Weaned on vocal harmonies of the late psychedelic era - Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young, James Taylor - and my guitar style is steeped in those sounds mixed with the spirit of Jimi Hendrix and flavored with the warm southern nights of living on a small island off the west coast of Florida, Clearwater Beach.
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NOW HEAR THIS !!! Finally, you'll hear my new songs... I've added a very tastefull bass player and drummer to my new and some of my old songs. I've recorded the songs the way I play them live on acoustic guitar. In other words I've kept them real and not produced cheese whip. I decided to keep the songs in their basic acoustic form.That's the way I like to play and hear them. I'll post them soon so keep checking!!!
ABOUT SAL BELLOISE
Armed with an acoustic guitar and a head full of songs, Sal Belloise set out in a VW bus on his musical journey back in the hazy 60s. He's been traveling that road ever since, performing thousands of shows and meeting millions of faces. In the process, his music, like his rich, melodic guitar work and vocals, has deepened with life experiences along the way. Belloise's fans span the globe and are an intricate part of his creative process, as it is his audience who determines which songs get recorded.
"I let the people dictate which songs are keepers and which ones are sleepers by the initial response they receive from applause," Belloise says of the importance of his fans' participation and preferences. Although one tune might go over better in Ireland than another in New York City, his acoustically driven music finds its rhythmic groove somewhere between powerful folkish rock and trans-pop.
Belloise was weaned on vocal harmonies of the late psychedelic era - Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young, James Taylor - and his guitar style is steeped in those sounds mixed with the spirit of Jimi Hendrix and flavored with the warm southern nights of living on a small island off the west coast of Florida - Clearwater Beach - where he came of musical age.
A prolific songwriter for decades, Belloise, encouraged by his peers and audiences, decided to release his debut album in February 2008 entitled "Nothing But Love". His music has received considerable airtime on independent radio in the U.S., U.K., and abroad. As the first album continues to garner accolades and downloads, Belloise is preparing to release his second album, "The South in Me" this summer 2008.
Belloise writes from the heart, with uplifting notes and stories most can relate to. He aspires to transform life's everyday mediocrity into experiences that elevate his listeners.
I want everyone to walk away feeling good," he confesses - and believes, "There are pivotal songs in everyone's lives, songs that have special meaning and stay with you." And this is what he hopes to achieve through his art - to reach as many people as possible and through the universal language of song, perhaps find a way to unite people in peace through music.
To his fans he says, "Thank you, thank you, thank you for listening."
Guitar Sal
It's amazing how far an acoustic guitar, a VW bus and 40 songs can take you. From the late 1960's at Beaux Arts Coffee house in Florida where Jim Morrison and Mic Jagger sang to present day digital recording sessions it's been a good trip. In the 1970's, it was college campus clubs and play anywhere you could. Opening act for a few big name bands, Dave Mason, Taj Mahal, Rita Coolidge, Little Feat, Leon Russell, Pure Prarie League and others. A stint in the Virgin Islands rounded off the decade. It was exciting being one of Fantasma Productions first acts when they were just getting started. They're huge now. Standing on the stage of a Holiday Inn lounge in the 1980's playing to a happy hour, chicken wing eating, drunk crowd or a loud restaurant packed with families of screaming kids directly in front of the stage, I was there. Lot's more opening acts and 20+ years of nightclub work, much of it with my brother in arms, Mark Zumberg [alias Zoom]. As an acoustic duo you can get a lot of work if you're brave enough to take it. I can't imagine a situation we haven't seen and dealt with from the stage. Club owners with no cash at the end of the night to pay you, to girlfriends shouting obscenities at you from the audience. Here's a secret about guitar players I'll let you in on: the real reason you buy an expensive guitar is because they play themselves when you're drunk. I remember performing one night until 1AM in South Carolina, breaking down all the sound gear and loading it into the van, driving all night to Tampa, Florida, playing an 8AM morning television show [you know none of your friends are awake to watch], then driving to Sloppy Joe's in Key West for the 5PM happy hour gig only to arrive and find the band house is already occupied by the friends of the drug dealer / biker who lives in the back apartment. It's funny now. Play in a European country where no one speaks English and you'll find yourself changing words to famous songs to break up the monotony. I wrote some great songs doing that. This is why there's a brotherhood of performing musicians. "He who shares the stage and lives the day will surely be my brother." It was a highlight to play the Woodstock 25th reunion at the original site in 1994. If you were around in the sixties, you'd know what a big deal that is for an old hippie. Nowadays I'm finally recording the songs I've written over the years spurred on by the inspiration of Grammy recipient and good friend Billy Dean. I just released 13 tunes and I'll follow up with 14 more in a couple of months. I'm also playing live dates, I can't stop myself.