Pedro Arevalo
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Pedro Arevalo

Sarasota, Florida, United States

Sarasota, Florida, United States
Band Americana Country

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"DVD/CD Review: Dickey Betts & Great Southern"

DVD/CD Review: Bass Player Magazine
Dickey Betts & Great Southern
Brian Fox | November 2005
Back Where It All Begins: Live at the Rock & Roll
Hall of Fame and Museum [Eagle Rock]
Former Allman Brothers Band lead guitarist Dickey Betts revisits
some of the Allmans’ greatest hits on this live DVD and CD,
including “Statesboro Blues,” “Blue Sky,” and “Jessica.” The band
smokes, and Pedro Arevalo digs hard on his Lakland Skyline
44-02, giving Great Southern a snappy, edgy bottom end. In the
DVD Pedro describes his role in the band, namely how Dickey
encourages him to play out and “chase the melody.” Pedro is always
in step, copping Dickey’s licks as soon as they’re played, frequently
taking liberties to flash his own
impressive chops. Despite some hair-raising rhythm-section snafus
on “Ramblin’ Man,” the band lays down the kind of dirty Southern
blues that’ll have you hootin’ for more. (BF) - Bass Player Magazine


"Pedro Arevalo: Around the World and Back"

Bill Ector
Perhaps the most telling statement about Pedro Arevalo is the
one uttered by none other than the renowned Dickey Betts,
of Allman Brothers Band fame and currently the leader of Dickey
Betts and Great Southern: “Pedro Arevalo is one of the most prolific
songwriters and storytellers I have seen in a long time. As soon as
I heard him, I had to have him in my band.” Taken from a man who
has spun a few tales in his life and hung out with such storytellers
as Billy Joe Shaver, this is not faint praise. One listen to the 14 songs
on Pedro Arevalo and Friends proves Betts’ statement to be very
true indeed. Essentially recorded as an acoustic album, Pedro gets
the opportunity to showcase his numerous talents on acoustic
guitar, electric and upright basses, electric slide guitar, and
oth biscuit cone and tricone resonator guitars. Throw in a little
percussion work on two tracks as well, and it is easy to see
what the fuss is all about.
Pedro Arévalo was born into a musical family, and his need to
create musical sounds was given a certain amount of respect as
the grew up. By age 10, he was honing his skills on bass and
acoustic guitars, and he performed for the first time when he
was a mere lad of 11. As he grew in age and proficiency, he
became involved in session and production work. All of this,
and he had become a guitar teacher as well, with as many as 60
students per week. By the time he was 20, in 1996, Pedro had
received a performance scholarship to the highly acclaimed
Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.
While working toward the completion of his studies, Pedro
performed with not one, but two, West African band leaders: Djeli
Balls Jounkara in his group, Mande Foli; and Sidi “Joh” Camara in the
band Jamajagi. In addition, Arevalo was part of the drum and dance
ballet, Troupe Sewa. He finished his work at Berklee in 2001 and
began a brief tour of West Africa, where he continued to soak up
all that he could, in particular Mande and Bambara music.
Upon returning to the USA, Pedro found himself in Florida, where
he joined a fl amenco-inspired group called the Lotus Fire. The band
made a quick run through Europe in support of their album, Dance of
the Wicked, and then returned to Florida. At this point, Pedro worked
with a variety of artists, tweaking his skills on the piano, dobro and
Hawaiian guitar, as well as some very diverse African instruments.
Somewhere along this widely and wildly divergent path, Pedro
caught the attention of Dickey Betts, who recruited him to become
the bassist in his band, Great Southern. The experience of playing
the music that Betts made famous has been a growing time for
Pedro, along with stops at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a video
shoot and continuous touring.
Which brings us to Pedro Arevalo and Friends. Relaxed, laid back,
but with a smooth groove at all times, the mostly original songs
here highlight all the years of hard work and variety of influences
he has picked up along the way. From the opening “Wine and
Women” story of his weaknesses, to his interpretation of the
traditional “Trouble” and “C.C. Rider,” Arevalo shows that he
learned a lot about the blues along his path, too. Of particular
note is the jazzy “Driftin’ Song,” with brushed drums and bass and
acoustic slide, with a bit of B-3 thrown in. One of the most difficult
things to pullof is a slow blues, but Pedro’s “Reason” testifies to his
ability to do that quite nicely. Just to show that he has learned a lot
from living around the South, throw in the country-flavored
“I Don’t Know” for good measure, and a good time.
Arevalo invited a few of his Great Southern mates to play along,
with fiddle, harmonica, and a very cool Dickey contribution on
one track to give the CD a nice, rounded sound. Pedro Arevalo
may have been around the world a time or two, but catch him
next time he comes nearby. Whether solo or in a band, this man
can flat-out play and sing. - Hittin' The Note


"Album Review Pedro Arévalo & Friends Too"

Album Review: Hittin’ the Note Magazine
Pedro Arévalo & Friends Too:
Pedro Arévalo
Emily Parks


Close your eyes and Pedro Arevalo & Friends Too will take you on a
symphonic journey around the world. Numerous friends - like T.C.
Carr on the harmonica, Berry Oakley, Jr. on vocals and guitar, or
various members of Kettle of Fish - dropin and entertain with their
abundant talents, creating magic on bountiful instruments. This
ever-changing line-up proves that music from the soul can be made
anywhere, anytime.

The adventure starts with “Mi Guajirita,” a slow tango with friend
Duane Betts contributing an amazing Santana-sounding lead guitar.
Quickly traveling to the Delta, “Oh Lord What Have I Done?” gives
a straight-blues glimpse in the soul of a nomadic poet. The blues
intertwine with country roots and the unmistakable genuine sound
of Dickey Betts on “My Baby’s Gone.” “Keep on Rollin’ On,” also
written by Mr. Betts, is fast-paced and headstrong.

Pedro also includes a cover of an often overlooked Hendrix tune,
“My Friend,” and he shows how to pay homage to a song and creator,
yet claim it for your own. “Since I Found You,” a sweet, airy love
composition erfectly blends with the reverse, “El Gitano Errante,”
a dark, nomadic yet equally lovely ballad. Towards the end everyone
joins together for “Things ‘Bout Comin” My Way,” waving a woodsy
campfire tale of hope. This collection of special friends - from the
musicians to the engineers/producers to the mixers - creates a true
work of blended art on Pedro Arevalo & Friend’s Too. - Album Review: Hittin’ the Note Magazine


"Album Review Devon Allman’s Honeytribe"

Album Review: CD Universe
Devon Allman’s Honeytribe
Thom Jurek
Devon Allman’s Honeytribe hails from St. Louis, MO. Torch is the
band’s American debut, though a live European offering is available
from the band’s website. Yep, his dad’s Gregg Allman, but Honeytribe
has its own sound. Having grown up partly in Corpus Christi, and
later in Missouri, Devon Allman and band’s sound owes very little
to the Allman Brothers.

It’s a space age jam band blues outfit that has bits and pieces of
soul in the mix but the real deep edge is hard rock. Allman is a
solid guitarist and has a decent voice, but he does not possess the
phrasing chops of his old man; then again, it did take Gregg a long
time to become the kind of singer he is now. Torch feels like a debut
album. It has many solid moments, such as the burning instrumental
“Mahalo,” that feels like Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”
played by the Santana band without words. The sense of drama is
heightened by drummer/percussionist Mark Oyarzabal’s taste and
presence, and also by Jack Kirkner’s Hammond B-3. The cover of Bob
Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” is credible, but adds nothing to the
original (why do so many people think that they can cover this song?)
but it does feature guitar wizard Pedro Arevalo’s tasty licks and slide.
“When I Call Home” is one of those bluesy soul ballads that feels
right inside a jam band.

Allman’s singing is what makes the tune. He is expressive, digs down
deep into his belly for the lyric and lets it rip. His guitar work is
beautiful and tasty but he keeps the song upfront. Again, Kirkner’s
organ is such a gorgeous tool in a tune like this, it floats and then
grounds everything as well. The edgy hard rock of tracks like the
title and “Perfect World” don’t seem to work so well in the studio.
Production is a problem because these cats seem to have to crank
every instrument up to ten, leaving no space in the mix. There are
a number of clichés here, too, such as the boogie blues “Heaven
Has No Mercy,” which sounds like a tune your average bar band
would play at a biker road rally. The solo acoustic guitar piece,
“511 Texas Avenue,” is a nice relief from the bombast, and the
album’s closer “Nothing to Be Sad About,” balances the big ringing
guitars with acoustic-honky tonk-style piano and loose, back porch
vocals, showcasing all the band has to offer quite nicely.
Interestingly, Allman’s blues guitar style owes more to Dickey Betts
than it does late uncle Duane’s but then, Betts has infl uenced plenty of
the jam band generation pickers so it might just be coincidence. While
Torch is not an overly impressive debut, it would be a mistake to write
it, or the band off . There’s room to grow and Honeytribe is surely on
the right track.

Liner Note Author: Marlise Paxman
Recording information: Ardent Studios,Memphis, TN (2006);
Leeway Studios, Memphis, TN (2006).

Personnel:
Devon Allman (vocals, guitar); Pedro Arevalo (guitar, slide guitar);
Joe Bonamassa (guitar); Tony Antonelli (percussion); Jackie Johnson,
Susan Marshall (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Pete Matthews. - Album Review: CD Universe


"Quote - Pedro Arevalo: Around the World and Back"

" Whether solo or in a band, this man can flat-out play and sing." - Hittin' The Note


"Quote from Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers, Great Southern)"

" Pedro Arevalo is one of the Most prolific song writers and story tellers I have seen in a long time. As soon as I heard him, I had to have him in my band." - Pelican Press


"Quote from Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers, Great Southern)"

" Pedro Arevalo is one of the Most prolific song writers and story tellers I have seen in a long time. As soon as I heard him, I had to have him in my band." - Pelican Press


Discography

• Dickey Betts & Great Southern: Back Where It All Begins, DVD, Live at the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame, Eagle Rock - 2005

• Dickey Betts & Great Southern: Live in Germany Rockpalast, DVD - 2009

• Song for my Father, Devon Allman’s Honeytribe, 429 Records Savoy Label Group - Rerelease 2010

• Pedro Arévalo and Friends II, Deep Blue Sea Records - 2009

• Pedro Arévalo & Friends, Deep Blue Sea Records - 2006

• HoneyTribe Torch, Livewire Records - 2006

• Dickey Betts & Great Southern: North American Tour
Official Bootleg, Betts Back Alley Records - 2006

• Wanee Festival Videos, Jam Cam Chronicles DVD 2006, 2007, 2008

• Musicians for Disaster Relief, Rock Release DVD, 2005

• Pedro Arevalo and Friends Too, Deep Blue Sea Records 2008

• Pedro Arevalo and The Psychotropic Band, Deep Blue Sea Records 2011

Photos

Bio

PEDRO ARÉVALO:
Lead Vocals, Bass,
Slide Guitar and Dobro

Pedro joined Dickey Betts (founding member of the Allman Brothers Band) and Great Southern as bassist in 2004. In addition to playing with Dickey Betts and Great Southern, Pedro has toured internationally with The Lotus Fire and Devon Allman’s Honeytribe. He has appeared on a variety of studio and live albums -- as well as several video and
television programs. These include the Carson Daily Show, concert.tv productions and “Back Where It All Begins,” for the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

The electric and contrabass, resonator guitar, lapsteel, Puerto Rican cuatro and electric side guitar are among the many instruments Pedro incoporates into the creation of the“Psychotropic” sound. This new genre is blend of Folk, Ratime, Jazz, Delta Blues, Country, Rock n’ Roll, Latin and Caribbean music.