Hifi Mojo
Hifi Mojo
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Peter Garstenauer
About Hifi Mojo
Information From Facebook Release Date 2/1/11 Genre Hard-Nosed Rhythm & Blues Members Marty Henninger, Drums Vocals Ray Mann, Bass Vocals Gary Lapado, guitar, vocals Alex Shakeri, keyboards, vocals Alumni: Gaddis Cavenah, slide guitar, guitar, sax Ben Partain, keyboards Ron Rogers, guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals Craig Snazelle, acoustic bass Peter Moss, saxaphones Hometown Portland, Oregon Record Label HiFi MoJo Records Description HiFi MoJo’s “Are You In, Kid?“ is the creation of veteran Portland drummer and singer Marty Henninger. The music takes a semi-autobiographical view of his experiences in the last decade. By turns serious and humorous, he delved into blues, rhythm and blues, jazz and gospel to write a collection of songs that described life in middle America in the first decade of the 21st century. From the anger in “Smoke and Mirrors” and “Two Paychecks from the Street”, the humor in “Lost your Place” or the poignancy of “Hunker Down" or “Last Time I Saw Phil”, HiFi MoJo mixes the rich soil of black American music to reflect on a middle class America slowly being destroyed by greed and stupidity. As Marty himself said, “This is about most peoples’ lives right now in America. We’re in a poker game playing against a house full of wealth and power, but who deals from a stacked deck. We’re playing for our way of life.” The stakes couldn’t be higher. Are you in, kid? Biography Always interested in songwriting, Marty Henninger decided to step out front with his own songs and an idea to record a CD. For many years, he had regretted the fact that there were no surviving recordings of his father, a professional jazz pianist. Happily married with two young sons of his own, Marty was determined not to let that be the case for his family. He felt it imperative that his boys understand that even though one doesn’t become famous, that’s no reason not to pursue one’s dreams to the fullest. In 2004, he enlisted the help of his long-time friend Gaddis Cavenah to play guitar and at Gaddis’ recommendation, also brought in keyboardist/guitarist Ben Partain. They developed a unique blend of blues and funk with an emphasis on topical lyrics and insistent dance grooves. As the Marty Henninger Band they performed from 2004 through 2006 then, disbanded to pursue other interests. In the intervening four years, Marty worked with former A+M recording engineer, Ron Rogers in Ron's home studio, completing the tracks the band had recorded. The initial session yielded twelve demos in four hours. Later, Ron called Marty and told him that the performances were exceptional and urged him to use nine of the tracks as the basis for an album. At the completion of the CD, Marty changed the band name to HiFi MoJo. With a brand new line-up of some of Portland's finest musicians, Marty is now poised to bring his style of American music to Portland and beyond. Current Location Portland, Oregon , USA Information From CDbaby HiFi MoJo's "Are You In, Kid?" is the brainchild of veteran Portland bluesman Marty Henninger. Started as a project to show his kids a person can make and sell their own music without having to be a star, the music took a semi-autobiographical view of his experiences in the last decade. By turns serious and humorous, he delved into blues, rhythm and blues, jazz and gospel to write a collection of songs that described life in middle America in the first decade of the 21st century. From the anger in "Smoke and Mirrors" and "Two Paychecks from the Street", the humor in "Lost your Place" or the poignancy of "Hunker Down "or "Last Time I Saw Phil", HiFi MoJo mixes the rich soil of black American music to reflect on a middle class slowly being destroyed by greed and stupidity. As Marty himself said, "This is about most peoples' life in America now. We're in a poker game playing against a house full of wealth and power, but who deals from a stacked deck. And we're playing for our way of life." The stakes couldn't be higher. Are you in, kid? The Songs Smoke and Mirrors: An update of a field holler about the present problems; Acapella vocals replete with symphony of shovels, hammers and crowbars. Recorded and mixed by Shins engineer Sean Flora Refuge in the Blues: A broken relationship to the soundtrack of old scratchy Chess sides. Lead guitar solos by the fiery and nearly indestructible, Jim Mesi. Walkin' into Wheeler: Love and happiness to a jumpin' New Orleans 2-beat parade shuffle. Portland-born slide guitarist Gaddis Cavenah shows his quality. Ehhxcellent! Hunker Down: A moody rumination on the 2004 presidential election, but whose words also echo the desolation after hurricane Katrina one year later. The rain never stops. More atmospherics by Sean Flora. Great slide work by guitarist Gaddis Cavenah. Barcode: Second-line funk and horns propel a bouncy little tune about the coming "mark of the beast." The legendary Fats Domino's tenor saxophone player Reggie Houston turns in a couple of beautiful solos. Wind Turns Blue: A bluesy ballad with piano by engineer Ron Rogers that sounds like Floyd Cramer strained through a Professor Longhair blender. Harp by Ron's next door neighbor, Claes Amroth. The theme is tried and true blues. Somtimes guys can't do nothin' right. My wife should know. Lost Your Place: A steamy Slim Harpo-like swamper about love lost and found again. Sometimes living in a small town has its advantages. More funky harp by Claes (pronounced Klaus) Nowhere to Go: A late night jazz-tinged blues about those years when everything seems to go wrong. In this case, 2001 sucked. Ditto 2002. Smoky, Hammond B-3 arrangement by Ben Partain. Reggie Houston lights it up again on tenor. Two Paychecks From the Street: A heartfelt minor blues about the slow collapse of the American Dream as told to me by the people who lived it, while I was doing a crappy little collections job for a mega-bank. Gaddis on slide and Ben Partain on B-3 burn it to the ground. Last Time I Saw Phil: A gospel-flavored farewell to a much-loved friend and fellow traveler, Phil Haxton. I wrote this the night before his memorial service. Recorded mostly live in Gaddis' basement, the first song HiFi MoJo ever recorded. Ben plays the B-3 and kicks bass, while Gaddis plays some sweet slide. Smokin': A big, wide, uptown shuffle about...well, you'll figure it out. Horns by Peter Moss and Steve Cameron. Horn arrangement by Peter Moss
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