Vince Esquire
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Vince Esquire

Wailuku, Hawaii, United States | SELF

Wailuku, Hawaii, United States | SELF
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"Top 10 Moments of the Allman Brothers Beacon Theater 2007"

Top Ten Moments, Allman Brothers Band, Beacon Theatre – 2007
Rob Johnson
2007-04-22

[Editor’s Note: Our Top Ten Series continues this month with Rob Johnson’s Top 10 Moments from the ABB Beacon run. Johnson, who is a longtime contributor to the site, also is a staffer at Hittin’ The Note. Starting this month, he also will contribute a column as well, which you should check out as well. As for Top 10 lists, we hope that you will send one our way for May- jambands@jambands.com]

1. March 24: “Dazed and Confused” during “Mountain Jam.” This was one of the most surprising song choices in Allman Brothers history, and brilliantly executed.

2. March 22: For the first public show of the Beacon run, the band opened with “In a Silent Way” by Miles Davis, a sign this night and this run would be different. The band segued from “Don’t Want You No More” into “Desdemona” instead of “Not My Cross to Bear,” and debuted an extended jam outro on “No One to Run With”

3. April 6: Guitar legend Peter Frampton showed he can still get the job done on “Key to the Highway,” “Born under a Bad Sign,” and “Southbound.”

4. March 26: The night belonged to the Asbury Juke Horns, who added brassy firepower to the Brothers already huge sound.

5. March 30: A nice adjustment by the band, with Warren Haynes ill. Susan Tedeschi carried the show – she was nothing less than brilliant on “Loving You is Sweeter than Ever,” Lost Lover Blues,” “The Weight” and “Anyday.” Guitarist Eric Krasno of Soulive also contributed nicely on “Les Brers,” “The Weight” and “Mountain Jam.”

6. April 8: The one and only Johnny Winter playing the blues on “Mojo Boogie,” “Blackjack,” and “All Tore Down.”

7. April 5: Young guitarist Vince Esquire distinguished himself on “One Way Out” and “Statesboro Blues.”

8. April 7: N.Y. Yankee legend Bernie Williams played guitar on “Who’s Been Talking,” and Gov’t Mule came out with Leo Nocentelli and Cyril Neville of the Meters for “Fire on the Bayou” and “Hey Pocky Way.” The highlight may have been Robert Randolph’s scorching contributions to the “Lovelight” encore.

9. March 23: Opening with a ferocious version of “Les Brers,” this show also saw bassist Oteil Burbridge taking the lead vocal on Hendrix’s “Manic Depression.”

10. March 27: Col. Bruce Hampton on “Spoonful,” Susan Tedeschi and Kevn Kinney on “I Shall Be Released” - Rob Johnson


"Gregg Allman Dallas and Houston Review"

"You covered many aspects of the show very well I might add. One thing I thought that was worth mentioning that you didn't, was Gregg bringing back out Vince Esquire. His warmup show was good, but a bit 'subdued' compared to the way he 'brought it' while playing with Gregg and friends. He, in my opinion, showed me something while playing with the band. I was impressed by Vince's ability to add to the sound, rather than tag along passively with the band..." - myspace blog fan reply


"The Allman Brothers back at Beacon Theater (excert)"

Last year's appearance of the King Curtis alumni provoked unrestrained glee from the band, especially bassist Oteill Burbridge, and their 2007 sit-in was just the first of many. Thursday's show featured a cavalcade of guest guitarists, including Vince Esquire, who more than held his own with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks on "One Way Out" and "Statesboro Blues" and Luther Dickinson for "Done Somebody Wrong." Dave Mason, formerly of Traffic and presently looking a bit like Sergeant Slaughter, appeared during the first set for covers of "All Along The Watchtower" and "Feelin' Alright" with Leslie West joining in later to belt out "The Sky Is Crying" and "Crossroads" with a soulful bluesy howl. Over the weekend, the ABB's guests ran the gamut from old friends (Johnny Winter, Jimmy Vivino) to classic rock dinosaurs (Peter Frampton, Vanilla Fudge's Carmen Appice) to the sublime and bizarre (former New York Yankee outfielder Bernie Williams and American Idol champion Taylor Hicks). - David Schultz


"CD Release Article-Maui News"

Link to article: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/530079.html?nav=5014

Young Maui blues wonder Vince Esquire is being heard in high places

By JON WOODHOUSE, Contributing Writer

Article Photos
VINCE ESQUIRE
BRUCE WHEELER photo

Fact Box
Gregg Allman compared Vince's playing to his brother, Duane's. 'He said the emotion and thought process was very similar.'
Gregg Allman of the legendary Allman Brothers will release a new solo album in April produced by Oscar/Grammy-winning musician T-Bone Burnett. Revamping some blues and R&B nuggets, Allman is joined on the recording by Eric Clapton Band guitarist Doyle Bramhall Jr., New Orleans piano legend Dr. John, and Maui's Vince Esquire.

"I went to L.A. in December and played on two cuts, and it was awesome," says Vince. "And I got to hang out with T-Bone Burnett for a couple nights and pick his brain about producing and recording."

Vince's guitar prowess had immediately impressed Allman back in 2007, when he had played with the Mana'o Radio Orchestra opening for Allman at a memorable Castle Theater show. After the musicians exchanged phone numbers, Vince was amazed a few weeks later when he got a call inviting the young Maui musician to sit in one night with the Allman Brothers at their annual residency at New York's Beacon Theater.

"He came out and saw us play and I guess he liked my style," Vince recalls. "About a month later he actually called and invited me."

A review of the historic night noted: "Thursday's show featured a cavalcade of guest guitarists, including Vince Esquire, who more than held his own with (Allman Brothers' guitarists) Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks on "One Way Out" and "Statesboro Blues."

Vince couldn't quite believe he was playing amongst such amazing musicians. "It was intimidating at first," he reports. "Standing between Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes and looking across the stage and seeing Greg Allman was kind of an overwhelming moment, but at that point you just have to suck it up and do it."

The successful gig led to another invitation to join Gregg Allman as the opening act for several dates of a Southern tour, including performing at the House of Blues in New Orleans and Dallas.

It was while recording with Allman in December that the 24-year-old musician finally found out why, among so many other great guitarists, he had been picked.

"He never gave me an explanation until most recently when I was in the studio with him," Vince reports. "And he said, the way I play reminded him a lot of his brother (Duane Allman). He said the emotion and thought process behind it was very similar. I thought that was pretty cool."

Pretty cool indeed being compared with a trailblazing player, ranked second on Rolling Stone's list of Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

Which brings us to Vince's startlingly impressive new CD, "Back Where You Belong." Making waves since his late teens with the power, passion and precision of his guitar playing, this album marks a major evolution. Immensely gifted, he has ventured way beyond the early billing as "Maui's Stevie Ray Vaughan."

Just take a listen to the rousing power ballad "Better Days," that erupts with a blazing Prince-like guitar solo.

It's easy to imagine a crowd of thousands, lit cel phones held aloft, swaying and singing along to the chorus, "I just want to go back to better days." It's that good.

"I was listening to bands like Journey and Foreigner and a bunch of things like that went into the song," Vince explains. "At this point I just wanted to put out an album of music that I would personally enjoy listening to. I wanted to put out something that represented where I was at the time and what I was inspired by. There is a lot of variation on the album. Each song is inspired by different things."

His time with Allman obviously informs some of the material such as the opening title track which smolders with a combination of blues muscle and funky energy, while he ventures into got-to-get-up-and-dance Tower of Power territory with the irresistible, horn-driven groove of "Tell Me Your Name."

"I was listening to a lot of Motown and James Brown, stuff with horns, like Tower of Power, when I wrote those songs," he continues. "And a couple of songs in particular were inspired by Gregg and the Allman Brothers."

Sounding as hot as anything out of the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, major credit goes to the horn players on "Tell Me Your Name" - John Zangrando, Vince's dad, Rudy Esquire, and Paul Bunuan.

The sterling musical collective helping craft the album includes drummer Josh Greenbaum, bassists Don Lopez and Shawn Michael, and keyboardist Les Adam.

With only one cover, The Meters' funky "Cissy Strut," the CD provides an opportunity for Vince to excel across a spectrum of styles, recorded live and in the studio. The closing "EL Jam," as it's aptly titled, captures the band and the guitarist spontaneously launching into a fusion instrumental that pays tribute to guitar master Jeff Beck.

"We were in the studio and Uncle Don (Lopez) suggested we take a break and just jam on something," he notes. "So basically that recording is a live jam on the spot. We figured it was so cool we captured it. I was listening to a lot of Jeff Beck at the time. I watched him at the Crossroads Festival on DVD, and I had to buy all his albums."

(Side note for Beck fans: His upcoming album, "Emotion & Commotion," features an amazing instrumental version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow.")

The centerpiece of the album, the nine-minute rocking "War Cry," was initially inspired hearing a Democratic presidential debate between Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton.

"They were talking about the war, and I have a friend who was in the Marines and was injured in combat, and I picked up my guitar and came up with it," he explains. "And my dad's a veteran, so that entered my thoughts, too. A lot of people pay attention to what they see and read, but there's not a whole lot of understanding of what's really going on over there."

Opening and closing with a haunting native flute, a traditional Irish war melody played by Trinette Furtado on bagpipes, along with radio news combat reports weave through this epic, Hendrix-flavored lament. "It's a song I would like people to listen on headphones or in their car," he adds, "because a lot of subtle things are going on in it."

Besides excelling as a blues and rock-based electric guitarist, Vince's musical world also encompasses playing ukulele with the group Kanekoa. Teamed with fellow ukulele player Kaulana Kanekoa, they will release an EP shortly.

"It should be done in the next month," he notes. "That's a whole nother thing because we do a lot of reggae, so we're trying to hit the reggae radio market. I love playing both ukulele and guitar, and taking concepts from one to another."

With the new CD out, this versatile Maui musician is already expanding his creative vision.

"I don't like to be stagnant," he emphasizes. "These days I'm listening to a lot of Miles Davis, and trying to get into a lot more jazz. I've been doing the gig on Wednesdays at the Han Hou Caf with Dorothy Betz and Les Adam, and they've really pushed my limits as far as getting me into more jazz-orientated stuff. I'm learning a lot more about chords and scales. I feel I've got a really good grip on the blues thing, I'm just trying to extend and add to it."

* Vince Esquire and his band present a CD-release party for "Back Where You Belong" on April 16 at Mulligan's on the Blue in Wailea.Kanekoa will close the evening. - Maui News


"CD Release Party-Maui Time"

The Vince Esquire Band CD Release Party

by Anuhea Yagi, author

April 14, 2010 | 03:40 PM

"To say that Vince Esquire is an awesome guitar player is a pitiful understatement. To say, 'man, that guy is a f*cking machine!' misses the point," writes preceding Pick princess, Kate Bradshaw, in a 2008 MauiTime Music Scene feature. "His solos are wildly creative, going well beyond the pentatonic with the occasional flatted fifth thrown in." (Uh... I took the liberty of looking up that last bit, and it means a dissonant tone created by playing notes six steps apart; which in the Middle Ages was deemed "the devil in music." Cool...) "Yet while they are intricate and betray years spent scaling the scales," Bradshaw continues, "unlike many young guitar players he allows his solos a little breathing room." With so much honed talent, the draw to see Esquire and equally talented pals Josh Greenbaum (drums) and Shawn Michael (bass) for The Vince Esquire Band's upcoming CD release party will likely leave little breathing room. The Back Where You Belong release will close with Kanekoa, Esquire's other outfit—a sorely underrated, electric ukulele jam band who, word has it, have a new release of their own, due out sometime this summer. - Maui Time


"CD Release Party - Maui Weely"

Is it possible to be considered a respectable music icon at the ripe old age of 24?
If we’re referring to Vince Esquire, then the answer is yes.

Fortunately for us music enthusiasts, Maui is home to an exceptional range of talents including this true guitar hero and ‘ukulele madman.

Along the path of this young titan’s extraordinary journey, Esquire has rubbed elbows with an array of musical greats and exhibited a level of musicianship that has had everyone on Maui and beyond tuned in over the last decade.

Among his many impressive credits, he has opened for folk hero Willie Nelson here and abroad, cut an awesome debut (First Offense) with acclaimed Johnny Winter bassist Mark Epstein, and toured and recorded with the legendary Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers. Yet has stayed true to his solid roots and homegrown skills.

“I go with the mentality I developed from growing up here, yet keep my guards up and try to stay as relaxed as possible,” said Esquire of playing with industry greats. “And working with someone like Gregg in the studio, who’s extremely mellow, it’s easy to keep your cool.”

Esquire recently returned from laying down two tracks on an upcoming recording from Allman in Los Angeles. Stay tuned…

And Esquire’s dynamic “band of brothers”—The Vince Esquire Band (VEB)—is set to blow minds at this weekend’s release party for Back Where You Belong, with low-key legend Esquire on lead vocals/guitar, the excellence of Shawn Michael on bass, and the dexterity of Josh Greenbaum on drums/vocals.

The album is an excellent collection of heartfelt songwriting, and true and gritty rock ‘n’ roll, with standouts such as title track Back Where You Belong, heartfelt soldier anthem War Cry, and boogie-down Tell Me Your Name.

And, The Meters cover (Cissy Strut) is a stellar ode to the original seminal funk composition.

Kanekoa, Esquire’s other band, a unique ‘ukulele powerhouse that steadily continues to improve, is slated to release an album soon as well.

With his passion for Jiu-Jitsu, Esquire said he has discovered a newfound rapport with life. “It’s been a life-changing experience,” he said. “I feel like I have more energy and a greater balance.”

The boy wonder Maui has grown to love over the last decade has matured into a confident bluesman, with a creative engine that’s driving full force into his bright future.

“I respect that Maui’s music scene changes, but I try to stick to my guns, and respect my talents and the talents I play with, and keep growing as a musician,” said Esquire.

Join Emcee Kathy “Tita” Collins as Maui celebrates with one of its finest collectives, The Vince Esquire Band. Performances include Maui’s premier ‘ukulele band, Kanekoa, and other surprises.

Tickets are $10 advance; $15 at the door. Music starts at 9 p.m.

Call 874-1131, and visit www.mulligansontheblue.com and www.myspace.com/vinceesquire for more information.

Pick up your copy of the future classic, Back Where You Belong, at Borders, www.vinceesquire.com or at any live gig
- Maui Weekly


Discography

Back Where You Belong- Released April 2010

First Offence - released at 16 years old (2001)
Back where you belong debut late fall (2008)

Photos

Bio

VINCE ESQUIRE was born May 18, 1985 in Oakland, California and moved with his family to Maui, Hawaii at the age of four. His father, a professional saxophonist, exposed Vince to music at an early age. As a youngster Vince showed exceptional ability on drums and at six years old was performing in his dad's band. In elementary school Vince played the trumpet and trombone and at eleven began playing and excelled on the ukulele. At thirteen, he formed a contemporary Hawaiian music trio that performed at local restaurants and coffee houses. At fifteen, mesmerized by a TV biography of Stevie Ray Vaughan, he chose to devote himself to the guitar. Shortly, his phenomenal talent emerged.

At age sixteen, while attending a summer program at the Berkeley Jazz School, he caught the attention of Ronnie Stewart, President of the Bay Area Blues Society, who recognized Vince's extraordinary ability and featured him at the Oakland/Russell City and Dunsmuir Blues Festivals. At the Dunsmuir festival he played with the legendary Sonny Rhodes and was noticed by Sammi Barber, President of the Shasta Blues Society, who invited him to play at the Shasta/Redding Blues Festival where he was featured with Coco Montoya and Tommy Castro.

Back on Maui, Vince was a popular guest with many of the Maui's best bands and was featured at the Annual Rhythm & Blues concert headlined by guitar greats, Eric Johnson and Chris Duarte.

At seventeen, Vince formed his own band, The Vince Esquire Band, and found success playing the island's top venues. Later that year, Vince and his band toured Hawaii with the Derek Trucks Band and Little Feat and was featured at the annual Willie Nelson Montessori festivals on Maui where he met and performed with Los Lonely Boys. Also that year, Vince released his debut album, First Offense, produced by Johnny Winter and Joe Bonamassa bassist Mark Epstein.

In 2004, while living in Austin, Texas, Vince was honored with a personal invitation by Willie Nelson to perform at his annual 4th of July Festival in Dallas, Fort Worth where he appeared before a crowd of 50,000 enthusiastic fans. In 2005 and through 2006 Vince has continued to amaze crowds throughout the Hawaiian Islands and The West Coast, playing Los Angeles, San Diego and the Bay Area. His performances have featured both his electric guitar skills as well as his incredible gift playing the electrified ukulele.

in 2007 Vince was blessed with a personal invitation from rock/blues icon Gregg Allman to join the Allman Brothers onstage at their legendary string of shows at the Beacon Theater in New York. Vince dazzled the crowd and has since been offered the oppertunity to open a string of shows for the Gregg Allman Band. Vince is currently on tour with them.

Now fitted with a more youthful, modern rhythm section consisting of Shawn Michael on bass and Josh Greenbaum on drums, the Vince Esquire Band is sure to amaze crowds both young and young at heart.