{"id":78,"date":"2019-05-12T23:29:15","date_gmt":"2019-05-12T23:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buildarea.archives.bryanbeller.com\/?page_id=78"},"modified":"2024-01-08T14:34:13","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T14:34:13","slug":"thanks-in-advance","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bryanbeller.com\/index.php\/thanks-in-advance\/","title":{"rendered":"Thanks in Advance"},"content":{"rendered":"

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THANKS IN ADVANCE (2008)<\/h1>\n

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Five years after his acclaimed debut album View<\/i>, renowned bassist Bryan Beller (Steve Vai, Mike Keneally, Dethklok) creates an emotionally charged, personally definitive jazz\/rock compositional statement about breaking through anger and finding gratitude. Drawing on disparate influences from jazzer John Scofield to Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, and even Rage Against The Machine, Beller cranks up the instrumental intensity with fellow heavyweights Mike Keneally (solo artist, Frank Zappa); drummers Marco Minnemann (world-famous clinician), Toss Panos (Larry Carlton, Robben Ford), Joe Travers (Zappa Plays Zappa), and Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Tears For Fears); and special guests violinist Ann Marie Calhoun (Jethro Tull; 2008 YouTube “My Grammy Moment” winner) and saxophonist Scheila Gonzalez (Zappa Plays Zappa).

“Beller engaged in some sonic soul-searching for his sophomore effort ‘Thanks In Advance’, and the welcome result is a bona fide entry for bass album of the year.” – Chris Jisi, Bass Player Magazine <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

“I love Bryan’s playing! He’s solid, supportive and creative with tone for days. ‘Thanks in Advance’ is full of cool ideas, inspired performances and deep grooves. I definitely recommend it.” \u2013 Michael Manring<\/p>\n

“Every tune sounds unique and compelling.” – Walter Kolosky, <\/i>Jazz.com<\/i><\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n

“As well-written as it is well-played.” \u2013 Nick Zaino, Skope <\/i><\/p>\n

********<\/p>\n

The Story Behind Thanks In Advance<\/i><\/p>\n

Bassist Bryan Beller seemed to have it all: a storied sideman career (Mike Keneally, Steve Vai), regularly published articles in Bass Player Magazine, an acclaimed debut solo album (“View”, 2003 Onion Boy), and an executive corporate position running SWR bass amplification for Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. But the untimely death of a close friend in early 2005 exposed deep fissures in his own identity, and instigated a period of intense and sometimes painful self-examination. One year later, Beller had quit his day job, returned to life as a freelance musician, moved from L.A. to Nashville, found love, and experienced an epiphany that forever shifted his view of life, and his role in it.<\/p>\n

Thanks In Advance<\/i> is the musical manifestation of that journey. Set to Beller’s highly detailed, rock-infused, jazz\/fusion compositional voice, it’s an intense trip through the heart of personal darkness \u2013 from the lushly dissonant orchestral arrangement of “Casual Lie Day,” to the searing, grinding dirge of “Cave Dweller,” and culminating with the frenzied “Love Terror Adrenaline\/Break Through” featuring renowned virtuoso guitarist\/composer Mike Keneally (solo artist\/Frank Zappa) and recent Modern Drummer cover subject Marco Minnemann \u2013 before finally reaching a state of personal and musical peace in the title track and the album’s unexpected close.<\/p>\n

“I was constantly unhappy, even angry, about my everyday life, wondering why this or that was all ‘happening to me,'” says Beller. “Only after a shock to my system did I get that, ultimately, I was the source of it all. Where I am now is infinitely more satisfying. So Thanks In Advance<\/i> really completes View<\/i>, which I now realize was a well-crafted complaint about things, and tries to convey how I got to being grateful for life’s everyday content, whatever it brings, as opposed to being angry with it. It sure wasn’t a painless process, but it’s been deeply, profoundly rewarding, and it’s a message I’d like to share with others. That’s what I’m up to with this record.”<\/p>\n

More comfortable than ever in his own playing skin, Beller worked fretless, fretted, acoustic\/electric, boutique and vintage basses into the mix, and contributed piano and guitar tracks as well. But he left plenty of spotlight for a stylistically diverse all-star cast: the aforementioned Keneally and Minnemann; drummer Joe Travers and saxophonist Scheila Gonzalez (Zappa Plays Zappa); violinist Ann Marie Calhoun (Steve Vai); View veteran guitarists Rick Musallam (Mike Keneally, Ben Taylor) and Griff Peters; keyboardist Jeff Babko (James Taylor, Robben Ford); and drummers Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard, Tears For Fears) and Toss Panos (Michael Landau, Larry Carlton). And that’s just the L.A. contingent; Beller tracked a whole separate group of Nashville musicians, including some veteran R&B grease in guitarist Bruce Dees (James Brown, Ronnie Milsap) and keyboardist Clayton Ivey (Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin) to complement the virtuosic firepower. There was also a personal touch, as Dees and Ivey previously recorded with the woman Beller moved to Nashville for: R&B singer\/songwriter\/keyboardist Kira Small, who also played Rhodes on the album’s title track.<\/p>\n

While recording occurred in eleven different studios (primarily in Nashville, Los Angeles and San Diego), Beller bucked the remote-album file-swapping trend and personally attended nearly every session, bringing cohesion to the production and personally preserving the album’s narrative. “After a year of seclusion writing the material, I was more than ready to get out of the house and interact with the people I trusted to bring this music to life. Driving back and forth from Nashville to SoCal, with a van full of gear and basses and hard drives, going from studio to studio\u2026it was really exhilarating to feel it all come together. That’s an easy one to be grateful for.”<\/p>\n

*********<\/p>\n

Thanks In Advance<\/i> features performances by:<\/p>\n

Guitarists<\/p>\n

Mike Keneally (solo artist, Frank Zappa)
Rick Musallam (Mike Keneally Band, Ben Taylor)
Griff Peters (featured guitarist on Beller’s first album “View”)
Chris Cottros (Nashville session cat)
Bruce Dees (James Brown, Ronnie Milsap)<\/p>\n

Keyboardists<\/p>\n

Jeff Babko (James Taylor, Robben Ford, Jimmy Kimmel Live)
Jody Nardone (Crimson Jazz Trio)
Kira Small (solo artist, Martina McBride, Wynonna Judd)
Clayton Ivey (Wilson Pickett, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin)<\/p>\n

Drummers<\/p>\n

Joe Travers (Zappa Plays Zappa, Lisa Loeb)
Toss Panos (Michael Landau, Larry Carlton)
Marco Minnemann (solo artist\/clinician)
Nick D\\’Virgilio (Tears For Fears, Spock\\’s Beard)
Marcus Finnie (Diana Ross)<\/p>\n

Special Guests<\/p>\n

Saxphonist Scheila Gonzalez (Zappa Plays Zappa)
Violinist Ann Marie Calhoun (Steve Vai)<\/p>\n

released September 30, 2008 <\/span><\/p>\n

Produced by Bryan Beller<\/p>\n

Mixed by Mark Niemiec at Muggytone Studio, Nashville, TN
Key editing by Mark Niemiec on all tracks except “Cave Dweller” key editing by Erich Gobel
Mastered by John and J.J. Golden at John Golden Mastering, Ventura, CA<\/p>\n

All songs written by Bryan Beller \u00a9 2008 Panorama Ataraxia Music BMI
*except “Thanks In Advance” by Bryan Beller \u00a9 2008 Panorama Ataraxia Music BMI\/Mike Keneally \u00a9 2008 Spen Music BMI\/Griff Peters \u00a9 2008 Pointy Peak Music BMI\/Joe Travers \u00a9 2008 Travers Tunes ASCAP.<\/p>\n

CD booklet design and layout by Mike Mesker<\/p>\n

Photography by Griff Peters (all except noted), Wes Wehmiller (tray card) and Leigh Ann Villanueva (booklet back page)<\/p>\n

Infinite and profound thanks to Wes Wehmiller, to whom this record is dedicated.<\/p>\n

(c) 2008 Onion Boy Records, All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n

all rights reserved<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tBryan Beller<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n

2 weeks ago <\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Bryan<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n\t\n\t\tTHE HOUSE OF SYN: As in the home studio of L.A. session ace guitarist Andrew Synowiec, with whom I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon collecting tracks for my solo album in progress. He has one of the most amazing guitar studio setups I\u2019ve ever seen, and his stylistic capabilities are limitless. What an amazing talent. Looking forward to sharing the results of this when the time is right!\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t... See More<\/span>See Less<\/span><\/a><\/span>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\tBryan Beller<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n

3 weeks ago <\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Bryan<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n\t\n\t\tANOTHER BASS SOLO?!: I don\u2019t know what\u2019s gotten into me lately, but here I am at it again sitting in with Brazilian blues\/rock specialist Artur Menezes<\/a> and his amazing band (Collin Clauson Music<\/a>\/keys + Mann Bipin<\/a>\/drums). Special thanks to Art\u2019s bassist Sam Bolle for letting me plug into his vintage bass rig driven by a Music Man tube head (maybe a 100B?), for a round fuzzy sound I don\u2019t usually have as first option. And where else would this have been but The Baked Potato<\/a>, of course?(video by @Violetisha on Insta)\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t... See More<\/span>See Less<\/span><\/a><\/span>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\tBryan Beller<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n

4 weeks ago <\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Bryan<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n\t\n\t\tGRATITUDE FOR THE KENEALLY FAITHFUL: A Very Special Mike Keneally<\/a> September run of shows (and studio sessions!) with the OG lineup of MK, Joe Travers (dr), Rick Musallam (gtr) and your humble narrator (with Travis Larson<\/a> supporting) is now complete. It was an absolute blast, as always, but it\u2019s more than that. Because while I\u2019ve had a wild career with plenty of highs and lows and everything in between, one thing has remained constant: this exquisitely unique music, the man who created it, and the base of loyal fans who have been supporting it for over **thirty years** now. This month I saw faces I\u2019ve seen so many times over the decades of playing Mike\u2019s music. It\u2019s difficult to grasp how long this journey has been sometimes. But when we\u2019re in a room together, and we\u2019re all bouncing to a groove, or taking in an esoteric passage, or just having a wild improvisational moment, and I feel the combined energy\u2026it\u2019s a reminder of how deep the roots go. So I wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU to everyone who came out to these shows, and especially the hardest of the hardcore fans who have been with us for all this time. It\u2019s a special bond and I treasure it. Now it\u2019s time to bear down on the solo album once again - something that quite a few of the Keneally show attendees asked me about. That\u2019s fuel for the fire, and I\u2019m grateful for that as well. The final push to the end starts today.\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t... See More<\/span>See Less<\/span><\/a><\/span>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\tBryan Beller<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n

4 weeks ago <\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Bryan<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n\t\n\t\tLAST GIGS OF THIS RUN: It's been a wild and wacky and superfun run of gigs with Mike Keneally<\/a> this month, and we're closing it out at our home away from home, The Baked Potato<\/a>. TONIGHT and TOMORROW NIGHT! Yes I'm shouting! So you can hear me! See you there! \ud83d\udcf8 Dan Chusid\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t... See More<\/span>See Less<\/span><\/a><\/span>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShare on Facebook<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShare on Twitter<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShare on Linked In<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShare by Email<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\tBryan Beller<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n

4 weeks ago <\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Bryan<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\n\t\n\t\tVAI "STRING THEORIES" TOUR FLASHBACK: Looks like Steve Vai<\/a> is out there on the timeline posting videos from the "Where The Wild Things Are" Live DVD, because we played a lot of Fire Garden material and that album is celebrating its 30-year anniversary (it's a good album!). The tour was in 2007. This is the climactic bit of The Fire Garden Suite, called "Taurus Bulba", and it was my absolute favorite part of the show every night. The prog is strong in this piece! I'll always be grateful to Steve for including me in this tour, despite the fact that I had what, at the time, was a leading candidate for "worst haircut in the industry". \ud83d\ude05\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t... See More<\/span>See Less<\/span><\/a><\/span>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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