DC Area Event Producer and Talent Buyer Bob Israel Announces June 30 CD Release Party @ Blues Alley with his All-Star Band "TOTAL ECLIPSE"

WWW.BLUESALLEY.COM

"Now THIS is a jazz club." - Dizzy Gillespie "Best Night Spot" - Washingtonian Magazine

BOB ISRAEL
and his All-star band Total Eclipse

Washington, D.C. -- June 9, 2010 - On Sunday, June 30, 2010, Bob Israel and his all-star band, Total Eclipse, will appear at Blues Alley for their official Washington CD release party. They will be performing much of the material from their new release entitled "Bob Israel and Total Eclipse" with shows at 8 and 10 p.m.


After performing the DC music circuit with Total Eclipse for the past few years, Bob Israel decided it was time to record the best of the original compositions and cover tunes that had been gestating within the band's creative sessions. These songs are a complete departure from the big band music for which Israel is originally known. "Hence the band name Total Eclipse, a unique blend of jazz, rock, blues, fusion and Latin rhythms. I got tired of folks asking for "In the Mood" every night and wanted to try something totally different, so I began to form a band that would create this new sound."

Israel, the band leader, performs on electric and acoustic guitar. For the past 35 years he performed as a trombonist and led the Washington Jazz Battalion, a 16-piece big band that enjoyed great popularity on the East Coast. The band later became the Blues Alley Big Band, and backed up many artists such as Stanley Turrentine, Nancy Wilson, Maureen McGovern, and Harry Connick, Jr. Israel's blues and rock influences are heard throughout and feature the stylings of popular Washington musicians, Chris Battistone, George Hyde, Bruce Swain, Dominic Smith, and Latin percussionist Nelson Alvarez.

"With players like this, Total Eclipse is like a musical think tank. We're continuously writing creative, thoughtful, new and interesting material. Our CD certainly reflects this." The music ranges from the rather upbeat and exciting Latin Fusion sounds of "Total Eclipse," the title tune, to the bluesy modern influences in "Joe's Orbit" and Latin beats of "Reposado," to the haunting and nostalgic "Captain Blue," an original written by Bob Israel which recalls the time he spent on the bay with a close friend who passed away after a long battle with cancer. The band also features the fantastic straight-ahead jazz writing of Bob Sykes and J.C. Carter in "Robot" and "Mr. Stewart," and a blues guitar-inspired version of "Teach Me Tonight." Additionally, there are two acoustic guitar and flugel horn arrangements of Lennon and McCartney's "Blackbird" and of Horace Silver's "Peace".

Total Eclipse is a culmination of Bob Israel's desire to expand musically and get back to his roots. For more information see the contacts list below.


For Ticket Sales:
http://www.bluesalley.com/

For Further Information:
Contact: Kandy Collins
Kandy Collins Music & Media Services
kandy.collins@gmail.com
(301) 775-2091