Highway Run

• Track Listing

Sometimes, when the stars line up just right, and luck is in one's favor, amazing things can happen. This might be the best way to describe the conception of the Charlie Wheeler Band. When guitarist and songwriter Charlie Wheeler decided it was time to 'make a proper recording,' he enlisted the help of Anthony Brown, the very talented keyboardist, engineer, and producer at AllSound Studios in Warren, PA. 'Anthony helped me assemble the right mix of players to get this project going,' says Wheeler. Brown's first call was to long time collaborator and good friend Greek Cheronis (vocal/harmonicas). It took Brown about two minutes to convince Cheronis to join the project. Cheronis arrived at AllSound Studios 15 minutes later, unannounced and all fired up! Thus began the Charlie Wheeler Band. A combination of the hottest and most talented musicians between Jamestown (NY), Warren (PA) and Ridgway (PA), the Charlie Wheeler Band was created in 2007. Originally assembled as a studio band, the group became energized as the recording of their second CD 'Highway Run' progressed. With the addition of Chuck Jaques on Bass and Darren Payne on Drums, all of the pieces just seemed to fit together. Collectively, the decision was made; a high energy, powerful, live show must be shared. 'What happened to the guitar solo, the piano solo, the instrumentation?' Wheeler asks, directing the question at today's popular music. 'Where did it go? Isn't playing your instrument to your fullest potential one of the bedrock principles that rock n' roll was founded upon?' Wheeler writes songs in a variety of styles, ranging from riff based blues-rock to roadhouse-rockabilly to monster power ballads. He generally leaves ample room in his arrangements for the individual band members to express themselves instrumentally. During live performance, CWB is never shy about expansive improvisation. Maybe it took 20 years in the music business for things to fall into place. Maybe it was simply where life took this group of talented players. Maybe the stars lined up just right. Maybe it was fate working it's strange ways.