Still Shining

funk blues rock guitar

Vieles mag man sich vorstellen können, aber ein komplettes Bandalbum als One-Man-Projekt sicherlich nur schwer. Zwei Jahre lang dauerte schließlich auch die Fertigstellung des 2013 veröffentlichten Albums des Gitarristen Michael Borner. In diesem Werk erinnert der ‚Alround-Musiker‘  an die Musik der Jazz-Rock Band „Sun“, mit der er Ende der 70er, Anfang der 80er Jahre erfolgreich durch die Lande tourte. Und so klingen auch die Titel nach groovigem Funk Blues und Rock dieser Zeit, allerdings durch zeitgemäße Loops und anderen Effekten bereichert. Die Musik erzählt von einer Band, die sich in der der „Post-Hippie-Ära“ unbeirrt ihren eigenen Ideen widmet und dabei typische Spielweisen entwickelt. Wem Namen wie George Duke, Billy Cobham, Earth Wind & Fire, Carlos Santana etc. etwas sagen, dem wird „still shining“ Vertrautes bieten.

Sure, it‘s difficult to imagine a full band album as a one-man project. However, for two years it took finally to complete the album released in 2013 by guitarist Michael Borner. In this record the ‚alround-player‘ reminds on the music of the jazz-rock band “Sun”, his band of the late Seventies / early Eighties , which successfully toured through the country at this time. So the tracks are full of groovy funk, blues and rock of this era, but enriched by contemporary loops and other effects. This album tells the story about a band of the german “post-hippie era” unswervingly dedicated to their own ideas while developing typical style of playing. Who knows names like George Duke, Billy Cobham, Earth Wind & Fire, Carlos Santana, etc. will soon feel familiar with “still shining” 

about the songs…

1. feel for you – reminding the first song of the band, called “Feel me” developed from a early session  2. blues is blue – tired and sad after a bad concert, not shure which is the way into future 3. well done, boys – anytime it was working well playing together, without drugs or drinking too much, no reason for it. after the concert, satiesfied from the listeners, there was a little bit ironical “well done, boys” in our mind, not possible to translate: soo, hätten wir das auch wieder… 4. go on – nearly every time practising, we had the idea of a new song, sometimes a completely new style, trying out how playing together in a new way, jamming a lot… 5. not really – we were n’t  famous, not the stars of our music, not really. but also we were n’t unhappy. it was not really bad to live this way… 6. late meddle – coming from a gig everywhere late, it was usually sure going to the freaky hippie-disco “meddle”  relaxing till sun rise…. 7. the red van – on the road with our old red van was like a family-trip. many jokes much laughing  8. let the sun shine – riding in a car at summer with open windows, a very sunny day, go for swimming together before playing the very first  concert  9. earth, wind, desire – shure we were the greatest fans of the whole world, desiring the music of earth, wind & fire. there were much influences in our pieces… this is a “hommage” basing on the their song “shining star”  10. it’s finally over – do you know the beatles’ song “let it be?” – a good time in the past is no reason to be sad or crying now for days like those. 

I would like to thank the musicans of the band “sun”: bert, tom, andy, klaus and martin for their support and membership in a very important period of my life. This record is dedicated to the ‚spirit‘ of “sun”. Michael Borner