L E S L I E
M A N D O K I
(MANDOKI SOULMATES)
and
IAN ANDERSON of JETHRO TULL
release
“#WeSayThankYou”
expressing the feelings of gratitude
many of us have felt in these troubled
times
EXCLUSIVE
For more information about Leslie Mandoki
In 1991, Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, and Al Di Meola
became founding members of Leslie Mandoki’s band project ManDoki Soulmates, and
for almost three decades, Leslie Mandoki has continued to unite a “who is who”
of the icons of Anglo-American and European rock and jazzrock in the Mandoki Soulmates
band.
 |
| IAN ANDERSON with LESLIE MANDOKI |
The remarkable lineups in the band’s recordings and performances over the years
has included singers and players including Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, David
Clayton-Thomas, Chaka Khan, Chris Thompson, Bobby Kimball, Steve Lukather, Eric
Burdon, Greg Lake, Al di Meola, Randy and Michael Brecker, Peter Frampton, and
Jon Lord.
The Soulmates concerts are marked by the musical synergy of all these musical
icons united in one supergroup of Grammy award winning legends, where
everyone’s egos come second. Original Soulmates compositions and collective
improvisations on highest levels are just as much part of the concerts as
world-renowned hits of the individual Soulmates members. “One stage – one
band!”
With his Soulmates Leslie Mandoki raises Jazz-Rock back to socio-political
relevance, to quote him in his own words: “Even in times of Twitter, social
media and short news on the smartphone, when mental laziness often blocks the
perception, music for us is still like a love letter to our audience – handwritten
with ink on paper.”
This band is pure sophisticated JazzRock, or as Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake &
Palmer) put it: “One of the best bands you will ever hear!” As the world
continues to be consumed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson
sings and plays flute with Mandoki Soulmates mastermind and leader Leslie
Mandoki. Mandoki has found inspiration and a new spark of hope amidst the
chaos.
He has penned a powerful new song in appreciation for the heroes who
have emerged in this global crisis, the nurses, doctors, and other health care
providers as well as the grocery store clerks and food delivery personnel who
have stepped up to serve their communities. The new song, entitled simply
“#WeSayThankYou,” expresses so clearly the feelings of gratitude many of us
have felt in these troubled times.
Mandoki explains, “As
an artist, I feel it is my duty to contemplate ideas for a better world. Now,
like so many of us, I suddenly have the time. Let us grab this uncommon moment
of pause together and take a new approach to the problems of the world. And
let’s take a hard look at who this crisis is casting in a heroic light, and who
comes out the villain.”
The duet is available
through the Purple Pyramid imprint of indie giant Cleopatra Records, Inc. and
is Mandoki Soulmate’s first release in the recently inked partnership with the
L.A.-based label. Additional Mandoki releases are set to follow later this
year.
Leslie will be donating
the royalties from the sales, syncs, and airplay of “#WeSayThankYou“ to a
To-Be-Announced Charity.
“#WeSayThankYou” was
written in the context of Leslie’s own isolation in Germany, where his doctor
wife, Eva, is a first contact physician.
Ian and Leslie have
worked together for over 20 years on various collaborations with his jazz-rock
band Soulmates featuring the good and great of classic rock and jazz. Mandoki’s
Soulmates toured North America in 2018.
MANDOKI SOULMATES
with
IAN ANDERSON
we say thank you
available at
iTunes Store, Apple Muisic and Amazon
Music
MANDOKI SOULMATES
NEW
DOUBLE ALBUM
RELEASE
Living In
The Gap
+
Hungarian Pictures
at iTunes Store, Apple Muisic and Amazon
Music
For more information about Leslie Mandoki
and
Soulmates
visit
Mandoki
Soulmates with Ian Anderson
Ian
Anderson and Jethro Tull website
LESLIE MANDOKI
APPEARS
JULY 7TH 2020
7 PM PACIFIC/10 PM EASTERN
on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS
with RAY SHASHO
BBS RADIO ONE
www.bbsradio.com
MY NEW BOOK IS FINALLY OUT!
ENTITLED
THE
ROCK STAR CHRONICLES
SERIES ONE
CHRONICLES, TRUTHS,
CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE
…Order yours today on
Hardcover or E-book
at bookbaby.com
Featuring over 45
intimate conversations with some of
the greatest rock
legends the world will ever know.
CHRIS SQUIRE... DR.
JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA… JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL
KANTNER... RAY THOMAS... RONNIE
MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE...
BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN
LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD
RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN
ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX...
RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER... ROGER
FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK...
SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY...
PETE BEST
THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES BOOK TRAILER
BOOK REVIEW
-By Literary Titan (5) STARS
The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray
Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their
heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his
obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school
but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried
chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book
on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the
70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists,
legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview
gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies
that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For
readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring
old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this
book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.
The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I
didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into
trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new
frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music
fan.
Ray Shasho masterfully gets the
interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions
designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse
issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been
on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to
get them comfortable about talking about their lives.
The book’s cover is befitting of its
subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden
letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking
order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock
music. The second noteworthy thing is the use of high definition pictures
to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures
that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones.
Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.
I recommend this book to rock music
enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious
to learn new things by going back in time.
