Wishbone Ash, one of the most influential guitar bands
in the history of rock, returns to North America this Spring with
brand new tunes from their upcoming release, Blue Horizon.
The
group returns to these shores following last year’s annual tour
through the the East, Midwest, Northwest and Western Canada, where
they delighted fans with high-energy performances featuring a vast
catalog spanning 45 continuous years of music-making.
The
2014 Spring tour has been nicknamed “The Blue Horizon Tour” to
coincide with the March US release of Blue Horizon and
celebrate the return of the band to areas not visited in many years.
“I
thought, why not ring the bell to see if our fans in the South and
Southwest would come out and join the party,” says bandleader and
founding member Andy Powell.
The
first leg of the tour begins April 15 in Florida and winds south and
west before heading northward through the Pacific West Coast and
Canada.
“We
hope our long-lost fans will come check out what we’ve been doing,
which has been continuously touring, recording and rehearsing,”
said Powell. “The band has a fire in its belly, and we want to
share that.”
Formed
in 1969, Wishbone Ash has to its credit 24 original studio
recordings, 10 live albums and four live DVDs along with a DVD
rockumentary (“This is Wishbone Ash”). The band is led by
founding member Andy Powell on guitar and vocals, trading licks with
Finland’s guitar wizard Muddy Manninen. Bassist Bob Skeat, a
17-year veteran of the band and in-demand studio musician, sets the
pace with Joe Crabtree, one of the best of Britain’s new breed of
drummers whose performance credits include Pendragon and David Cross
of King Crimson.
“The
band basically lives together year-round, so we have a very strong
level of communication that translates in our performances and
recordings,” says Powell.
Wishbone
Ash’s new album, Blue Horizon (Solid
Rockhouse Records), includes guest artist Pat McManus playing
fiddle on two tracks. Fans will recall McManus made an appearance on
2011’s Elegant Stealth and also co-wrote one of the songs,
“Can't Go It Alone,” with Andy Powell. Blue Horizon features two
songs written by Aynsley Powell (Powell's son) and one by former
Wishbone Ash guitarist Roger Filgate.
Elegant
Stealth (ZYX Records) was enthusiastically received by fans and
critics alike. Classic Rock Revisited’s Jeb Wright called it “One
of the best albums in Wishbone Ash’s career.”
“This
band is like a fine wine that just keeps getting better with age and
this is one of their strongest studio releases in years,” said
Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck of MuzikReviews.com.
“The
songs are catchy, very technical, but there is a soul in what
Wishbone Ash is doing!” said Mark Kadzielawa of 69 Faces of Rock.
Lynyrd
Skynyrd cites Wishbone Ash as a primary influence on their style
along with Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden and, more recently, heavyweights
like Opeth and some of the guitar-based Indie/Alternative bands. All
have been transformed by the original, legendary twin-guitar approach
of Wishbone Ash. There is no other rock band on the planet that has
done more with the twin guitar concept than The Ash.
Longtime
fans and new converts will find that Wishbone Ash offers an
undeniable concert experience.
Tour
dates and more information can be found at www.wishboneash.com
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