JAMAICA PLAIN ARTS NEWS-OCT 13, 1999 BY HOLBROOK

"Most of The Sky Blues' career has been supported by rowdy bar crowds," begin the liner notes to the Boston based quartet's latest CD release. Indeed, the CD starts up with the sound of one of those crowds, and by the end of the disc I was feeling a bit rowdy myself. If I owned a bar I would have The Sky Blues play there. Every night.

"The Sky Blues of Boston Live" is the second release on Second Story records for this Northeast rhythm-and-blues staple. Bill and Ruby Mason, who front the band and write the original material, have a long list of impressive songwriting and performance credits, including opening spots for David Crosby and Gregg Allman, featured appearances at The House Of Blues and the Hard Rock Cafe, and airplay on an alphabet soup of radio stations, such as WBOS, WBCN, WFNX, WAAF and WERS. The recording at the Ashuelot Yacht Club was a no-frills, direct-off-the-stage affair, and that suits them just fine. No need to pad anything with studio sweetening or enhancement...it's all there: the sweet, the sad, the hot and the wild. The instrument tones are wonderful and raw. Bill Mason's guitar blazes on solo after solo with great tones and stylistic nods to Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and BB King. John Bridge's bass tone is full and round with a nice bright top end. The drum kit, played with style by Philip Harris, provides a solid foundation of thump and thwack for The Sky Blues' freight train of blues/rock power to rocket over. In the vocal department, the folks at the Ashuelot Yacht Club were treated to the "real thing" with powerful performances by Bill and Ruby.

Check out Bill's Little Richard-esque falsetto on "She's A Sweet One", or any of Ruby's tunes, where she's liable to go from Janis grit to 'Retha belt to Ella smooth in a single number. The ensemble background vocals are a standout feature of this recording as well. It's almost a shame to call them "background". Listen to the group croon on "Night Time Is The Right Time", or th the whole crowd chant the chorus to "Big Fat Mama". After 15 rock and soul-filled numbers, I was feeling as flushed and boisterous as that crowd up in Keene-and I hadn't touched a drop, I swear. This is about as good a documentation of high-powered live performance as you're likely to find anywhere, so next time you can't make it out to party at the bar, bring the bar and the party to you with "The Sky Blues of Boston Live"! Holbrook, who owns SoundSmith Digital Audio and Anvil Records in JP, can't explain why he had a hangover the morning after reviewing this disc.

JAMAICA PLAIN ARTS NEWS-OCT 13, 1999 BY HOLBROOK

Artist: Bird ManciniTitle: Funny Day Genre: Rock-Psychedelic Label: Second Story Records Review by Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck May 20, 2007 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 donít 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 Rubyís 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 ìRest Of My Life.î† 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. ìHeart Of The Cityî 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 ìYou are the first person that said that,î 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 http://www.muzikreviews.com/birdmancini.htm

NORHTEAST PERFORMER -NOV. 1997 BY ELIAS PENN Fronted by husband and wife team, Bill and Ruby Mason, The Sky Blues creates their own blend of blues rock. they have done well, and had truckloads of fans supporting them at the Harper's Ferry Battle of the Blues Bands. So I guess the next logical step was to give there supporters something to take home with them. We're introduced to the band via smooth, Albert King guitar licks, going into What Gets Me This Way? into the John Lee Hooker inspired, stuttering shuffle on Enjoy It While You Can. Bill's voice floats in and out in a classy blue-eyed soul style. The band rips into The Mark with it's overtures to Hendrix. ruby roughs up her voice in classic rock tradition. The song deals with the prophecy concerning the mark of the beast: too many sick and blind / from six months in the dark / can't get no help from the doctor / not without the mark / too much desperation / government takes a stand / they know all about me / from the mark on my right hand... (I personally was the first one on my block to have a mark. I didn't want to be trendy, so I got it on my right forearm.) The song ends in a cataclysmic fashion, in the vein of Helter Skelter. Very cool production. Heart and Soul finds Bill kicking the sh..t out of a slow, acid blues. It's good to see a band that's unafraid to stretch the blues a bit. Not being blues nazis about each and every song, yet still tipping their collective hat to those that came before. Let Go is probably my favorite number. It features both vocalists, and gives off a whiff of Ike & Tina; trading lines back and forth. Bassist, John Bridge and drummer, Skip Howard, lock in heavy on Down That Road, a very funky instrumental number. Ruby hits her stride with In My Dreams. Picture a young Koko Taylor with a little dash o' Etta James. Lordy, Lordy...to sum it all up, at a Sky Blues show, you are guarunteed to get a taste of something you like. They have soul, blues, funk, with a heavy rock edge all baked up into a delicous pie in the sky. NORHTEAST PERFORMER -NOV. 1997 BY ELIAS PENN

All-Reviews.com Rating- Four Stars (out of four)!
Label: Second Story Records

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.
© Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck June 12, 2002

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BIRD MANCINI - Funny Day For direct mail send check or money order for $10.00 plus $2.50 P&H payable to: Bill Mason, PO Box 198, Boston, MA 02131. Outside the USA please send $10.00 plus $5.00 US to above address. Get it From iTunes!	BIRD MANCINI Funny Day MuzikReviews.com June 2007
BIRDS IN THE ATTIC - BIRD MANCINI LIVE! DVD The soundtrack to the killer DVD, now available for your iPod! "..the sweet, the sad, the hot and the wild...high-powered live performance!", according to JP Arts News. For direct mail send check or money order for $10.00 plus $2.50 P&H payable to: Bill Mason, PO Box 198, Boston, MA 02131. Outside the USA please send $10.00 plus $5.00 US to above address. If you'd rather use a credit card "Birds In The Attic" is also available at Lowbudget Records	BIRDS IN THE ATTIC BIRD MANCINI LIVE! METRONOME MAGAZINE February 2005
Bird Mancini Birds In The Attic (Soundtrack) Bird Mancini-Live! WEB-ONLY RELEASE! From the DVD "Birds In The Attic" Bill Mason, PO Box 198, Boston, MA 02131. Outside the USA please send $10.00 plus $5.00 US to above address. To Order Full Album, single tracks or listen to samples Click Here! Lowbudget Records	The soundtrack to the killer DVD, now available for your iPod! "..the sweet, the sad, the hot and the wild...high-powered live performance!", according to JP Arts News.
YEAR OF CHANGE by BIRD MANCINI For direct mail send check or money order for $10.00 plus $2.50 P&H payable to: Bill Mason, PO Box 198, Boston, MA 02131. Outside the USA please send $10.00 plus $5.00 US to above address. Get it From iTunes!	Bird Mancini Year of Change Music Street Journal Review
BIRD MANCINI by BIRD MANCINI $10.00 For direct mail send check or money order for $10.00 plus $2.50 P&H payable to: Bill Mason, PO Box 198, Boston, MA 02131. Outside the USA please send $10.00 plus $5.00 US to above address. Get it From iTunes!	"BIRD MANCINI by BIRD MANCINI" All-Reviews.com REVIEW
THE SKY BLUES of Boston LIVE by THE SKY BLUES (EARLY BIRD MANCINI) $10.00 For direct mail send check or money order for $10.00 plus $2.50 P&H payable to: Bill Mason, PO Box 198, Boston, MA 02131. Outside the USA please send $10.00 plus $5.00 US to above address.	“THE SKY BLUES of Boston LIVE” -THE SKY BLUES (EARLY BIRD MANCINI) REVIEW JAMAICA PLAIN ARTS NEWS-OCT 13, 1999 BY HOLBROOK
PIE IN THE SKY by THE SKY BLUES (EARLY BIRD MANCINI) $10.00 For direct mail send check or money order for $10.00 plus $2.50 P&H payable to: Bill Mason, PO Box 198, Boston, MA 02131. Outside the USA please send $10.00 plus $5.00 US to above address. Get it From iTunes!	“PIE IN THE SKY”-THE SKY BLUES (EARLY BIRD MANCINI) REVIEW NORHTEAST PERFORMER -NOV. 1997 BY ELIAS PENN
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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 -

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!

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