John Raymond Pollard: Listen & Buy

"From the whimsical, thoughtful Living an Alternative Dream, to the austere, haunting The World of Tarot, to the final rocker The Divide (By the Time I Get to Phoenix), this is a trip worth taking." Songtalk with Morry Campbell

Lyrical, loving, personal, political, rocking, social commentary, calming, confessional, thought provoking: a grand buffet of songs serving up lyrics, melodies, and rhythms to satisfy the appetite for authentic independent music.

"Pollard moves into a leading edge of 2010's musical zeitgeist..." Bill Realman Stella, Favorite Albums of 2010, Dancing to Architecture, Challenge Magazine, November 2010

Disk Covered 80’s fits 11 hits into 10 cuts. John Raymond Pollard reinvents the songs in his alternative world style and invites some of his talented musician friends to fill out the soft, rhythmic arrangements.

John takes the lead with voice and guitar. Producer Michael Gilboe handled the drum programming and keyboards. Steve Sandberg’s sparse piano playing on Careless Whisper and Time after Time infuses the tunes with a bossa nova groove. David Acker’s electric guitar brings Caribbean Queen to life as reggae. Mike McGinnis’ adds texture the songs with flutes, clarinets, and saxophones. Songstress Debbie Deane graces Sweet Dreams Are Made of This/Need You Tonight with her special vocal talents.

"... a rich and spicy sopa of sounds and emotions from some of the most inspiring places in the Western Hemisphere-- including songs with Portugese and Spanish lyrics." Jed Ryan PM Entertainment Magazine

"[Pollard's] most beautiful CD yet. The rhythms and production are simply gorgeous." Mitch Gallob, Streeter Music

"Over the weekend, Jonas was having an all-out fit because I wouldn't let his friend sleep over. I was finally able to calm him down because I put on your Brasilience cd and had him listen to it in his room. It worked wonderfully! Thank you!" Elisabeth, Educator

What is Brasilience? Think Brazilian, think essence, consider the brilliance of the tropical sun and you’ll have an idea. Think live musicians playing mostly acoustic instruments. Listen and move to the rhythms. Enjoy half a dozen bossa novas and a variety of other ryhthms on the balance of the album’s 13 songs. And when you have listened to the album, relaxed and enjoyed the music you’ll comprehend the meaning of Brasilience.

"Travel the world with Pollard's characters; he skips you from continent to continent, even traveling in time with intriguing lyrics and guitar movements. Each song tells a story. Very enjoyable!" -- Linda Addison, award winning poet

"Great album!" Micah Solomon (President, Oasis CD).
"Wonderful music!!" J.L. Bueno, radio show host Cadiz, Spain
"Very diverse and refreshing!" Leah Zicari, award wining vocalist, singer/songwriter

"Beautifully structured music, written with contemporary political struggle in mind." -- John Frame 4ZZZ, Brisbane, Australia
Includes King George, The Government's Got You, and the anthem, Equality.

Deep in the Red; Black & Blue: Songs for a Great Depression offers comfort to listeners in trying times. Eleven original songs are bathed in soothing, ambient sounds. The music can give listeners respite from whatever financial and emotional ills they may have suffered in the wake of the financial meltdown of 2008. Empathy is served up in a kind and gentle manner as listeners are invited to share in the bountiful harvest of sounds.
" 'Shelter' from Deep in the Red; Black & Blue: Songs for a Great Depression (whew!) has the feel of waves lapping a shore and breezes blowing running through its veins. No drowning in tears on 'Well of Sorrow,' a song that makes real the sound of a veil lifting as the beginning pangs of healing propels one out of depression. Atmospheric swells, crackling pebbly textures and sultry shimmers resonate through the tracks, and makes the album percolate." Bill Realman Stella, Favorite Albums of 2010, Dancing to Architecture, Challenge Magazine

This single is available digitally from iTunes, CDBaby, and other sites. Not on My Space, the "A" side is a rocker. Addressed to Rupert Murdoch, the top dog at the corporation that owns Fox News, MySpace, The New York Post and other newspapers, as well as a host of other media outlets, Not on My Space listeners may find the song more factual than what they get from the Murdoch empire, and, of course, the verse is fair and balanced. The "B" side, Like a Like a Rolling Stone is a rapper -- John's initial effort in this genre. What if Bob Dylan had been born years later in Rio de Janeiro and his music influenced by the Funk Carioca style? What if during a global financial meltdown he began a work called Like a Rolling Stone? To find out what it might sound like, give Like a Like a Rolling Stone a listen.

Beautiful songs for the holidays, especially from Thanksgiving through New Year's and beyond. Lovely acoustic musicianship brings the melodies to life. Jazz composer Drew Paralic and John collaborated on Wintertime Sky & John authored Winter Holiday. Available from iTunes and other on-line services.

"SandSurfSea&Sky" paints emotional and melodic beach, sky, and seascapes.
Songs genres include bossa nova, pop, inventive rock, folk, reggae, and tango.

Lyrical, loving, personal, political, rocking, social commentary, calming, confessional, thought provoking: a grand buffet of songs serving up lyrics, melodies, and rhythms to satisfy the appetite for authentic independent music.

hspace="5">Put on your dancing shoes, move your body, and sing along. John Raymond Pollard's composition, Depth of Love, features Francine Saltares on lead vocal. Francine, Jay Anderson, and John handle the backing vocals and John manages the rap. Michael Gilboe (Copperhead Production) gets credit for the instrumental track.

New single released September 1, 2011

Click on Listen & Lyrics to listen or download a multi-lingual rendering of the Star Spangled Banner, sung by Voices United for America and produced by John Raymond Pollard and Michael Gilboe. Steve Sandberg created the instrumental track.

You'll find song clips of every song on all of John's albums. You can buy what you like from iTunes.