Small But Loyal Fans Still Love B&R
9/24/2007 2:00:35 PM | Chuck Collins
John Batdorf and Mark Rodney reunite on the Kent Stage (note: this show is from the recent past)
John Batdorf's uniquely passionate vocals and guitar playing landed him his first major record deal back in the 70s with Atlantic Records, and he has continued to develop and grow as an artist to this day. As the song writing and lead vocal half of Batdorf and Rodney, John began honing his craft and developing his own style back in the early 70s.
Mark Rodney, the son of a beat-era jazz trumpeter, started hanging out and jamming at clubs on the Sunset Strip while he was still a teenager. In those days you could jam with anybody at a club called Thee Experience. Jimi Hendrix, Blues Image, and Albert Collins were just a few he was lucky enough to jam with. While staying with his dad in Las Vagas, Rodney saw John Batdorf playing guitar at UNLV's "The Kitchen," Vegas's only folk club, and my life changed again. CSN, and Neil Young had come out, and we both loved those groups, so they switched to acoustic guitars, started jamming together and developed their our own sound. Batdorf & Rodney was born!
John will be performing solo the first half of the show and then will be joined by his old buddy, Mark Rodney. They will be performing all their greats from the B&R days.
So what have the guys been up to?
After the breakup, John did an album with a group called Silver and toured the country promoting their album at venues with the likes of America, Doobie Brothers, Poco and Hall and Oats. Fans devoted to his sound recognized John's voice on several radio and television projects in the 80s when he worked as a top LA studio session singer.
When he wasn't touring with bands, or producing music for a variety of clients, he never stopped writing songs. In the early 90s he partnered with fellow songwriter Michael McLean and released a handful of albums that captured a personal resonance John found with his universal songs of hope and inspiration.
Its as if with each stage in his artistic journey, he developed a greater understanding of the power music to impact our daily lives. Never one to stagnate creatively, John expanded his artistic palette from acoustic driven pop/rock to story driven melodies.
From 1996 to 2002 he worked as a TV composer for the hit series Touched by an Angel and Promised Land. Now into the second half of the new millennium, John has recorded a new CD with James Lee Stanley "All Wood And Stones" (a highly original take on early Rolling Stones songs, done acoustically with tight harmonies) along with his first solo EP, "Side One."
His latest solo CD,Home Again is comprised of seven new originals and three songs for the Batdorf and Rodney days. This CD is an acoustic guitar and vocal enthusiasts dream come true! When you listen to John sing songs about things that really matter to him, and you'll understand why they mean so much to his fans that have spanned three decades.
The Kent Stage is located at 175 East Main Street in downtown Kent , Ohio There is FREE parking behind the theater and on all city streets. Advance tickets are available at Woodsy's Music and Spin-More Records in Kent or www.kentstage.org. Tickets will also be available at the door. Doors open one hour before concert
Mark Rodney, the son of a beat-era jazz trumpeter, started hanging out and jamming at clubs on the Sunset Strip while he was still a teenager. In those days you could jam with anybody at a club called Thee Experience. Jimi Hendrix, Blues Image, and Albert Collins were just a few he was lucky enough to jam with. While staying with his dad in Las Vagas, Rodney saw John Batdorf playing guitar at UNLV's "The Kitchen," Vegas's only folk club, and my life changed again. CSN, and Neil Young had come out, and we both loved those groups, so they switched to acoustic guitars, started jamming together and developed their our own sound. Batdorf & Rodney was born!
John will be performing solo the first half of the show and then will be joined by his old buddy, Mark Rodney. They will be performing all their greats from the B&R days.
So what have the guys been up to?
After the breakup, John did an album with a group called Silver and toured the country promoting their album at venues with the likes of America, Doobie Brothers, Poco and Hall and Oats. Fans devoted to his sound recognized John's voice on several radio and television projects in the 80s when he worked as a top LA studio session singer.
When he wasn't touring with bands, or producing music for a variety of clients, he never stopped writing songs. In the early 90s he partnered with fellow songwriter Michael McLean and released a handful of albums that captured a personal resonance John found with his universal songs of hope and inspiration.
Its as if with each stage in his artistic journey, he developed a greater understanding of the power music to impact our daily lives. Never one to stagnate creatively, John expanded his artistic palette from acoustic driven pop/rock to story driven melodies.
From 1996 to 2002 he worked as a TV composer for the hit series Touched by an Angel and Promised Land. Now into the second half of the new millennium, John has recorded a new CD with James Lee Stanley "All Wood And Stones" (a highly original take on early Rolling Stones songs, done acoustically with tight harmonies) along with his first solo EP, "Side One."
His latest solo CD,Home Again is comprised of seven new originals and three songs for the Batdorf and Rodney days. This CD is an acoustic guitar and vocal enthusiasts dream come true! When you listen to John sing songs about things that really matter to him, and you'll understand why they mean so much to his fans that have spanned three decades.
The Kent Stage is located at 175 East Main Street in downtown Kent , Ohio There is FREE parking behind the theater and on all city streets. Advance tickets are available at Woodsy's Music and Spin-More Records in Kent or www.kentstage.org. Tickets will also be available at the door. Doors open one hour before concert
On the Net:
www.kentstage.org
http://www.johnbatdorfmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/markrodney
Source: The Kent Stage news release
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