Sons of Champlin

Description

The Sons of Champlin are very much a part of the rich tapestry that was the San Francisco music scene of the Fillmore and Avalon Ballrooms. Their funky Hammond B-3 and horns sound was utterly distinctive and quite unlike the rest of the Bay Area’s psychedelic guitar bands. Celebrating the human spirit, philosophical themes driven by funk infused R&B and jazz based tempos continued to set the Sons apart. Often hard to define because of their eclectic mix of material, the Sons were playing acid jazz before it had a name.

Always known for their outstanding musicianship, they have become the benchmark against which other players have measured their chops. The Sons released seven albums between 1968 and 1977. After a twenty year hiatus, the Sons reunited for a series of successful reunion gigs in 1997. In cooperation with Grateful Dead Records, the Sons recorded and released their first ever "live" CD in 1998. The earlier studio releases never quite captured the magic of their live shows. Quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart said of those earlier shows, "they were breathing fire... they were the most talented of all the bands."

Early in 2002 Bill Champlin agreed it was "too good not to continue." In an extraordinary partnership with the Expression Center for New Media, located in Emeryville, CA., the Sons are back on stage and back in the recording studio. They released the CD & DVD, "Secret", which captures the magic of the Sons at their best, not just live ... but Alive. This would be followed by a new Studio Album "Hip L'il Dreams" in 2005(they have also over the years re-mastered much of their back catalogue). As of this writing, Champlin appears with original members Palmer and Preston. Lead Guitarist Carmen Grillo, Tamara Champlin & Will Champlin join on vocals, with Bobby Vega on Bass, Johnnie Bamont on Sax and Jeff Lewis on trumpet.

In photo from left....Jim Preston, Bobby Vega, Geoff Palmer, Johnnie Bamont, Bill Champlin, Tamara Champlin, Carmen Grillo and Jeff Lewis (Will Champlin not in photo)