Music & Merch

Duane Eby – I have been playing in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area and surrounding region venues and festivals for the last 25 years. It has been my pleasure to play with many talented people in bands that have performed a wide variety of music. (I was also the primary writer in the instrumental acoustic quartet “Point of Departure” which has to this date released four CDs, the latter “Gypsy Heart” is available through cdbaby also.) As a part of all these entities I have had the good fortune to be an opener for acts as diverse as Merle Saunders, Bill Miller, Guggenheim Grotto and Kaki King.

During all those years I have steadily compiled and performed my own catalogue of original songs. “It’s what’s inside that counts…” is the synthesis of 25 years of songwriting, many musical experiences, a wonderful collection of fine musical talent who gave unconditionally, excellent recording engineering, and incidents which can only be described as being arranged by a higher source of inspiration.

While they contain primarily an acoustic guitar or piano as a central instrument, the recordings contain a wide variety of instrumentation including upright bass, cello, flute and oboe as well as marimba, steel drums, hand percussion and, of course, electric guitars. These 20 songs also reflect an exposure to many musical categories (rock, pop, reggae, etc.) but seem, at least for me, to defy narrowing style descriptions as individual pieces. Maybe that’s a good thing. While the lyric content does not deny that the world can be a dark place the ultimate feeling generated is spiritual and positive. Hope you find something here you like. My work continues to evolve as I am currently investigating world rhythms.

Electro 35 is the epitome of electrified orchestral folk, combing the intricate acoustic guitar work and simple vocal melodies of singer/songwriter John Fellman with the virtuosic talent of Rob DeWidt on 5-string electric violin and sweet, dulcet bass lines by Matthew Carey.

John Fellman is an original singer/songwriter with folk, rock and solo acoustic influences. It is heavily influenced by solo acoustic players like Andy McKee and Jon Gomm, while highly reminiscent of artists like Nick Drake. John records with his band, Electro 35, which consists of his own vocal and guitar talents, Rob DeWidt on 5-string electric violin and Matthew Carey on electric stand-up bass, creating what they call “electrified orchestral folk.” John can be booked solo, with the band or solo with backing tracks depending on venue.

The contrapuntal elements of Patrick’s music have long been loved and revered by many fans of acoustic solo guitar. Ever since the age of 16, the Indiana native has been playing every kind of gig imaginable, from coffeehouses, clubs, and street fairs to 500-seat venues. He cites his main influences as Joe Satriani, Alex Lifeson (of Rush), and Preston Reed.

Michael Hedges, Will Ackerman, Wayne Krantz, and Alex DeGrassi are among some of his favorites as well. Being more influenced by Progressive rock than acoustic music, Patrick has carved out his unique brand of up-tempo driving acoustic instrumentals that are complex enough for advanced musicians, but melodic enough for the simple music lover. He is an avid acoustic-fingerstyle player to be sure, but he is no tradionalist, and employs techniques that go beyond average fingerpicking. These include string snaps, octave hammer-ons, harmonic sprays, flamenco strums, and punchy bass lines that all go together with a rythymic pulse. This ambitious way of communicating on a single instrument won him second place in Guitar Player Magazine’s 2006 GUITAR SUPERSTAR, in front of judges Joe Satriani and Steve Lukather. He has also played in other contests such as the National Winfield Competition, the Canadian Guitar Fest, and has been a semi-finalist in the Yamaha Six String Theory Competition. He has opened for and shared the stage with other national and regional acts such as, Michael Kelsey, Pete Huttlinger, Brian Henke, Katie Reider, Lindsay Mac, Doug Smith, Andy McKee, Blues Legend Guy Davis, and many more.

In the past ten years, Patrick has recorded a full length demo, NIGHTLANDS, and three full length studio albums POWER FIELDS, VORTEX OF DISCOVERY, and GONE BEFORE MORNING. NIGHTLANDS, being his first demo, was recorded in 2000. For the first several years of Patrick’s career, he used two guitars at his live shows: his trusty acoustic Wechter Pathmaker, and an electric ten-string treblebass – made by Sergio Santucci in New York City. The instrument has four bass strings and six guitar strings, so he can play both parts at once. His first two recordings, NIGHTLANDS and POWER FIELDS, feature the Santucci 10 string. In the Fall of 2008, Patrick decided to retire the Treblebass from his repertoire, in favor of an all-acoustic set. There were many reasons for this decision, but it was mainly due to the fact that touring with more than one guitar was a hassle, and the acoustic was much simpler to EQ live than a treblebass. His last album, VORTEX OF DISCOVERY is strictly all-acoustic, which he claims will be the main focus from here on out.

Recently, Patrick upgraded his acoustic sound with a brand new custom guitar made by luthier JJ Donohue. The next recording project released in the spring of 2012, GONE BEFORE MORNING features this new guitar. The new album was recorded within a few weeks at Dark Tree Studio in Cleveland, with engineer Jay Bentoff and co-producer Brian Henke.

Here are some of my favorite bands. Help me support them by buying from my MerchMelee.com page. It’s the same music, and the bands get paid the same. You can get a page to share your favorite bands too!

Here are some of my favorite bands. Help me support them by buying from my MerchMelee.com page. It’s the same music, and the bands get paid the same. You can get a page to share your favorite bands too!