Poco- Cantamos

Cantomos

On Cantamos, Poco shows that they did indeed have life after the departure of founder Richie Furay. Cantamos is significant in the history of Poco in that it signals the arrival of Rusty Young as a songwriter as he does an excellent job of filling the songwriting gap left by Furay. The strength of the new material by Young in conjunction with the contributions of Paul Cotton and Tim Schmit result in the strongest song set since the classic "A Good Feelin' to Know" album.

Cantamos provides a vehicle for Poco to show the full range of their talents. Cotton does what he does best, delivering rockers like "Western Waterloo" and "One Horse Blue." Schmit's "What Ever Happened to Your Smile" falls right in line with the relatively laid back acoustic tunes that he specializes in. But it is the great Rusty Young who provides the highlights on Cantamos. The album opens and closes with Young classics "Sagebrush Serenade" and "All the Ways" and his "High and Dry" provides both the literal and figurative centerpiece. "Sagebrush" and "High and Dry" also provide an opportunity for Young to blow us away with his superhuman skills on the pedal steel guitar.

Cantamos has a little bit of everything for Poco fans - great harmonies, lots of energy, and great guitar and pedal steel work. Most importantly, it offers us a peak at things to come; Grantham, Cotton, Schmit and Young were not finished with creating some great music and Poco was ready to carry on a great tradition and were still very much at home on the throne as the kings of country-rock.



Chris Hicks

Chris Hicks

Since the age of seven, Chris Hicks’ only passion has been playing guitar. He created his first band when he was 14 and has been a shooting star ever since. Heading up The Loose Change Band from 1980 through 1988, Chris developed his distinctive style and grabbed the attention of listeners across the country. The legendary Outlaws recruited Chris in 1989. He captivated a rapidly expanding coterie of supporters with smoldering hot guitar work, powerful blues vocals and expressive songwriting. Chris played on and contributed songs to the Outlaws releases, “Hittin’ The Road Live” and “Diablo Canyon.” He returned home to produce his first solo album, “Funky Broadway” which was nationally distributed by Ichiban Records. Soon after its release Chris was sought out by The Marshall Tucker Band. His signature licks and heart-pounding vocals fused perfectly with the band’s unique sound and can be heard on their latest release, “Face Down In The Blues.” Having gained a solid reputation as a well-respected solo artist, he continues to create a unique musical experience best described as “soulfully inspiring.” He also played on MTB's Beyond the Horizon CD.

 

Chris’ talent and ability to provide an original and versatile sound has landed him opening spots for The Atlanta Rhythm Section, Jefferson Starship, .38 Special, The Charlie Daniels Band, Edgar Winter, Eddie Money, REO Speedwagon and several multi-band tours. His song, “Love Is On The Line,” was featured in the film Fast Food, starring Jim Varney. His song “Blues Got Me Down,” was hand-picked by Taxim Records to appear on their European blues compilation, “Peach State Blues.” The record also highlights Chris’ lead vocals on Barry Richman’s “Here Again.” His work also includes several television and radio commercials, a motivational tour, and numerous guest appearances both on stage and in recording productions for various artists.

 

The new millennium finds The Chris Hicks Band hard at work recording tracks for album number two and…back on the road, blazing with the force, spirit and music his fans have come to know and expect.