Music
Press
The night before I got to hear a rising star in Austin, Rudolph Llanes, down at Natalie Zoe's songwriter showcase at Club One 15. Llanes, who hails from Corpus Christi, says his influences include the Beatles and the Who, nevertheless sounds more like an updated version of the group Looking Glass from the 1970's (remember, Brandy, You're a Fine Girl?) with a little of Al Jarreau and Stevie Wonder (music he used to listen to as a child with his drummer dad). His songs are smooth as silk and sexy and romantic. Llanes plays every instrument on his current CD, "Into Focus," with very little extra help from side men.
On "Those Words," Llanes admits --
I lost more sleep than I care to say
The night for me is just darker day
It's when I think of times we'll share
I know you don't care
It's no crime
It just helps me say I'm losing my mind.
On "The Parent Song" (another title I did not guess), Llanes lets us in on this secret shame --
Fools don't come in millions
Just a few with their opinions
And somebody who would die to take your place
And the mistake that you're making
Is not giving while you're taking
And hiding from all who come to see
You shouldn't hide 'cause there's no need.
...Dick Clark would agree that you can dance to his music. - Duggan Flanakin
NEW YORK -Texas is a state known for breeding some of the best rock, blues, and roots guitarists in the world. However, a newcomer from the Lone Star State has just released a stunning debut CD on the nationally distributed independent Fountainbleu Entertainment label, and has proved that he's a young master at not only his fretted instrument, but of songwriting and singing as well.
Into Focus is the debut disc from young Rudolph Llanes, who grew up in South Texas and cut his performing teeth not only in cities such as Austin and surrounding towns, but in New York City and other major cities as well. As a youngster, Llanes (pronounced "YAH-ness") grew up listening to the melting pot that is Texas music: rock, jazz, blues, R&B, soul, and all sounds in between. In his teens, Llanes began writing infectious, spirited songs - songs that were unique, yet totally accessible and enjoyable. Before long, the music world began to turns its collective ear towards this handsome upstart.
One such impressed professional was country/rock artist Orville Davis, who instantly realized Llanes was the real thing. Soon, Llanes scored a recording contract with Fountainbleu, and the result is Into Focus, which shows him to be a vocalist and songwriter with unique musical gifts. In one important respect, Llanes matches the accomplishments of such luminaries as Prince or Stephen Stills - he performs on guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals, using overdubbing to create a full band sound on several cuts.
Highlights of this new 11-track disc include the opening tune, "Those Words,"I Get The Feeling", and the infectious "Lo-Rise".
- top40-charts.com
Discography
Into Focus-Fountainbleu (2004)
Untitled-Fountainbleu (slated for early 2007)
Photos
Bio
Rudolph hails from a small town in south Texas, where his fathers legacy as a drummer made him at home in some of Texas' most reputable music venues from a very early age. He learned to play guitar and other instruments by ear, listening to his father's hefty record collection of classic soul, rock and jazz and was the leader of various blues and R&B bands from the age of 16. In a quest to develop his own sound, he moved to the musically rich environment of Austin, TX, where his music has been embraced on Austin radio stations KUT and KGSR.
In the tradition of other "self-contained" artists, such as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Prince and Lenny Kravitz, Rudolph wrote, performed, produced, and engineered almost every song on his first original demo. It was a combination of this demo and Rudolphs dynamic live performances during a brief stint in New York City that caught the attention of Fountainbleu Records president Rafael Fuentes. Fuentes signed Rudolph and released his debut CD titled "Into Focus" in late 2004.
Into Focus is named after what Fuentes calls Rudolph's definite musical direction. It is also a play on the fact that the CD's cover photography is somewhat out of focus. The CD is a shining example of Rudolph's remarkable talent, not only as singer and songwriter, but also as player and producer. However, Rudolph would tell you that he is at his best when performing on stage.
Rudolph is also an in-demand musician and travels the country with other artists as a guitar player when his schedule permits. He just came off an extensive tour alongside Austin based singer-songwriter Sarah Sharp.
Links
