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Like protagonists from some epic
western novel, the Eric McFadden Trio arrives on the
jaded contemporary music scene preceded by anxious
rumors and curious anticipation. A veteran of celebrated
underground bands including Liar, the Eric McFadden
Experience, Alien Lovestock and IZM, Eric McFadden's
sinister songs, vampiric vocals and flamenco-rock guitar
improvisations have made him an icon in many regions
of America and Europe. Lest you dismiss the preceding
as absurd hyperbole, consider the fact that McFadden
has performed and recorded with the lordly likes of Bo
Diddley, the late Joe Strummer, Jackson Browne, Members
of The Pixies, Members of Living Color, Widespread Panic,
psychobilly rockers The Reverend Horton Heat, blues troubadour
Keb Mo', Rolling Stone Ron Wood, Primus kahuna Les Claypool,
Keyboard legend Bernie Worrell and others. He was voted "Best
Guitarist" by the New Mexico Weekly and "Guitarist
of the Year" by San Francisco's Zero magazine.
And from 2000-2004, McFadden was recruited as a touring
member of George Clinton's P-Funk All Stars, a distinction
that thrusts McFadden into the pantheon of funk-rock
guitar idols.
In 2004, Eric was recruited as guitarist for The Stockholm
Syndrome, also featuring Wally Ingram (Sheryl Crow),
Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Danny Lewis (Gov't Mule)
and Jerry Joseph. The band released a record on Terminus
and toured Europe and The States extensively.
In 2005, Eric was asked by legendary front-man and founder
of the Animals, Eric Burdon, to tour the world with him.
Throughout all of this, Eric still managed to tour extensively
teaming up with acoustic bassist James Whiton and drummer
Doug Port to form a trio whose electro-acoustic sound,
impressionistic songs and virtuoso antics suggest an
obscenely voluptuous hybrid of The Clash, The Jimi Hendrix
Experience, Black Sabbath, Tom Waits, Django Reinhardt
and spaghetti western composer Sergio Leone.
Indeed, EMT recalls a now hard-to-imagine time when songwriting
involved the realization of some well-conceived personal
vision, and when musical mastery and experimentation
were the order of the day. In James Whiton, McFadden
has found an ideal musical foil. Performing on amplified
acoustic double bass, Whiton employs techniques thoroughly
unique to the instrument -- percussive slaps, bowed flourishes
reminiscent of a string orchestra, and electronic effects
like wah, distortion and synth pedals. Drummer
Doug Port reconciles blistering rock rhythms with a sensitivity
and feel honed on stages with some of the country's finest
musicians. At the center of this elegant musical equation
is McFadden himself. A guitar hero in an anti-heroic
time, the guitarist combines rapid-fire rock improvisations
with luxuriant gypsy jazz runs, quicksilver bluegrass
fills, romantic neo-classical chords, hardcore R&B
rhythms, soulful blues licks and punk rock angst.
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