REVEREND ZEN

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REVEREND ZEN -
2008 Best Song Nominee Los Angeles Music Awards - L.A.
2008 Finalist France's 100% Song Contest - Arville / Paris, France
2 Semi Finalist Awards France's 2008 100% Song Contest - Arville / Paris, France
2008/09 ASCAP Plus Award Winner - N.Y.C.
2008 Semi Finalist Australia Song Contest - Sydney, Australia
3 Semi Finalist Awards 2008 UK Song Contest - London, U.K.
2007/08 Song of the Year Effigy Awards Fame Games ABC Radio Networks - Malaga, Spain
5 Finalist Awards 2007/08 Effigy Awards Fame Games ABC Radio Networks - Malaga, Spain
2007/08 ASCAP Plus Award Winner - N.Y.C.
2007 Artist of the Year Los Angeles Music Awards - L.A.
4 Best Song Nominations 2007 Los Angeles Music Awards - L.A.
2007 Artist of the Year WCH Radio - St. Louis
2 Finalist Awards 2007 Unisong International Song Contest - L.A.
2006 Bronze Artist Award RGW Radio - Norfolk, U.K.
2006 Finalist VH1 Song of the Year Contest - Houston / N.Y.C.
5 Runner Up Awards 2006 VH1 Song of the Year Contest - Houston / N.Y.C.
BIO-
The New York based group Reverend Zen has released its independent, debut album, Angels, Blues & the Crying Moon, that is quickly garnering critical acclaim around the world. A Finalist in France's 100% Songwriting Contest for "Dangerous Times", a Finalist Nominee in the 2008 Australian Songwriting Contest in Sydney for "Bad Attitude", a Best Song Nominee in the 2008 Los Angeles Music Awards for "Her Love", winning Song of the Year from Spain's 2007/2008 Effigy Awards for "The Boston Shakedown", recipients of a 2007/2008 ASCAP Plus Award in New York, named 2007 Artist of the Year by the 2007 Los Angeles Music Awards, along with two Finalist Awards from the 2007 Unisong International Song Contest in L.A. for "Magdalena" and "Bad Attitude" and a Finalist in the 2006 VH1 Song of the Year Contest in Houston for "Dangerous Times", the band seamlessly blends rock, jazz and r&b into their own singular vision. VH1 comments, "Listening to these songs you're drawn in by their unique, vivid mirrors of human nature and emotion. Their lyrics and arrangements have the power to make you remember both the songs and their performances. This music has stand out guitar thats perfectly executed and first rate production. Above all its straight from the heart."
Such substance and precision has been honed over time with the band writing and recording the album over a ten year period. You'll hear this dedication and attention to detail in each exacting lyric and every well executed chord change. "Bandleader Jack Evans blends strong song writing with obviously accomplished musicianship." remarks Rich Lepescu of Nebula Music Magazine. These are always timeless qualities in music and Reverend Zen not only reminds us of Steely Dan's cleverness and the grit of the blues but they also touch upon the lyrical introspection of the singer/songwriters. These traits and more are evident on the band's slamming shuffle "The Boston Shakedown", with its tales of lust, debauchery and and a college education and in the dark beauty of love lost on "Don't Try To Tell Me" and "The One In Love".
Reverend Zen's musical credentials are beyond question. The group's musicians have a history of playing with the music greats, ranging from Eric Clapton and Bruce Springsteen to Sheryl Crow, Donald Fagen, John Scofield, Annie Lennox, Elvis Costello, Sting, Shawn Colvin, B.B. King and Stevie Wonder. The band's sound pays tribute to these influences, but also pushes musical boundaries mixing the funk laden wit of "Bad Attitude" and the incredulous tales of a prodigy on the burning "Boy Genius", with the classic rock sound of "Magdalena" and its folk tale of love found.
"Our influences span several genres", says Mr. Evans, who names Miles Davis, James Brown, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Ray Charles, Wayne Shorter and Claude Debussy among their favorites. "Still all of them inspire us with their spirit, eloquence and craft. They all seem to express themselves with conviction and humanity." He concludes. Strands of Debussy and Mitchell can be heard flowing through Reverend Zen's impressionistic ballad of love in question, "Only A Fool", with the band again bridging musical idioms.
Such rich musical backgrounds coupled with their distinctive writing has helped Reverend Zen quickly gain a reputation for thought provoking lyrics and no holds barred rhythms. Those qualities are never more evident than on the rocking, National Enquirer like adventures of an amusing psychotic and his psychiatrist "My Sigmund Freud", on "Her Love", their haunting portrait of a woman's emotional damage and on "Dangerous Times" their thought provoking analogy of the Wild West to current events in America and the world.
It's music for the thinking man's head. Critics around the globe seem to agree. To date the genre stretching band has won thirty four awards in the ac, aaa, rock, jazz, r&b, blues, lyric, performance categories of the VH1 and Unisong Contests, the Billboard World Song Contest in New York, the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest in Washington, D.C. and the U.K.'s Singer/Songwriter Awards in London. In 2006 Reverend Zen received RGW Radio's Bronze Artist Award in Norfolk, England and in late 2007 they were named Artist of the Year by WCH Radio in St. Louis. After receiving four Best Song nominations in the Adult Contemporary Artist and Blues categories of the Los Angeles Music Awards, for "Bad Attitude", "Don't Try To Tell Me", "The Boston Shakedown" and "Dangerous Times", they were named 2007 Blues Artist of the Year by LAMA.
Earlier this year Mr. Evans was the recipient of a prestigious ASCAP Plus Award, Jazz & Popular Music Division. After receiving five Finalist Awards, Blues/Rock Song of the Year and Blues/Rock Artist of the Year nominations from ABC Radio Networks Fame Games' Effigy Awards, Reverend Zen's "The Boston Shakedown" was named Blues/Rock Song of the Year at the 2007/2008 Effigy Awards' ceremony in Malaga, Spain. In May 2008 the band's "Her Love" was nominated for Best Song in the AAA category of the 2008 Los Angeles Music Awards that take place in November. In July Reverend Zen received a Finalist nomination for "Bad Attitude" in the International category of the 2008 Australian Songwriting Contest in Sydney In August the band's "Dangerous Times was named a Finalist the Performance category of France's 100% Song Contest in Arville - Paris, with "Bad Attitude", "Dangerous Times", "Her Love" and "The Boston Shakedown" named Semi Finalists in the Jazz/Blues category of the UK Song Contest in London.
John Schoenberger of Billboard's Radio and Records in L.A. may summarize it best when he states, "Angels, Blues & the Crying Moon by Reverend Zen is simply a very good record." All platitudes aside, Reverend Zen's true genius lies in it's music, and Angels, Blues & the Crying Moon is everything a great album should be, melodies that hang in your head like an old friend, lyrics of wit, introspection and cultural commentary, dead on drum tracks, bad ass guitar solos and subtleties that slowly reveal themselves.
Ten years in the making, Angels, Blues, & the Crying Moon was worth the wait and is taking Reverend Zen's mix of rock, jazz and r&b to the world stage.
THE SONGS OF ANGELS, BLUES & THE CRYING MOON:
"Magdalena" (Unisong Finalist - Lyrics, VH1 Runner Up - AC/AAA & Lyrics, Billboard Award) and it's classic rock sound opens Angels, Blues & the Crying Moon with sweeping keyboards and a majestic chorus. It's the story of a loner's encounter with an angel. "The song was written as a folk tale of sorts about truth, trust and dreams." remarks singer/lyricist Jack Evans. James Gerard adds organ and synths. Chris Carter and Gil Parris are on guitar."I was sleeping on a cloud/ When an angel awakened me/ With the warm gentle voice/ Of a heavenly breeze/ She said, I'm Magdalena/ I've come to speak with you/ And whatever words are spoken/ We shall always speak the truth".
"Bad Attitude" (Australian Music Awards Finalist Nominee - International, LA Music Awards Best Song - Blues, Unisong Finalist - Blues, VH1, Billboard, UK Song Contest, France's 100% Contest, UK's Singer-Songwriter Awards) is funky r&b, rock. It's a he said, she said take on a cynic's bad luck and his lover's claim that all he suffers from is a bad attitude. Black cats, aerodynamics and a twelve ton truck all get involved. "It's some classic downer sentiment with a few twists." relates Evans. The hot wired guitar solo is by Chris Carter who's been called one of the premier r&b guitarists in NYC by renowned studio great Hugh McCracken."Throw me a line my boat sprung a leak/ I clutch my flask for a final drink/ A smiling shark is circling the bow/ With a little luck Ill probably drown".
'Don't Try To Tell Me' (LA Music Awards Best Song Nominee - AC/AAA, VH1 Runner Up - AC/AAA, Billboard Award) is a solemn ballad dramatizing the final encounter between two lovers. Denial, regret and loss are all reflected.The lyrical, blues inflected guitar solo is by Gil Parris (the Gil Parris Band, Dr. John, Bob James, David Sanborn). The piano and keyboard orchestration is by Evans' co writer on the ten songs of Angels, Blues & the Crying Moon, James Gerard. "Don't try to tell me it was all a mistake/ Don't try to tell me that/ Don't try to tell me sometimes love can fade/ Like we've just become two passing strangers without names".
"The Boston Shakedown" (Effigy Awards Song of the Year Spain - Blues/Rock, LA Music Awards Best Song Nominee AC/AAA - Group W/Vocal, VH1 Runner Up - AC/AAA & Lyrics, Unisong, Mid Atlantic-SAW, Billboard, France's 100% Contest, UK Song Contest Awards) is a slamming, roguish tale of higher education with a party girl who loves underclassmen but always leaves them. There's props to Marvin Gaye, the Red Sox and Stolichnaya. "It's just a bit of reminiscing about college days and Boston." smiles Evans. The bad ass guitar solo is by Nick Moroch (David Sanborn, Chaka Khan, Donald Fagen). Rob Aries (John Scofield, Freddy Jackson, Donald Harrison) is ..boards. The bass duties are handled by Kip Sophos (Nile Rodgers, Chuck Loeb, David Mann) with Evans on vocals and drums. "She's havin another party upstairs/ They're squealin' and laughin' in the August heat/ With her trunk full of toys and contraband/ That young fool dont stand a chance".
"Only A Fool" (VH1 Award) is a bittersweet ballad. "A friend was caught up in a relationship that was very yin, yang. They were being held hostage by their own emotions." explains Evans. The song highlights Rob Aries on piano and Gil Parris on electric and acoustic guitar. Evans provides the impressionistic keyboard orchestration. The background vocals are by Margaret Dorn (Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald, Bette Midler) and Vaneese Thomas (Eric Clapton, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Luther Vandross, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Pearl Jam). "Didn't my love try to chase the demons from your heart/ Still the wounds of your past are tearing us apart".
"My Sigmund Freud" rocks and rises up with no holds barred rhythms that's full of cultural commentary. It's the over the top adventures of an amusing psychotic and the doctor he considers his savior. A UFO, the Bronx Zoo and Joseph Cornell materialize along the way. If Dr. Phil, Woody Allen and Frank Zappa had started a rock band it might sound like this."The first three lines of the chorus are lifted from an ad in the New York Post." reveals Evans. The rest of the lyrics probably read like the National Enquirer." Chris Carter returns on guitar, James Gerard covers the keyboard tracks. "Palpitations, shortness of breath/ A racing heart, a fear of death/ Delusions of grandeur, loss of control/ Last week I dreamed I was Axl Rose/ But my doctor cures my ills/ With understanding and his happy pills/ He's fillin up my emotional void / He's my savior, he's my Sigmund Freud".
"Her Love" (LA Music Awards Best Song Nominee - AAA, VH1, Billboard, Uk Song Contests, UK's Singer-Songwriter Awards) tells us of a woman unable to confront her demons, who sadly uses her beauty and charm as power and control in this revealing character study."This one came together very quickly." says Evans. "James had sketched out a lot of the music, then I went home and wrote the lyrics the next day. "Gil Parris, called the brightest star of jazz/blues guitar since Larry Carlton by Guitar One Magazine, delivers a soaring, emotional solo against the back drop of James Gerard"s keyboards. "She listens to his words and lets him feel she understands/ Her replies are chosen so she can gain the upper hand/ She cooly plays the temptress as he gives himself away/ She chooses her men cautiously, only the ones she finds easy to leave".
"Dangerous Times" (L.A. Music Awards Best Song Nominee -AC/AAA, VH1 Finalist - AC/AAA, France's 100% Song Contest Finalist - Performance, Billboard, Unisong, UK Song Contest, UK's Singer-Songwriter Awards) with it's upbeat sound is actually RZ's thought provoking, dark analogy of the old Wild West to current events in America and the world. Is this 1870's Deadwood or New York in the year 2000? "It seems incomprehensible to me how much misguided machismo and violence still exist in whats called modern civilization." states Evans. James Gerard is again ..boards while Chris Carter returns on guitar. The background vocals here are by Sheryl Marshall (John Medeski, Buster Poindexter, Ru Paul, NYC's Uptown Horns) and Soozie Tyrell (Bruce Springsteen, Sheryll Crow, Shawn Colvin, Elvis Costello)."There's a line of mourners and a mother's tears/ Nothin's changed round here for a hundred years".
"Boy Genius" gives us the incredulous tales of a child prodigy. Balzac, Shakespeare and Camus are all on his required reading list. Evans explains, "The words and drum part came first. The lyrics were partly inspired by an old Jodie Foster movie called 'Little Man Tate'. Ideas for the groove came from a Miles Davis song called Splatch on his Tutu album." The song slams and rocks with a hip hop bounce and a scorching guitar solo by Chris Carter (the Chris Carter Band, Art Neville, Taj Mahal, Solomon Burke, NYCs Uptown Horns). The keyboards are by Rob Aries and Evans."By the age of five he'd quote Socrates / And play in his room with a laser Beam / Baptized the kid with a metaphysical mind / He's next in line for the Nobel Prize".
"The One In Love" (VH1, Billboard Awards) is a beautifully dark, mid tempo ballad that closes Angels, Blues & the Crying Moon. Its an account of abandonment, unresolved longing and efforts to transcend it all at a jazz club called the Crying Moon. James Gerard delivers the richly textured keyboard orchestration. Philly session bassist Kjell Benner (Patti La Belle, Arlen Roth) and drummer Rudy Feinauer (the Syndicate of Soul, George Russell, Jimmy Guiffre) round out the rhythm section. "From the stage I face a crowded room / In a club they call the Crying Moon/ As love struck couples dance the floor / The lonely read matchbooks looking bored".
DISCOGRAPHY:
"Angels, Blues & the Crying Moon" by Reverend Zen; Blakjak Music Records; Anamosa Songs ASCAP c2006 Evans/Gerard.
WMVY Radio's "Fresh Produce 4" complilation cd, Nov. 2007 release (Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape Cod, Ma.; Newport, R.I.).
RPW Record's "Music For Coffee Beings" compilation cd, Sept. 2007 release (Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada).
Indie Artists Alliance's "Songwriters & Storytellers" compilation cd, July 2007 release (Castro Valley, Ca.).
Music Research's "Just Talents" compilation cd, April 2007 release (Miami, Fla.; Rio De Janerio, Brazil; Berlin, Germany).
Tomasian Entertainment's "Rock Out Loud" compilation cd, Fall 2008 release (Jersey City, N.J.).
BMB Music's "State of Independence" compilation cd, Fall 2008 release (Boston, Ma.).
Steel Tree Flims "The Hillers" Series Pilot, Spring 2009 release (Los Angeles, Ca).