ALBUM REVIEW: Cultuurmania - Belgium

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“A beautiful album that balances on the border between smooth jazz and fusion. Recommended to guitar fans!”

Thanks Cultuurmania for such a nice album review!

The American Stephen Duros showed an interest in music at an early age and took keyboard lessons at the age of five. A year later he played the organ during a talent show. At the age of ten he started performing at the Yamaha National Keyboard Festival. Today his music is rooted in the traditional sound of flamenco, but Stephen has found his own style. He mixes Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern influences, with hints of jazz, reggae, pop and Arabic music, without forgetting the gypsy rumba of flamenco. Stephen toured with Ottmar Liebert between 2006 and 2009 and can be heard on his album 'The Scent of Light'. He has already released three solo albums himself, and was previously part of Lawson Rollins band. Now his new album has arrived here, which is themed to New York City. On certain tracks you can hear percussionist Lenny Castro, drummer Larry Crowe, bassist Ken Freeman and horn player Mary Fettig. It has become a very personal album and contains all the memories Stephen experienced during a tour in NYC. He wrote all the tracks himself, and plays electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards and bass.

The "feel good" track 'Manhattan Nights' is the opener, after which the flamenco resounds on 'It's Electric/City Lights'. 'Bittersweet/City Rain' is a quiet and beautiful track, and 'Electric Communication' leans towards fusion. This track comes back again at the end in the “sessions version”. Life starts gently in 'Sunrise in the City', after which 'Heat of the Rhythm' goes into full swing. The romantic 'With You' is the next track, and on 'Saturday Night in New York City' you can hear the rhythmic pulse of that metropolis. Then it's time for a rest with 'Midnight in Manhattan'. Finally, you will travel on the tones of 'Westbound Traveler New York to Los Angeles' and leave The Big Apple.

A beautiful album that balances on the border between smooth jazz and fusion. Recommended to guitar fans!


ALBUM REVIEW BY CULTUURMANIA

THE MANHATTAN SESSIONS

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New Album: ’The Manhattan Sessions’’ available now!

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Bandcamp

Credits:

Release Date: 04-14-23

Produced, recorded and mixed by Stephen Duros

All music written and arranged by Stephen Duros

Musicians:

Stephen Duros - Electric & Acoustic guitars, keyboards and bass

Special Guests on select songs:

Lenny Castro - Percussion

Larry Crowe - Drums

Ken Freeman - Bass

Mary Fettig - Horns

Mixed and mastered at Luminescent Labs, Los Angeles, CA. Additional mixing at The Room Studios Melorse, Los Angeles, CA

On this album Stephen played an Ernie Ball Music Man “Luke” Guitar and flamenco guitars by German Vazquez Rubio and Lester DeVoe.

Electric guitar tones: TubeWorks Real Tube II preamp, Neural DSP plugins and Quad Cortex, NI Guitar Rig

Label: Luminescent Records

Publishing: Luminescent Music

Special thanks to the amazing musicians who played on this album

THE MANHATTAN SESSIONS STORY

This album is very personal to me. It’s inspired by all the great memories I’ve had in New York City on tour as a lighting director and musician. I had moved out to LA when I was 19 years old, I didn’t know anyone and didn’t have any skillsets although I did have an extensive musical background. By the time I was 23 I was the lighting director for the band TOTO for next 20 years including the lighting for their ‘TOTO 35th Anniversary Live in Poland’  and  ‘TOTO 40 Tours Around the Sun’ live concert films. I also did the cartoon art for Luke’s signature guitar pedal from ToneConcepts. During that time period I was also the lighting director for Olivia Newton-John, the multi grammy award winning ‘Down From the Mountian Tour’ (all the music from the movie O’Brother Where Art Thou?) and grammy nominated artist Ottmar Liebert. I then went on to play in Ottmar’s band for 4 years traveling around the world on tour as a musician. My first time in NYC was Radio City Music Hall as the lighting director for the ‘Down from the Mountain Tour’. Since then I’ve done lights and performed at many of the various clubs, theaters and venues in NYC. Some of the highlights were: visiting the Guggenheim museum with Olivia Newton-John, going to Museum of Modern Art with Ottmar Liebert and playing 6 nights at the Blue Note with Ottmar Liebert + Luna Negra. (for a total of 12 shows, 2 per night).

For this album I wanted to pull from my early musical roots of the albums I loved to listen to as a young kid between the ages of 4 through 8.  One of my favorites was this vinyl record we had called ‘Boogie Nights’ from 1978 with the artists ‘Heatwave, Commodores, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Emotions, Chic, Trammps, Donna Summer, Rick James and more.. It was an album I would play over and over. Also loved listening to Bee Gee’s, Herb Alpert, Chuck Mangione,  Olivia Newton-John, Barry White’s ‘Loves Theme’, Cheryl Lynn’s ‘Got to Be Real’.  "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", which is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, performed by R&B singer Lou Rawlls on his 1976 album “All Things in Time” was another favorite.

The album was also inspired by my favorite keyboard and guitar heros - David Paich and Steve Pocaro, Jeff Beck and Steve Lukather (who gifted me one of his amazing signature Music Man ‘Luke’ guitars in the year 2000 when we were on tour in Central America)

Since touring I’ve stayed home to be a full tie Dad with our 3 kids, I created this album over the past few years working on it after their bedtimes and in little free moments here and there on my MacBook. I wanted to blend all of my NYC memories and musical roots together and what came out was this album. I had a lot of fun creating this. it has some fun upbeat tunes like  ‘Heat of the Rhythm’ and ‘Electric Communication’ and it also has some deep cuts with tracks like ‘With You’, ‘Bittersweet’ and ‘Sunrise in the City’. I hope you enjoy the musical journey of the album and thanks for listening!

SD

LOTUS

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This months single ‘LOTUS’’ is now available on streaming and download sites.

Apple Music -  https://music.apple.com/us/album/lotus-single/1665398681

Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/album/2BSpbmUtvP0nz1ZXME8Kl8?si=-QU3kGk9T-SqwvPUk6cu0g

Pandora - https://pandora.app.link/vhr3Swf9Xyb

Deezer - https://deezer.page.link/VpgzXoFxCyU9na4v9

YouTube Music - https://youtu.be/ZAcynrqDqGs

Credits:

Release Date: 01–31-23

Musicians: Stephen Duros - All instrumentation

Mixed and mastered at Luminescent Labs, Los Angeles, CA

On this recording Stephen played a flamenco guitar made by Lester DeVoe

Label: Luminescent Records

Publishing: Luminescent Music

www.stephenduros.com

LOCARNO

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‘Locarno’’ is available on streaming and download sites.

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/album/locarno-single/1656432901

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/0CuZWcXUf3y8JpJuv84w17?si=PCn223wITTOKa9ZqvpTFqQ

Pandora -  https://pandora.app.link/VkDyl22kOvb

Deezer - https://deezer.page.link/on17Xgq8n2vhyrnR7

YouTube - https://youtu.be/vZgC2w0D_PU

Bandcamp - https://stephenduros.bandcamp.com/track/locarno


Credits:

Release Date: 12-16-22

Musicians: Stephen Duros - All instrumentation

Mixed and mastered at Luminescent Labs, Los Angeles, CA

On this recording Stephen played a flamenco guitar made by Lester DeVoe

Label: Luminescent Records

Publishing: Luminescent Music

Electric Communication

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This months single ‘Electric Communication’ is now available on streaming and download sites.

Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/album/electric-communication-single/1647567081

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/1GqF1CfA4m3nrpvNMkh4jD?si=cpVCp_ipStWgwHWOX9fRJg

Pandora -  https://pandora.app.link/U5wzavrmeub

Deezer - https://deezer.page.link/uB6Xg8CjnMWA4TVYA

YouTube - https://youtu.be/NHFUI2q9y5c

Amazon music - https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Duros/e/B001LI6XA6/digital/ref=ep_artist_tab_digi

Credits:

Release Date: 10-18-22

Mixed and mastered at Luminescent Labs, Los Angeles, CA

On this recording Stephen played a MusicMan and Fender Stratocaster through a Tube Works preamp.

Label: Luminescent Records

Publishing: Luminescent Music

'on my way again..'

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Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/album/on-my-way-again-single/1644706620

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/album/3StZbPI7ey9oAIMmyiIxoo?si=rDAaGalcSQGTf4Qif3g5IQ

Pandora -  https://pandora.app.link/ZtekYIRRytb

Deezer - https://deezer.page.link/xFV8TZYcFv2NWxb99

YouTube -  https://youtu.be/Lqq9v4WU3nE

Amazon music - https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Duros/e/B001LI6XA6

Bandcamp  -https://stephenduros.bandcamp.com/track/on-my-way-again

Credits:

Release Date: 09/23/22

Musicians: Stephen Duros - Flamenco guitar, electric guitar, bass, synths, loops & additional programming

Mixed and mastered at Luminescent Labs, Los Angeles, CA

On this recording Stephen played a flamenco guitar made by Lester DeVoe and a Fender Stratocaster.

Label: Luminescent Records

Publishing: Luminescent Music