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Sadly, in 2005 Big Joe Burrell passed on at the age of 81. That year, Burlington’s Flynn Centre chose to honor Kilimanjaro with a grant for the creation of new compositions, to be debuted in a “reunion concert” at the June ’06 Discover Jazz Festival. The concert was a huge success, necessitating the addition of a 2nd show. This enormous response also catalyzed a recording plan, culminating in the release of Homecoming, the band’s first CD in almost 25 years! Homecoming was recorded, co-produced, and engineered by Kilimanjaro keyboardist and veteran recording engineer Chas Eller, at his own Charles Eller Studios in Charlotte, Vermont. Chas, who was also partners with Trey Anastasio at Trey’s infamous studio “The Barn,” recently joined forces with Putumayo Records’ Jacob Edgar, at his Charlotte facility... which is a story in itself. While Tony, Paul, and Chas have shared the stage for over 30 years, “newcomer” Lucas Adler joined the band ten years ago, bringing stability to the rhythmic element of this powerful sounding band, but also a welcomed stability to the drummer position. Lucas’ contributions to the Homecoming CD have already earned him endorsements with Sabian Cymbals, and the acclaimed Canopus drum company. A multi-talented guy, Lucas has also recorded with the likes of Joey DeFrancesco, Scott Ambush (Spyrogyra), and Steuart Smith, (The Eagles, Shawn Colvin, and Roseanne Cash.) Christopher Peterman, our newest member, plays tenor and soprano saxophones, as well as EWI wind synthesizer. A gifted musician, Chris is a MENSA member, and is a highly skilled, certified computer-network engineer. A Connecticut native, Chris graduated from the Berklee College of Music, Boston, in 1989. He has played with the finest groups in the region, including: Pine Street Jazz, The Dan Skea Quartet, Elisabeth Von Trapp, and Kilimanjaro. On the national scene, Chris has shared the stage with artists such as: The Neville Brothers, Phish, Joe Henderson, John Scofield, McCoy Tyner, Jackie McLean, Dave Brubeck, and the Tenor Summit featuring Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, and Chris Potter. Having set the bar extremely high with their first two Indy Award winning albums in the early ‘80s, Homecoming was designed to display the band’s growth and maturity resulting from over three decades of performing together. “Reunions” seem to be the popular thing these days... but it’s rare for a band to have actually played together continuously with almost entirely original members! We’re confident that you’ll be able to hear this history in the music of the new CD. We also think you’ll agree that Homecoming is Kilimanjaro’s best work ever! |