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bio
Some
things in life just aren�t fair -- like Seth Yacovone being such a
phenomenal musician at just 22 years old.
The leader and namesake of the Burlington,
VT-based SETH YACOVONE BAND, whose fourth and latest CD is the
highly acclaimed STANDING ON THE SOUND, is an extraordinary
singer-songwriter-guitarist who is quickly forging a global reputation
that belies his youth.
Those around the world who have already
discovered Seth and the rest of his trio -- bassist Tom Coggio and
drummer Steve Hadeka -- seem to share an inability to avoid evoking such
names as The Allman Brothers, B.B. King and Frank Zappa.They also share
a tendency to heap unqualified praise on the sizzling young rocker and
his cohorts.
"Seth Yacovone is destined to be one of
the new great guitarists on the international scene," declared
Italy�s prestigious Buscadero magazine.
Relix magazine lauded Seth�s "irresistable
leads" and the band�s "passion for improvisation."
The Lowell (MA) Sun described Seth as a
"...guitar whiz who can run from jazzy fills to electric intensity
with ease."
But critics aren�t the only ones wowed by
Seth�s prodigious gifts. According to long-time admirer/fan and Phish
leader Trey Anastasio, Seth is "incredibly soulful and a natural
talent, not to mention a great guy. I loved this guy from the first
moment I heard him play."
"In fact,� recalls Anastasio, �it was
when Seth was 15 years old. I was judging a guitar competition in
Burlington. There were 25 contestants, and I was busy scribbling down
notes with the other judges. I watched out of the corner of my eye as
contestant number 17 came onstage with his guitar, a boombox and a tiny
amp.
"He
proceeded to blow the room away. His vocal delivery of �All The
Pain Through The Years� (from Seth's first two CDs, Bobfred�s
Bathtub Minstrel and Yessir!), brought the room to its feet, and then
his soloing cinched it. He easily won me over.
"Seth and I have played together a number
of times since, and I go see the band whenever I get a chance."
Anastasio�s introduction to the teenaged
guitar whiz came just a few months after he put together the first
version of the SYB. The group, then a quartet, was a standard-issue
blues band that had just played its first gig New Year�s Eve 1995 in
Burlington. It took little time for word to spread, but soon enough the
group was opening for the likes of Koko Taylor, Ian Moore, James
McMurtry and the Derek Trucks Band.
In 1997, Seth and the guys entered the studio
to record Bobfred�s Bathtub Minstrel, which handily melded blues with
Seth�s often-whimsical lyrics. That was followed by 1998�s Yessir! a
live set that only hinted at SYB�s explosive in-concert act.
Throughout 1998, the group continued honing its sound on stages
throughout New England and the Northeast, opening for such giants as B.B.
King, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John and Original P (Parliament
Funkadelic).
Unquestionably, the year�s highlight was the
invitation from Anastasio to sit in with Phish at the Worcester
Coliseum. The 14,000 Phish-heads who attended the sold-out show came
away impressed, and the resulting word-of-mouth served to make Seth and
the band an even more in-demand attraction.
In early 2000 the band evolved into its present
power trio configuration. That July, the potent three-piece unit
released Dannemora. The CD found the group taking a perfectly timed
detour into the jam band realm. With bassist Coggio and drummer Hadeka
firmly anchored in the pocket and providing industrial-strength rhythmic
underpinnings, Seth showcased his ever-more sophisticated axe work and
composing skills, although his music remained rooted in the blues
tradition.
�Through our years of heavy gigging, Tommy,
Steve and I have developed an astonishing chemistry,� says Seth. �The
band may carry my name, but without those two guys, we wouldn�t be
able to take such intriguing chances and push the music in so many
unimaginable and surprising ways.�
Over the next two years, the band would share
the stage with Ray Charles, The Who�s John Entwistle and Gov�t Mule,
among others.
With the release of STANDING ON THE SOUND, the
SETH YACOVONE BAND has taken another giant step toward stardom. One
listen to the disc will prove the destination is inevitable.
website
www.sethyac.com
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