Mr. Conrad
Scott Lambert
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The Players
Mr. Conrad, guitar/vocals; Scott Lambert, bass;
Steve F'dor, piano/vocals; Ron Felton, drums/vocals.
Material
The music Mr. Conrad and The Excellos makes is a blend of
R&B with some stray jump blues, swing, and even a little
rockabilly thrown in for seasoning. This band has a flair for
this kind of music, with all the musicians throwing in their
two cents' worth.
There is energy to this kind of music and this band captures it.
While it may be music that is rooted in the past, it sounds as if
someone wrote it just today. The band has a wide range of
material, with a wealth of different tones ranging from upbeat
and carefree to some of the slower bluesier numbers which tell
stories of heartache and pain. This is the land where rock & roll
was born and created.
Musicianship
This band is tremendous, musically. All of the musicians are
long-time players on the local scene and have proved them-
selves over and over again. Mr. Conrad on guitar fires off
stinging riffs and then layers in sweet harmonies. While
Conrad takes the spotlight, he also shares it with the rest
of the band. Steve F'dor on piano shakes, rattles, and rolls
as if Jerry Lee Lewis were chasing him with a gun. F'dor also
adds a boogie tone to a lot of his playing. Scott Lambert on
bass thumps through the rhythm with a solid tone, never letting
go of the melody for a moment. Ron Felton on drums adds his
percussive touches to this music. Also, the vocals are shared
by Conrad, F'dor, and Felton and all three can sing their hearts
out.
Performance
Mr. Conrad & The Excellos is a band that is very comfortable
on stage, especially at Long Beach's Blue Cafe, which is a
regular weekly gig for this band. They know the audience and
many members of the audience know them. That is both good
and bad in different ways. It is good because it leads to an
ease for the musicians, allowing them to revel in the kind of
music they are playing. On the other hand, people who are not
part of the regular crowd may feel a little left out. But in
this case, have no fear, this is a band that could make anyone
feel at home. This is kind of like sitting in the living room
listening to the guys jam.
Summary
Mr. Conrad & The Excellos is a band that is very solidly put
together. They are all consummate musicians who've got a lot
of talent and energy for the kind of music they are playing.
This is a labor of love.
Jon Pepper
MUSIC CONNECTION FEBRUARY 1, 1999 - FEBRUARY 14, 1999
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Ron Felton
Steve F'dor
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