July 2008

          The Carl Verheyen Band wishes to thank everyone for their continuing support and encouraging letters and postings around the Internet. We also appreciate the overwhelming good will you have shown by buying the latest CD, Take One Step.  This support has enabled us to make another recording which we’ve already begun working on. Writing and rehearsing went down before the spring tour and a handful of tunes were refined on the road and then recorded in late July. After that very musical and exciting European tour in the spring the band sounds fresh and vital, partly due to the inclusion of Walfredo Reyes, Jr. on drums and Carl’s old friend and partner Dave Marotta on bass.

From Carl:
          This year has been a racing by!  The last few tours were amazing, I really enjoyed the high level of musicality night after night and it was fun to see old friends and fans. We played some very new and different venues this year, including the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus on Gran Canaria Island in the Grand Canaries. The Spanish audience was wonderful and we were blessed with huge turnouts in Germany, Austria, France and Italy, too.
          On the educational front I began the year teaching a course at the University of Southern California (USC) called Advanced Electric Guitar. I was also invited to be Artist in Residence at Los Angeles Music Academy while continuing to conduct a weekly workshop at Musicians Institute in Hollywood.  I did a Master Class at Berklee College of Music in Boston as well as my annual workshop at Music Academy International in Nancy, France. And I’ve recently begun writing a monthly column for a very informative web site called www.GuitarJamDaily.com.  I’ll be teaching at the All Star Music Camp at Music Academy 2000 in Bologna, Italy with bassist Stu Hamm in September.
          On the studio front I played guitar and baritone guitar on the movie “Speed Racer” for composer Michael Giacchino.  I had previously worked with Michael on the TV show “Lost” and last year’s Pixar film “Ratatouille,” but this was the most challenging score I’ve done to date. On the first two days of recording the instrumentation was me on guitar, Abe Laborial on bass and 7 drummers! After those two days we did another eight days with the same lineup, plus a full orchestra. And although the film didn’t do too well in the theaters it was a lot of fun to play on the soundtrack. Very different from “Ratatouille” where I played Django Reinhardt style acoustic guitar and mandolin with a 110 piece orchestra…..
          I also produced and played on a project by a great band from Northern Ireland called Phoenix 23. The band brought a film crew to Hollywood for the “making of” DVD, so you can see footage of me overdubbing a solo on their record on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuWqzBtzW90
          I’m very excited about the new music the band has been playing live and eagerly awaiting the recording dates. Also…. finally I’ll be doing another instructional DVD!  For everyone that has waited patiently for a Volume II of Intervallic Rock Guitar, the time has come! We tape that in early September and there will be some bonus footage of Dave and I playing with Chad Wackerman on drums…..
Thanks again,
Carl

From Dave
          It’s great to be playing again in the CVB after a 10 year hiatus. Our recent tours in Europe and performances in California have confirmed how much fun and creative this band is. We are currently recording some great new material that we’ve been refining on the road……
          I continue to live and work in Los Angeles and find my schedule to be very busy with live performances and studio work. Carl and I will be recording the soundtrack on an upcoming movie documenting the history of surfing on the north shore of Oahu in Hawaii. It’s produced by the famed director Bruce Brown (Endless Summer 1 & 2, which Carl and I also worked on many years ago). I enjoy this work a lot, mainly due to my love of ocean sports!
          I look forward to finishing the new CD, getting out on the road again next year and personally meeting the many fans that have come to love the CVB. I believe this current band with Carl and Walfredo to be one of the most creative and dynamic bands I have ever had the pleasure of playing with.
All the best,
Dave

From Wally
  I have worked with Dave and Carl for many years, but this past year being on the road with the CVB I realized that we have something special, a musical sauce brewing. After every show there is a feeling of musical ecstasy, a really great feeling of playing great tunes, jamming and creating a unique situation every single night.
After being in Santana from 1989 to 1993 and with Steve Winwood (and Traffic) from 1994 through 2004, I have been touring with Mickey Hart and most recently Lindsey Buckingham.  Check out www.walfredoreyesjr.com  and www.myspace.com/walfredoreyesjrmusic for more details.  As soon as I finish the Lindsey Buckingham tour in October we will finish the new CVB CD which sounds awesome so far. I will be laying drums and percussion with Dave and Carl and some special guests….we-B-rockin’!  I hope you can check us out soon, and may your grooves be PHAT!
Wally

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