City Stars Introduction - Tony Donato

Tony Donato developed the low end for the song "Milly" on my upcoming EP City Stars. He's a dynamic bass player and energetic producer of his own projects. More on Tony:

"Tony Donato is a songwriter/musician/producer who has curated and released tribute/compilation albums (Yoko Ono tribute, Children's Tumor Foundation fundraiser) as well as three albums by his own band, Jack Brag. Watch for future projects including the debut of his new band, Take Two, as well as a tribute album to The Monkees!"

Definitely keep an out for his future projects because if they are anything like Tony, they will be fantastic. I am very lucky to have Tony playing this Saturday with me at the City Stars Album Release. Starts at 2p. Please make sure to let us know you'll be there!

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City Stars Introduction - Jim Killgore

Jim Killgore returns as engineering wizard behind City Stars. He is responsible for the mixing and mastering of the EP (as well as my first album Giants Will Fall). More on Jim:

"From humble beginnings recording his high school band to working on multi-platinum artists records, Jim has had a variety of opportunities in his young audio engineering career.

He has been teaching Pro Tools/audio at Mohawk College since the fall of 2013. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University, in 2006, with a Bachelor's degree in the Recording Industry Management program, Jim began working for Of Sound Mind Productions in the Nashville area where he learned the art of Pro Tools from Brady Barnett, an engineer who has worked on many multiplatinum records. Jim worked two years in Nashville and continued to work for Of Sound Mind as a digital editor after moving to Canada. While working for OSM, he had the opportunity to be a cog in the great machine that produces many hit records for artists, such as Brad Paisley, Lonestar, Toby Keith, Josh Turner and many more.

As an audio engineer in Canada, Jim has had the opportunity to work with many talented artists and musicians. Jim engineered Canadian music legend Skip Prokop's smooth jazz album that won "Jazz Album of the Year" at the 2012 Hamilton Music Awards. Also, he engineered and mixed The Barn Katz 2013 bluegrass album that was nominated for a Hamilton Music Award."

I am thankful that I discovered Jim when creating Giants Will Fall and that we've established this wonderful working relationship. Here's to more music!

Remember to let us know if you'll be attending the City Stars Album Release (<--click it!). All proceeds of the show will be going to ConPRmetidos and their Maria: Puerto Rico Real-Time Recovery Fund.

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City Stars Introduction - Deivis "Deivito" Garcia

Talking Spirits (a track from City Stars) and other creative collaborations might not have happened if it weren't for the inventiveness of Deivis Garcia aka Deivito. He's the next intro for the City Stars Album Release:

"Deivito is a North Jersey songster from Elizabeth, NJ. He specializes in Spanglish Sea Shanties - a gumbo of original pirate ballads, dirges, and ancient marinated montunos derived from folkloric sounds of the North-Central-Carribean-South Americas. He also co-created Mi Casa Tu Casa for Luna Stage, and is a member of The United States of Boogaloo & Segundo Quimbamba. He is also a proud husband and father, and eats a thousand sardines a day. His music can be heard at deivito.bandcamp.com."

While Deivis won't be able to join us at the album release (he sends his regrets), I'll perform Talking Spirits with a whole new chorus inserted. (It will be easier to sing along to. Promise.) So make sure to let us know if you are coming by visiting here: https://www.facebook.com/events/371388376629142/

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City Stars Review - When the Horn Blows

“‘City Stars’ in full is a vivid and diverse journey through a deeply creative mind. Aquino knows exactly how to connect with the multitude of feelings that the human condition experiences - where you can almost reach out and touch each variable emotion that is intricately woven into his music.”
— Karla Harris, When the Horn Blows

Please read the first review by When the Horn Blows HERE. Thanks to Karla Harris for listening and supporting independent music.

 

 

City Stars Introduction - Andrew J. Sandel

Next on the City Stars - Album Release introduction train is Andrew J. Sandel aka "Sqeezebox". Andy was so very kind to record accordion for some songs on my first album, Giants Will Fall. He'll be playing his "Squeezebox" at the album release party on October 14th. More on Andy:

"Born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey now residing in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. He started his musical career at 9 years old playing accordion and later in his teens piano, organ and flute. He did his undergraduate work at New Jersey City State University and obtained his Masters Degree in Music Education at Montclair State University. For 37 years he worked as a flute instructor for the East Orange school system, now retired. Andy continues to teach privately piano, flute and accordion. An active musician in the Montclair music scene you will find him supporting local songwriters performing on their CD’s, playing in bands of diverse genres - Classic Rock, Americana, Pop, weddings, duo and solo performances. Currently he is performing solo piano at the prestigious fine dinning restaurant “Il Capriccio “ in Hanover New Jersey."

You don't want to miss the release and "Squeezbox"! Make sure to let us know your coming at the event invite. All proceeds go to ConPRmetidos for their María: Puerto Rico Real-Time Recovery Fund!

Photo by Peter Wolf.

 
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City Stars Introduction - Larée Cisco

We're less than two weeks away from the City Stars - Album Release! And as we get closer, I'm gong to introduce you to some of the friends that will be busting it up and taking names. First up is, Laree Cisco. His music has been described as, "...accessible poetry," and he, "...makes his audience both think and feel emotion." Larée has been a great friend for quite a number of years and he'll open the album release at 2p. More on Larée (from Larée):

"To be honest with you, I had no clue I was going to be a musician. For the first half of my life, my face was buried in a sketchbook. I wanted to be a comic book artist. Somewhere down the line, I got interested in writing lyrics. Maybe it was due to the fact that as I got old, life got a little bit more complicated, and I needed a different outlet to express myself. The Nirvana thing was blowing up at the time, and it truly inspired me. I wanted to play guitar, write music, so that’s what I did. Instead of drawings, I started to fill my sketchbooks with lyrics. In '99 I bought my first guitar. In 2006 I played my first show."

Larée's most recent EP, #Resist, is out now. And he is currently working on his new album, Pisces Heart, out soon! More on Larée here: http://lhciscomusic.squarespace.com/

You don't want to miss him. So be there at 2p! 😉

 
 

Update on the City Stars Album Release Show

The rehearsals have been going really well. The band is sounding super. So we are all very excited to play the songs from City Stars for you on October 14th at the album release show. Click HERE to go to the invite.

In terms of the show, there's been a little change. I am now donating the proceeds of the live performance to the ConPRmetidos Hurricane María and Irma Recovery Fund. ConPRmetidos is an organization, “connecting people in order to foster commitment with the personal, social and economic development of Puerto Rican communities wherever they are.” The Generosity campaign will still be going to the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico. Here's that campaign: https://www.generosity.com/education-fundraising/the-conservatory-of-music-of-puerto-rico

So donate AND come to the show, if you can. Regardless, let's help Puerto Rico rise.

 
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