MUSICIANS:
Jackie Payne - lead vocals
Steve Edmonson - lead and rhythm guitar
Bill Singletary - bass
Nick Otis - drums
The Sweet Meet® Horns:
Carl Green - tenor and alto sax
John Middleton - trumpet
SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS:
Fred Kaplan - piano (tracks 12 and 13)
John Thomas - piano, B3, and Wurlitzer
(all tracks except 8)
Cynthia Manley and Jessica Williams -
backup vocals (tracks 3, 4, 7, & 10)
DESCRIPTION: Jackie Payne’s
possesses one of the greatest natural
soul voices to come along since the 60’s.
At an early age he moved to Houston where
he spent his formative years working with
many legendary blues figures including
T-Bone Walker, Albert Collins, Gatemouth
Brown, Lowell Fulson, Pee Wee Crayton
and Freddy King. For much of the last
15 years Payne has been featured as the
front man with the Johnny Otis Revue.
His
musical cohort Steve Edmonson
has shared the stage with blues icons
James Cotton and Luther Tucker, as well
as mainstream artists such as Van Morrison
and Maria Muldaur. Among many other highlights
on his impressive resume, Edmonson put
his talents to use for four years with
the Soul/Blues band the Dynatones, before
ultimately forming the Jackie Payne Steve
Edmonson Band.
For
their Delta Groove debut,
this tight-as-a-drum road tested band
entered the studio at the height of their
powers. Featuring the one-two punch of
Payne’s sweet Southern Soul drenched
vocals along with Edmonson’s slashing
West Side Chicago style guitar, “Master
of the Game” showcases
10 powerful originals augmented by fresh
arrangements of great songs by Johnnie
Taylor and Bobby “Blue” Bland.
CREDITS:
All horn arrangements by Carl
Green
All songs written by Jackie Payne/Steve
Edmonson Except: “A Nickel
And A Nail” (O.V. Wright) / “I’ll
Take Care Of You” (Bobby Bland)
/ “You’re The One” (Johnny
Taylor) / and “Cabranito”
(Steve Edmonson.)
Executive Producer Rand Chortkoff
Produced by Andy Santana
and Steve Edmonson
Co-produced by Doug Messenger
Recorded & Engineered by Doug
Messenger at Doug Messenger’s
NoHo California (on the finest analog
equipment to 2 inch analog tape &
mixed to analog tape)
Mixed by by Andy Santana,
Doug Messenger, Steve
Edmonson at Doug Messenger’s
NoHo California
Sequenced by Jeff Fleenor Mastered by Robert Hadley
(The Mastering Lab, Hollywood CA.)
Photography by Anthony Peres Anthony
Peres Photography (www.anthonyperes.com)
Artwork & Design by Joshua
Temkin (joshuatemkin@gmail.com)
Liner Notes by Scott Dirks Radio Promotion by Frank
Roszak
Retail by Jeff Fleenor
Business Affairs by Malcolm Wiseman
