, Red Geraniums is stunning in performance and poetry. What a testimonial, what a way to end a record. I'm pretty blown away by how rich this is as a musical experience and as an homage to the great pop music that has shaped your own distinct musical characters. You wear your influences lovingly and transcend them with your own take on what constitutes architecture & orchestration, interesting melodic changes, and performance, which is spirited and honest throughout. Congratulations. You should be very proud and happy about this Funny Day--your own almanac to the everyday and wonder of things small and interesting.
November 2007 Radio Interview
with Les Lewellyn from
PreyingLizardMusic.com
"Funny Day sounds like nobody else...it's so original. I've got stacks of CDs and you don't sound like any of 'em. This CD deserves international airplay. This is one of those albums that stands up to
time...an album that 10 years from now I'm gonna dig it and everyone who has it is gonna dig it. It's just one of those albums. It's one of those albums that needs to be heard by everybody. You guys are doing music that's not for today, it's for eternity. Your CD is perfect. If there's a perfect CD, it's Funny Day--I mean it. It has a beginning and an end, and in the realm of concept albums, it's all
there. I wish you all the best."
THE BOSTON BLUES SOCIETY
http://www.bostonblues.com/content/reviews/cdBirdMancini.html
Bird Mancini - Funny Day
Second Story Records
by Bill Copeland
August 2007
A singer-songwriter duo with a classic rock and blues influence, Bird Mancini incorporates many instruments and stylistic flavorings. Offering a salad bar of sound to the ear with every individual savory piece, Ruby Bird and Billy Carl Mancini have a breezy fresh approach on their new CD, Funny Day.
Opening with "Holly," Mancinis reflection on a lonely girl from his school days, the duo make the most of their harmonies and breezy lead vocal interplay. Each gives strength to the song, instead of one singer merely backing the other. Its breezy vocal work makes it a pleasant listen. Meanwhile, a bristling lead guitar line gives it an edge, and this comes alive with such contrast. "A Funny Day To Be Alive" offers more of the duos trade offs. Yet, they and their backing musicians show their new maturity here. This reflection on the meaning of life, inspired by their experience with a terminally ill man in hospice care, floats by with confidence and compassion, and this can be heard in their warm vocal inflections.
"Better Man" has a chorus that makes me think this track will soon find its way to radio. Catchy without contrivance, it latches onto to the ear and refuses to let go. The song is also infused with confident twists and turns.
"The Other Side" gets the full attention of Birds lead vocal for half the song. Her voice pulls this mellow tune along a casual path, until she gets to stretch out a little bit in the chorus. She really came into her own as a vocalist on the first Bird Mancini album. Now she's a force to be reckoned with.
Bird gets even more aggressive on the up-tempo "Through Your Eyes," where she comes tastefully just short of belting - showing control of her tone.
Bird Mancini have a sound that is easy to follow. But they are by no mean simplistic. There are lots of subtle things going on underneath the surface. I like what Bird does here with her synthesized vibes, creating melodic notes that dart in and out.
"Rest Of My Life" offers more of the vocal interplay and accordion work that preceded it. Mancinis guitar eventually takes the reins, and makes the sound ride out with distinction.
Reminding me of John Lennon and The Beatles, "So Cool" is clearly a sarcastic attack on people who live the music lifestyle for the wrong reasons. Bills guitar solo here reminds me of "She's So Heavy" from Abbey Road. There is a lot of fun meanness in this piece, with Birds menacing tone taking someone down a verbal dark alley.
A nice break after "So Cool," "No Saints Can Say" features their combined vocal prowess, cooing in harmony for several seconds.
"Somedays" gets a ska beat from percussionist Eric Michael Kelly on congas, while "Heart Of The City" receives a fine electric guitar atmospheric from Mancini. Meanwhile, Rubys accordion fills in the spaces in this aggressive piece, and this texture makes it an even more palpable rocker.
Ruby further displays her ability with accordion texture on "Long Road Home," a shuffling country two-step with drummer Jim Clements giving it something people could groove to at their local honky-tonks. "Not This Time" showcases more of Mancinis tasty guitar licks in this classic rock inspired ballad with many twists and turns in the songs direction.
Ruby even wrote washy accordion melodies to her grandmothers poem "Red Geraniums," a piece that challenged her ability to set herself to someone elses words, and she met the challenge admirably. Her voice sounds dreamy, other-worldly, and contemplative, bringing a new texture of emotion to the words.
This third studio album by the couple under their Bird Mancini moniker - and their fourth if you count their disc as The Sky Blues plays out in part like a Ruby Bird lecture-demonstration of the accordion. Without pretension, Ms Bird can use her accordion to great effect in many kinds of song structures. Although "Not This Time" is primarily a slow guitar burn ballad, Ruby holds her own on the squeeze box before she eventually shifts gears and turns the piece into an accordion ballad.
I could go on and on. There are many nice details in this new Bird Mancini release. Audiophiles, taste mongers, upscale night clubs, and the duo own loyal following will likely find themselves returning for repeated listening. Enjoy!
**************************************
Doug's Top 5 for August 2007 in Metronome Magazine:
BIRD MANCINI
Funny Day
13-song CD
The husband and wife team of Ruby and Bill are the heart and soul behind the band Bird Mancini. On their latest album, Funny Day, the duo employs a host of side musicians that include bassists John Bridge, Rick Calcagni & Sven Larson, drummers Larry Harvey, Jim Clements & Mike Ahrens, percussionist Eric Michael Kelley, violinist Clara Kebabian and guitarist Mr. Curt to bring their well-penned compositions to fruition. The album opens with a song called "Holly" that finds Ruby and Bill sharing lead vocal chores. This song is a real masterpiece both lyrically and musically and should be a big seller on iTunes.
There's no escaping the Beatles influences on Funny Day or the psychedelic feel to this album, and whether intentional or not, Ruby and Bill create some of the coolest vocal harmonies and melodies since the heydays of the sixties. Songs of particular note to Beatles fans include "Rest of My Life," and the Sgt. Pepper's era influenced "So Cool." But that's not all Bird Mancini offers up from their extensive bag of tricks. There's a beautiful Celtic number that was originally written by Ruby's grandmother called "Red Geraniums," a gorgeously recorded and produced vocal track entitled "No Saints Can Say," and a Pink Floyd inspired song called "Heart of The City" that will give you an idea of the depth of this talented act.
With a mounting catalog of recorded music, Bird Mancini's new CD, Funny Day, is another colorful feather in their cap.
-Doug Sloan, Metronome Magazine, August 2007
**********************************************************************
THE NOISE MAGAZINE
ROCK AROUND BOSTON
July 2007
http://www.thenoise-boston.com
CD PICK OF THE MONTH (July/Aug) 2007
BIRD MANCINI
Funny Day - 13-song CD
What Funny Day isn't: punk, garage, or metal of any kind.
What Funny Day is:
'60s pop, blues, and rock with a whole lot of other things thrown in there did I hear some loungy bossa nova? This CD is a veritable goulash of musical ingredients mixed in just the right proportions two cups of outstanding vocals, six or seven cups of amazing musicianship, a few tablespoons of electric guitar, bass, and drums, a dash of accordion, and a pinch of glockenspiel, piano, tambourine that the ratio of ingredients creates a brand new dish. Every song is superb but here's what stands out in my mind at the moment: "Holly" lush layered vocals reminiscent of '60s vocal groups (a recurring sound throughout the CD). So Cool Lucinda Williams with less twang and even more grit."Red Geraniums" Annie Lennox meets Tom Waits. I hope Bird Mancini keeps the recipe for this concoction;
I want many more servings of this stuff.
(Robin Umbley)
**********************************************
BIRD MANCINI
FUNNY DAY
Reviewed by Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
MuzikReviews.com
Genre: Rock-Psychedelic
Label: Second Story Records
After a three year wait Bird Mancini has returned with a follow up to Year of
Change. Funny Day is step away from the previous release in that it is more
focused on one style and sound.
Funny Day is made up of 13 infectious and addictive rock-pop-psych gems. Once
again, Billy Carl Mancini and Ruby Bird form the dynamic duo (sorry Batman
fans, lack of other descriptive words don’t come to mind at the moment). Billy
and Ruby provide a great vocal interplay and some beautiful harmonies on every
track. Billy wails away on his guitar as Ruby’s accordion is a constant in the
background-and after a fashion, it sounds like a soothing and underlying
organ vibe to flesh out the tracks.
The two factors that are paramount to any successful recording are stellar
musicianship and vocals that can live up to the musical output and blend with it
effortlessly. The couple manages this process very well and come out of it
with 13 unyielding tracks. The title track is my spot on pick for airplay and
the follow up to that would be “Rest Of My Life.” If I were a DJ that is how
I would spin them. Those are two favorites; the rest of the album is
completely enjoyable as well. “Heart Of The City” is a unique tune, Billy starts
it
off with Lou Reed like intro and continues to interject the lyrics this way in
between singing verses normally, it provides a break for reflection and puts an
entirely different spin on it while emphasizing the importance of what the
song means. The track offers some cynicism on life in corporate USA…the daily
grind and teeth clenching drive into the city, then all the arriving suits
looking like the clones they are walking the streets to their clone like
destinations.
I think the message here is that although many have found success and money
in big business they have become the robots of the corporations that created
them-A modern day Stepford Wives (a 70s flick that was remade in 2004) if you
will. This is something I have referenced several times because it puts this
kind of thought process into proper perspective, if you are familiar with the
movie it will make sense.
The message comes across clearly and never gets lost in the music; the sounds
provided actually act as a launching pad for the lyrics and allow them to
enter your consciousness effectively as you rock out. This is a perfect
combination and the CD booklet has all the lyrics to encourage this. I actually
checked
out all the lyrics after listening to this CD for the fourth or fifth time.
Although I was paying attention with each listen, I found revisiting the words
in silence allowed me to digest this project. My ears and mind became one
(hopefully as the artist intended it) upon the next listen. That is how it worked
for me and I loved every second of it.
Interesting enough I spoke to Billy and told him I thought it was quite
different from the last release and his response was “You are the first person that
said that,” and hopefully not the last otherwise, I will start wondering if I
am really living on a different planet as my wife always tells me.
This is a triumphant return for this marvelous Boston based band. Anyone that
enjoys rock and pop and has an affinity for 60s psychedelic tinged pop
(Beatles, Stones etc.) will love this CD.
© MuzikReviews.com-Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
May 20, 2007
****************************************************
IndieMusicStop.com
CD Review: Bird Mancini - Funny Day
Artist: Bird Mancini
Title: Funny Day
Website: http://www.birdmancini.com
Style: Psychedelic Rock / Pop
Rating: 8.40 out of 10
By Senior Staff Writer C.W. Ross
At the heart of Bird Mancini are Ruby Bird (vocals, keyboards, harmonica,
accordion) and Billy Carl Mancini (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars). You'll
also find several other musicians providing additional instrumentation on
individual songs on Funny Day.
As soon as Funny Day starts to play, you realize that you're in for a real
treat. The 13 tracks found on Funny Day have a rock n' roll base with many
elements added on top. Every style from pop and psychedelic rock to
a capella and even a dash of an alt-country sound can be found on the song
"Long Road Home."
Bird Mancini fans have been waiting almost three years for this new release.
I think that they'll find the wait was well worth it. Funny Day features rich
harmonies, lush vocal arrangements and enough interesting nuance to fill up
the famed California Rose Bowl.
Ruby and Billy share lead vocals on the songs, but the other one is always
there to provide those rich harmonies. The interplay between Billy's
ever-changing guitar riffs and Ruby's accordion really clicks. I've never heard the
accordion used so well in a rock n' roll release.
As for those nuance sounds, they come by way of a massive list of
instruments, some of which I've never have heard of before. Here are just a few of
them:
e-bow, glockenspiel, avocado shaker, cabasa, claves, kalimba, guiro,
washboard, egg shaker, cowbell, ocean drum, triangle and monk bell.
Funny Day ends with the poignant song "Red Geraniums." It's poetry set to
music. Ruby's grandmother liked to write poems and Red Geraniums was one of them
that had a special meaning and was recited at her funeral. After hearing the
poem many times, a song snapped into Ruby's mind for it and she dedicated this
song to her grandmother.
With Funny Day Bird Mancini manages to pull from music's past and mix it with
modern musical elements to create a sound that, while sounding familiar, is
still fresh and innovative.
*****************************************************
Roslindale Transcript 5/30/07
Musicians put their stamp on local scene
By Ed Symkus
GateHouse News Service
“Funny Day” (Second Story Records), the new album from Bird Mancini, the
Roslindale-based duo of Ruby Bird and Billy Carl Mancini, gives us all kinds of
diversity: a program of guitar- and accordion-driven pop-rock songs, with a bit
of blues, angelic choral music, Celtic sounds, belted out vocals, solid
harmonies, and plenty more.
Though there isn’t a bad song on the album, a smidgen of nitpicking goes
toward the order of them. I would have kicked it off with more of a grabber —
maybe the driving, haunting “Through Your Eyes,” featuring multi-layered vocals
that break into a Ruby growl, then segued into the kind of scary “So Cool,”
which matches a menacing, wrenching Ruby vocal with a fast, screaming guitar
solo from Billy, and some booming Larry Harvey drums.
Standout songs include the gorgeously blended a cappella “No Saints Can Say,”
which brings to mind something to the effect of middle-period Beach Boys ...
on acid; “Heart of the City,” which starts out in a psychedelia-drenched
mood, then moves into areas of good, old-fashioned rock, while telling a tale of
wanting, needing, to get away from city life; and time- and style-changing “
Not This Time,” a piece that, in terms of its complicated structure (is it
actually three or four songs in one?), would give Paul McCartney a run for his
money.
Ed Symkus can be reached at esymkus@cnc.com
****************************************************************************
METRONOME
MAGAZINE February 2005
-Douglas Sloan
"Doug's Top 6 for February 2005"
BIRD
MANCINI
BIRDS IN THE ATTIC
15 TRACK DVD
Bird Mancini is one of the few Boston acts that have had the opportunity to
record a DVD of one of their live shows. Shot at the famed Attic in Newton
in March of 2004 it features the lineup of Ruby Bird (Mason) on vocals,
keyboards,
accordion, harmonica and melodica, Billy Carl Mancini (Mason) on vocals
and
guitar, Kevin Mahoney on vocals and bass guitar and Nancy Delaney on vocals
and drums, Bird Mancini took full advantage of cameras rolling and delivered a
high quality musical performance.
Outstanding footage of songs from the
band’s latest release "Year of
Change" includes the tracks “Wrong
People” with excellent vocal harmonies, Bill’s
tasteful guitar work on “Year
of Change,” the contemporary cool of “Long Gone
Blues,” the anthemic swoon
of “Love Holds On,” “Just Wait and See”
punctuated by Ruby’s fine accordion
work and the super-slick “You’re My Obsession.”
Expertly filmed by Mr. Curt,
Diane Andronica, Chuck Rosina, Ms Donna and
Tim Casey and produced and edited
by Casey for his Lowbudget Records company,
Bird Mancini’s "Birds In
The Attic" is a soaring masterpiece of sight and sound! **************************************************************************** BIRD
MANCINI
YEAR OF CHANGE (SECOND STORY)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale
http://www.cosmik.com/aa-january05/reviews/review_bird_mancini.html For
their second collaboration as Bird Mancini, Bostonians Ruby Bird and
Billy
Carl Mancini stay a little closer to the blues pocket throughout than was
the case on their more eclectic debut album. While the wider spectrum of sounds
on the last effort was big fun, and I'm still a big fan of the album, there
are undeniable advantages to the current approach. Sometimes playing to your
strengths is a better call than playing everything you can, and Year Of Change
proves to be one of those times.
Part of the new sound, and one of the
changes referenced in the title, is the
appearance of a new rhythm section,
bassist Kevin Mahoney and drummer Nancy
Delaney. Veterans of the Boston club
scene, the rhythm duo sets their groove in
concrete, leaving Bird and Mancini
free to bring virtually every track to a
series of rising crescendos.
I don't mean to imply that this is a blues album. There are blues roots
apparent,
and even a real blues track or two, but it's a rock album through and
through.
Neither is the eclecticism that made the last album so noteworthy
completely
absent. When Ruby Bird picks up her accordion, for instance, she can
transport
the whole band in a Delta direction, and Mancini has an astonishing
range
of tonal colors on his guitar palette, but this time the eclecticism has a
more disciplined feeling - variations on a theme rather than varied themes.
All of which largely misses the point, which is that this is a terrific
album,
full of good songs, strong harmonies and rock solid musicianship.
This year,
change is good
Track List:
Wrong People * You're My Obsession * Don't
You Fall * Oh, Babe * Year Of
Change * Sirens In The Night * Love Holds On
* River Of Sighs * You're Not Alone *
Just Wait And See * Long Gone Blues
* Freedom Soul * Someone Like You * The
Future's Begun ©
2005 - Shaun Dale
********************************************************************* Bird
Mancini
Year of Change
By: Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck 10/1/2004
Genre: Rock-Honky Tonk-Blues-Pop
Label: Second Story Records
Over two years ago, I was fascinated with the band called Bird Mancini. Their
self-titled album captured my imagination and kept me interested from start
to finish. Today their music came knockin’ on my door again. Two years and
hundreds of reviews later, I could not remember exactly what they sounded
like,
but I knew I liked them! Well, it did not take long…after putting on
their new
disc Year of Change I shook out those cobwebs and reintroduced
myself to their
great sound. There
is one problem here; they gave me 14 tracks of eclectic mesmerizing
music
to sink my teeth into, again, so where do I start? Well, there are four
people
in this band, two men and two women. Ruby Bird and Billy Carl Mancini
share
the lead vocal duties while Kevin Mahoney thumps away on the bass (and sings
lead vocals on two songs "Oh, Babe" and "You're Not Alone")
and Nancy Delaney
provides the rhythm for him to keep in step with on the
drums, in between all
of that action they both provide steadfast backup vocals.
Bird is a
multi-instrumentalist on keys, accordion, melodica (and backup
vocals), while Mancini
plays one mean ass guitar and provides some percussion
(and backup vocals). Two
blues soaked rockers are what caught my ear the most. “Just Wait And
See”
and “Long Gone Blues.” The spirit of these two songs is what makes them so
convincing, and the character of the entire album keeps the ball-rollin’
non-stop throughout the run of this impressive recording. At first when you hear
their name, curiosity gets the best of you and you have to check them out,
then
you hear their music…it’s all she wrote, you are sold, it is the knockout
punch floors you. When you hear the hook filled “Someone Like You” or the
opening swamp boogie licks from the closing track “The Future’s Begun,” I
guarantee you will be coming back for more on a regular basis. This band is fresh,
different, and very progressive, now that is my cup of tea, how about you? *Evoultion
Scale: 9/10
********************************************************************* METRONOME
MAGAZINE October 2004
-Douglas Sloan
“Doug’s Top 5 for October 2004”
BIRD
MANCINI
YEAR OF CHANGE
14-SONG CD
Fronted by the husband and wife team of Bill and Ruby Mason, Bird Mancini
is one of Boston’s finest blues-rock acts. With the addition of two new band
members, Kevin Mahoney on bass guitar & vocals, and Nancy Delaney on drums
&
vocals, Bill & Ruby seem to have found their musical counterparts
as is evident
on their latest offering “Year of Change”.
This is by far
the best recording the Mason’s have ever released either
under the Bird Mancini
moniker or by their old group, The Sky Blues. Solid
compositions bolstered
by lush arrangements, layered instrumentation and great
vocal performances
by both Ruby and Bill, set this disc in a category of its own.
Whether the
band’s pumpin’ out a power groove like the album opener “Wrong
People,” complete
with great harmonica playing and a slick guitar solo outro,
laying down a
tremolo laden spy/surf riff like “Don’t You Fall” punctuated
by Ruby’s fine
vocals or dealing up the power anthem “Love Holds On,” with its
mesmerizing
guitar hook and tone and Ruby’s stellar singing, Bird Mancini is
clearly
on to something special.
Other highlights include the country tinged “Just
Wait and See,” complete
with the addition of some slippery accordion work
by Ruby, and the Three Dog
Night influenced “Someone Like You.” If you haven’t
had the pleasure of
hearing Bird Mancini before, I highly suggest you seek
out this album at CDbaby.com
or on the band’s website. You’ll be in for a
real treat.
********************************************************************** BOSTON
BLUES NEWS REVIEW/INTERVIEW
Nov/Dec 2005 issue
YEAR OF CHANGE
by BIRD MANCINI
www.bostonblues.com
by Bill Copeland
Boston Blues News
Bird
Mancini has been a consistent presence in the local blues circuit for
many years. Once known as The Sky Blues Band, the quartet changed their name
to
Bird Mancini a few years ago. They recorded a debut CD under the new name
and
simply titled the album "Bird Mancini."
That recording
reflected a new musical direction that found the band
stretching their blues
influences to incorporate other forms of American roots
music. After two
years of hard work, Bird Mancini has recently released a second
CD, "Year
Of Change." Singer and guitarist Billy Carl Mancini and his band
worked
on the new CD during a period of transitions for the band members and that
is reflected in the title track.
"There’s a song on it called ‘Year
Of Change.’ We searched, and we thought
and came up with a million names
and ended up calling it the name of that
particular song," Mancini said.
"The song itself is a very heavy subject, but you
might not know it
by listening to the lyrics. I didn’t want it to be too
heavy. It’s about
something my mom said a couple of days before she died. So,
it’s a song written
about that. You don’t hear the lyrics and think that. It
could be about anything
changing in your life."
Another
change came in the band’s line-up. Bird Mancini replaced their
previous drummer
with ’Southside’ Nancy Delaney.
"We’ve had her for about a year now.
We had actually started on the CD with
our prior drummer, who was on the
first CD, and when he left the band we
scrapped all those tracks and started
from square one so it would all reflect
her." And the tracks reflect
Delaney’s suggestions, he said. "I gave everyone in
the band as much
creative input as they wanted and in some cases she came up
with different
changes," Mancini said. "And we went with some of them. For
example,
a song called ‘Love Holds On,’ which turned into a rock waltz tempo.
That’s
really due to her. It was a good idea. It changed the way it felt. It took
on a life of its own."
Bird
Mancini also features Mancini’s wife Ruby Bird on lead vocals and
keyboards
along with Kevin Mahoney on bass and lead vocals.
Bird Mancini incorporates
elements from many different genres of music. The
unmistakable presence of
blues influences are felt through out the album. The
simple and stark tunes
as well as the songs with harmonies, complex
arrangements, and intricate
lead guitar solos keep that blues flavoring.
"I can’t get away from it,"
Mancini exclaimed. "It’s just the way I play,
I suppose. You can play
a blues solo over almost any type of song or any type
of music. If you listen
to Clapton, even when he’s playing a pop tune, he
still sounds like a blues
guitarist. It’s just my style. I don’t think about it.
It just comes out
that way. I spent a lot of time listening to them. For quite
a while I actually
used do to the sound at Harper’s Ferry when Stovall Brown
or Rick Russell
were doing their blues jams. So I got pretty over exposed to
it there as
well."
A fairly
heavy blues tune on their new CD called "You‘re Not Alone" has
some of the slickest blues guitar licks on the album. "That’s actually written
by our bass player, Kevin Mahoney. I had some input on that. It was his song,
but I had a little input. The whole intro was something that I came up with.
He
gave me that free reign. We just drenched it with blues licks, but it’s
kind
of a blues song to begin with.
Ms. Bird gets to show off her blues vocal chops a little bit on "Don’t You
Fall," a cautionary tale for young women on the make. Bird holds a high
note
for a very long time while the song moves out of the bridge and back
into the
chorus. That moment is a combination of grace and talent that showcases
what
this band is trying to accomplish musically.
"She’s
self-taught," Mancini said. "That’s just something that she’s
always
been able to do, to take a note and hang onto it forever. We like to give
her one of those notes at least on any given CD because she can hang onto it
and never run out of breath."
Mancini’s
guitar solo on the title track, "Year Of Change," is another
highlight
of the new recording. Listening to it only makes one wonder what kind
of
learning goes into that kind of musicianship. "It’s just influenced by
people I’ve always listened to like Clapton, even Santana, even Lindsay Buckingham,
although you may not see that. But those are some of my favorite people.
I
don’t know if it’s influenced by anybody I’ve worked with. It’s more who
I’ve
listened to. It’s just me taking off. It’s just an improv solo. It’s
not a
thought-out solo where as another of Kevin’s songs called ‘Oh Babe,’
my solo in
the center of that is very thought out in the pop rock thing.
We do a lot of
jamming live, and so I wanted to get some of that on the CD
too." Mancini also
said that because of the improvised nature of the
solo, fans will never see
them do the song the same way twice.
It
took the quartet a year to come up with "Year Of Change." Mixing took
up a lot of the time as they decided which one out of ten to twelve mixes
for
each song they wanted to put on their CD. "But it’s out finally,"
Mancini
said, sighing relief.
The band produced it themselves at Second
Story Studio in Boston, which
has also been owned and operated by Mancini
himself for the last 11 years. Some
of his clients included Racky Thomas,
The Coots, The Rampage Trio, and Mr.
Curt and Open Hand.
The
concept of change was on their minds when Bird Mancini was finishing
up the
art work for jackets. Printed on the jacket are words like alteration,
mutation,
variation, and even five dollar word like transubstantiation and
transmigration.
Mancini said he had to look some of those words up to find out
what they
mean. Bird Mancini has contracted with The Planetary Group to promote
the
CD on 150 radio stations, including several college stations.
As for the
cool band name Bird Mancini. Mancini goes by this stage name
because his
real name Bill Mason belongs to several thousand other guys. "Billy
Carl Mancini distinguishes me from the guy who sits in the studio. It’s an
old family name. That’s where the name comes from; same thing with Bird, which
is an old family name of Ruby’s."
********************************************** BIRD
MANCINI-YEAR OF CHANGE December 2004
By Josh Turner
www.musicstreetjournal.com Overall
Review The name is taken
from the two lead musicians of the band. This would be
Ruby Bird (accordion,
harmonica, melodica, lead & back up vocals) and Billy
Carl Mancini (guitars,
percussion, lead & back up vocals). Rounding out this
completely co-ed
quartet is Kevin Mahoney (bass, lead & back up vocals) and Nancy
Delaney
(drums & back up vocals). The album is quite diverse from song to
song.
The change in instrumental style and the trade-off between vocal leads make
for a disc that is quite different, stimulating, and unpredictable. Track
by Track Review WRONG
PEOPLE: This has the temperament, boogie, and swagger of a Bonnie Raitt
ditty. Bird's voice is a lot like Bonnie's. Her harmonica is a nice touch
too. YOU'RE MY
OBSESSION: This is a bluesy Beatles tune. One of the men takes lead
and the harmonica sticks around for another series.
DON'T YOU
FALL: The pace slows down and the lights dim for the steamy opening
montage from a James Bond flick. The bass bursts in your mouth like buttery
salty popcorn. The guitar twangs like a fizzing cup of cola as it's sucked
through a straw. OH,
BABE: This song is Billy Joel, Matthew Sweet, Elvis Costello, and Bruce
Springsteen all rolled into one. The guitar playing is superb here. YEAR
OF CHANGE: Legends will come to mind in the title track. The melodies
sound peculiarly similar to Jim Hendrix's Little Wing. The singing invokes
images of Jeff Buckley. The amazing harmonies and added instrumental complexities
make this the best song on the album. SIRENS
IN THE NIGHT: This song moves slowly like rolling tumbleweeds in a dry
desolate desert. This is more unplugged and less lively than their earlier
songs. The acoustic guitar and bells gives it an old-fashioned feel. LOVE
HOLDS ON: Bird's voice continues to show its range. In this song, she
sings like Donna Summers. This is a spirited ballad suited for a dance hall.
Stars from a disco ball roam the floors and climb the walls. RIVER
OF SIGHS: This song would be welcome on NDV's Karma. "River of Signs"
sounds a bit like "The River is Wide" off that album. YOU'RE
NOT ALONE: The singing and guitar playing are reminiscent of Stevie
Ray Vaughn. This is straightforward blues. JUST
WAIT AND SEE: This is quite a switch from the last. The song is a slice
of country. Bird is a blend of Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton. The guitars
and
keyboards incorporate a little jazz into the mix. LONG
GONE BLUES: This is far from downtrodden as the blues in this song is
incredibly upbeat. It reminds me of Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Takin'
Care of
Business". There is even a riff straight out of K.C. & The
Sunshine Band's
"That's the Way (I Like It)". It is quite apparent
that the blues are long, long
gone. FREEDOM
SOUL: Both the old and the new are encountered here. This track takes
fifties bebop from the past and merges it with modern pop. SOMEONE
LIKE YOU: A variety of influences can be heard in this song. The
opening sequence sounds like The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".
Bird's
singing teeter-totters between disco and country. One moment she's
Diana Ross,
she's Jo Dee Messina the next. She crosses genres within a single
breath and
shows herself to be one distinct diva. This fusion of styles makes
this
another highlight on the album. THE
FUTURE'S BEGUN: The last track demonstrates refined songwriting skill,
yet it still manages to leave enough room for some experimental guitar playing.
After keeping our interests through a collection of varied pieces, Bird
Mancini finishes on a sound note.i -
**********************************************
"PICK
OF THE WEEK" (Oct 1-8, 2004)
EVOLVING
ARTIST PICK
**********************************************
Metronome Magazine
-Douglas
Sloan
“Doug’s Top 5 for October 2002”
Bird Mancini 13 song
CD
Former
founding members of The Sky Blues, Bill and Ruby Mason have changed
the name
of the band and released a great new album of swing, blues, reggae,
rockabilly
and jazzy numbers sure to get you out of your summertime slump.
Ruby Bird
(as she is now called) has never sounded better as she wails
emotional on
cuts like "Magic Flirtation", "Cops & Lawyers" and "Til
I Met
Someone". She also manages to show off her sultry side on the
tracks "I Need
More (Love)" and the steamy Latin-spiced "Jet
Setting In Morocco". Her
keyboard work remains strong and capable throughout
and she even shows her
skill at accordion and melodica.
Meanwhile, her
husband and musical soul mate Billy Carl Mancini (as he is
now known) exhibits
a wide array of playing styles and techniques, managing
to pull them off
with finesse and taste. His vocal work shines on the cuts
"Running To
You" and "Time To Come Home". Bill also engineered and mixed the
fine sounding project.
Other high points are the introduction of drummer
David Kulick who not only
adds a nice sense of time but kicks out some fine
vocal work as well.
Bassist Sven Larson completes the quartet's taut sound
with his stellar bass
lines and dynamics. Guest appearances by Gordon Beadle
(sax), Dan Kellar
(violin), Cliff Tetle (Clarinet), Donna Stoutley (vocals),
Phil Kaplan
(percussion), and Alex Beskrowni (bandura) all contribute to
a very tasty pot
of sound indeed. Superb! --Douglas Sloan "A
Great New Album....Superb!" -Metronome Magazine ********************************************** Indie-Music.com
(review) Artist:
Bird Mancini
CD: Bird Mancini (Second Story Records)
Style: Jazz-Blues-Rock
Quote: "They combine rudiments of jazz, blues, honky-tonk, rock, world, and
just about every sub genre that jazz has ever inspired". By
Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
I recognized the names, Henry Mancini and Charlie Bird Parker. I figured
that because this band was a jazz oriented unit that they took those two well
known names and put them together to come up with a unique name for their
group. Well, they are someone’s names, just not the ones I thought. They
happen to be a combination of four Boston area music veterans from the groups
The Sky Blues, Bangalore, The Roys and Four Piece Suit. And the names Billy
Carl Mancini, who is a vocalist and guitar player, and Ruby Bird, a vocalist
and keyboard player, are the musicians the group is named after. I must say,
it’s an interesting and thought provoking coincidence.
I would have to
consider this group to be progressive in every sense of the
word. They combine
rudiments of jazz, blues, honky-tonk, rock, world, and
just about every sub
genre that jazz has ever inspired. What makes the music
that much more appealing
is how they switch back and forth on tracks from
Mancini to Bird for the
lead vocal duties. Bird is more attuned to the blues
injected numbers, while
Mancini is more suited to the jazz and honky-tonk
ambiance. They both have
equally strong and emotive vocal tones and play
their instruments with as
much fervor and professionalism as humanly
possible. You can’t create music
like this without a technically resilient
and proficient backbone, and the
fabulous rhythm section of Sven Larson
(stand up bass) and David Roy Kulik
(drums) provide just that. The musical
circle is complete, and it is always
evident while you are listening.
Was I totally impressed by this CD? Oh yes,
completely and indisputably. It’s
so refreshing to hear such a great variety
on every single track, and with
such consistency and quality. With 13 tracks
and nearly 60 minutes of music,
that’s a milestone in terms of recording
by anyone’s measure. There wasn’t a
song I couldn’t find enjoyment or value
in. That makes my job easy reviewing;
I don’t find it necessary to single
out certain tracks. The entire recording
was so excellent it virtually eliminated
that factor, and it usually is an
important aspect of a review.
This
is music for those listeners that enjoy jazz as a foundation with
everything
remaining open for structure and influences changing quickly
within each
song. That for me defines the word progressive.
********************************************** justlikehoney.net
(review) Not-so routine
take on jazz blues with a roots feel, this Boston-based
quartet chooses both
electric and acoustic instruments amid imaginative
arrangements peppered
with clarinet, sax, fiddle, mandolin and a variety of
exotic and Eastern
instruments. Almost overnight, the structure of the music
business took a
small step forward and just about as enjoyable, this disc is
slow but steady.
The Bird Mancini artists have been heard at clubs, concerts
and on television
the past ten years, and collectively they have produced
four critically acclaimed
CD’s, and they have backed up some of the finest in
the business including
Lou Reed, Dr. John, Johnny Copeland, Gregg Allman,
David Crosby and Jonathan
Edwards. Made up of ex-members of groups like The
Sky Blues, Bangalore, The
Roys and Four Piece Suit, "The group weaves a
distinctive, intriguing
sound around a common thread of jazzy blues and rock"
says their biography
"Plus diverse stylistic influences, surprising
instrumentation and great
vocals". So this is not your regular cat sitting
around playing rock
guitar, only needed two strings and no talent required.
The core musicians
include Ruby Bird (vocals, keyboards, harmonica, melodica,
accordion), Billy
Carl Mancini (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars), Sven
Larson (electric
and stand-up bass, percussion) and David Roy Kulick (vocals,
drums). On the
table, amidst a wonderful disarray, lay a sheet of paper on
which was scrawled:
Champagne and Crossroads.
********************************************** Cozmik.com
(review) BIRD MANCINI
self-titled (Second Story)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale www.cosmik.com Although
their name may seem contrived to invoke images of icons of bebop and
pop,
Bird Mancini comes by it naturally from the names of Boston music scene
mainstays
Ruby Bird (vocals/keyboards) and Billy Carl Mancini
(vocals/guitars). On
the other hand, there are certainly bop and pop echoes
in the brand of bluesy
rock the group performs, which also includes bassist
Sven Larson and drummer
David Roy Kulik.
For this debut effort, featuring a baker's dozen original
tunes, they've
rounded up a bunch of Boston area buddies to add horns, percussion,
violin,
backing vocals and other sounds in the process of creating a pastiche
of
rock, blues, jazz, world and pop sounds that is instantly accessible while
proving constantly creative. The accessibility is enhanced by the group's
strong grounding in the blues, but they're much more than yer basic blooz
band.
Strong songs, solid arrangements and copious talent make this
one worth
seeking out. ©
2002 - Shaun Dale http://www.cosmik.com/aa-june02/reviews/review_bird_mancini.html
**********************************************
~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>
CULTURE
SHOCKER E-ZINE REVIEW
BIRD
MANCINI
~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>
Today
I realized that the soul of good old fashion music still lives.
And it lives
in the productions of artists like those who make up Bird
Mancini. This band’s
unique composition consists of three amazingly talented
vocalists. That’s
right, three. And each one takes their turn at the mic,
belting out powerful
notes. Of note, the female vocalist Ruby Bird, has an
amazing rough rich
voice that will give you goose bumps. The vocals are
complimented by equally
powerful and well-performed instrumentals, including
amazing guitar and bass
playing.
The group’s sound comfortably nestles itself between a big band,
blues/jazz
and country sound. Where less talented artists have failed, Bird
Mancini
have made a truly unique sound that is all their own.
~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>
This review is by Yolanda Best, editor of Culture Shocker!
Culture Shocker;
The Best Music you’ve never heard, artists you’ve never
seen and authors
you’ve never read.
Subscribe
today @
http://www.sexyamerica.net/cultureshocker.html
~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>~~~~>>>
**********************************************  [5
out of 5 stars] (from
CDBaby review section)
AA!!
Awesome Album
Reviewer: Lenny Solomon
Bird Mancini is a breathtaking
piece of work that stylistically borrows from the likes of Eric Clapton, the Beatles,
Lyle Lovett, Santana, and others that in combination creates a sound all its own.
The lead vocals, whether sung by Ruby or Bill, soar with harmonies to match. The
musicianship is superb from the guitar work, to the keyboards, to the sax, to
the drums. The production is outstanding and the breadth of style makes this an
album that one can play over an over again without it ever getting boring. They
did a great job!
**********************************************
REVIEW BY MARSHALL HALL-R&R TV APRIL 11, 2003
Jet
Setting In Morocco is a beautiful and enchanting piece by Bird Mancini
that
is not unlike the smoothest Brazilian Jazz that most people in the U.S.
first
heard on the mid-60s classic "The Girl From Ipanema" by Astrud and Joao
Gilberto. Acoustic guitar and gently tapping percussion accompany the coying
and inviting female vocal. Somehow the listener is transported to another
place for a few moments, just as the Gilberto classic created an atmosphere
of its own. It is not rock and roll but neither was The Girl From Ipanema
and
that was a chart topping hit, was it not. It
is interesting in that the song is unlike other songs on the album ("Bird
Mancini"- Second Story Label) - those being from various rock and blues
forms. For example, immediately following "Jet Setting In Morocco"
is a song
("Into The Night") which bares an instrumental break
that sounds for all the
world like it comes from the Jimi Hendrix school
of guitar playing. Surprises
are not limited to these two songs so if you
do not hear "Jet Setting . . ."
on the radio soon you may want
coax the D.J. into digging it out, or just buy
the CD for yourself.
*********************************************
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