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The Bill Ward Band Hits The Highway
The Bill Ward
Band is still enjoying the success of it's release, Highway in the Desert. The recording, a culmination of a two-year
effort, is a collection of eclectic original pieces ranging from bluesy folk-pop to alt-country. While the band has recorded
live performances in the past, this is their first collection of music recorded in a studio. The recording and duplicating
of the CD were both done in Chautauqua County. Wayne Bentley of Stonehouse Studios did the recording and Jim Parker of Digitel
did the duplicating. Ward is grateful for the high quality of work they both produce.
In his fourth decade of performing,
Bill Ward started playing solo acoustically in local venues, eventually finding his way down the East coast and into the Austin,
TX music scene in the late 70's. A major force in local acoustic music, Ward formed alliances with some of the best musicians
in western NY. In the 70's and 80's, he played with acoustic music pioneers Steve Treharne, Mike Bratt and the late Don Thunberg,
as well as vocalist Gena Hartson. He helped forge an acoustic music scene in the area, introducing venues to an atmosphere
that featured the artists, often seated, performing in a concert format.
After forming a band in the 1980's Ward's
varied musical influences were given a format for growth, and the group blended the "every performance is a concert"
attitude with Blues, Folk, Country, Gospel and Swing dance music. While undergoing several incarnations, the Bill Ward Band
has performed and continues to perform at numerous concerts and gatherings, including the Jazz Vespers at Christ First United
Methodist Church, the Great Blue Heron Fest and the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater. This
project features a host of special guests. Recording artist and former Bonnie Raitt guitarist Will Mc Farlane leads a list
of renowned artists who dropped by the sessions. There were many highlights to this recording experience but for Bill Ward
one of the greatest was Mc Farlane's presence. "He came by one day and laid down some great guitar tracks on one of the
songs." Also featured on many of the cuts is Big Leg Emma member Amanda Barton.
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While welcoming newcomers Steve Davis and Amanda Barton, Bill performs duets
with old friends Bumpy Peterson and the late Gena Hartson on the recording, and features his father, John Ward, on the final
track. Another highlight for Bill was Gena's presence in the studio. In the late stages of leukemia, she was able to get to
the studio and add her voice. The recording also helped foster her performance at the past July's Great Blue Heron Music Fest
which turned out to be her last public performance. John Ward, Sr, added a special song to the CD as well. The Lonesome Hobo,
a true bit of original Americana, according to Ward, was the song his dad started singing when he was about 21 years old.
"Listeners always requested it...and always cried."
Hartson's appearance is especially poignant, as she
was in the final stages of her battle with Leukemia when she took to the studio mike this past June. Her final performance
was with the Bill Ward Band at The Great Blue Heron music festival in July 2003.
The project is an "Editor's
Pick" and is already among the top sellers on the CD Baby website, which is the largest online independent music distributor
in the world. The editors pick their top ten choices in several categories. Highway in the Desert received #1 ratings in the
Spiritual Folk and Spiritual Blues categories, #2 rating in Jazzy Blues and #6 rating in Modern Folk. "CD Baby is a great
development in independent music," Ward says, praising them for the service and promotion that they provide. Musicians
see about 80% of the proceeds from the sale of the music. CD Baby promotes over 40,000 indedepent artists and, according to
Ward, "they listen to every single one of them first." Highway in the Desert Musicians: Jim Foti - Drums Tom
Swanson - Guitar Paul Liuzzo - Bass Mark Alpaugh - Piano and Organ John Cross - Saxophones
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