When not playing solo, I have the honor of playing with my band Buffalo Robe, which consists of the following misfits- some revolving, some not: Paul Inman on piano and guitar, Jeff LeGore on bass, Robert Dill on drums, Bret Jensen on guitar, Dan Wistrom on guitar and Laurie LeGore on backing vocals.
Influences
In no particular order: Ray Bradbury, Jackson Browne, Elton John, Carlos Castaneda, The Band, Neil Armstrong/Buzz Aldrin/Michael Collins, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, ancient Athens, Bruxelles, CSN&Y, Buffalo Springfield, Lucinda Williams, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Edward Abbey, the Rocky Mountains and plains of Colorado, Tom Petty, Garry Trudeau, the wayward wind, civilization, Cat Stevens in concert, Socrates, Oriana Fallaci- who called it straight and true, astronomy, The New Yorker, Joshua Tree, Johnny Cash, the sun, U2, Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams, tan VW van, JJ Cale, first man on mars, The Beatles, The White Stripes, James McMurtry, The Rolling Stones, Joshua Tree, Neil Diamond's 'Stones', Waylon Jennings, I miss Jerry Garcia, the far country, Grant Lee Buffalo, Bob Dylan, the canyons of the southwest, George Carlin, the road, ...
If you wish to purchase any album(s) or individual song(s) within the Chris Laterzo catalogue, click your cursor on an album cover above. This will transport you to my cyberspace residence located at www.chrislaterzo.com. Also available on itunes, cdbaby, and at numerous other locales.
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~ "...On WaterKing, Laterzo demonstrates why many have hailed this L.A.-based singer-songwriter as a worthy figure in a lineage that includes Gram Parsons and Neil Young. Sometimes offering up churning guitar anthems, other times crafting ballads that sound like campfire classics, Laterzo is first and foremost a gifted melodist with an ear for hooks that sink in more deeply with each listen." - Performing Songwriter
~ "...Laterzo has kept his eyes forward, his head up and his remarkable songwriting skill honed to a diamwond-sharp edge. And he's got enough of his own soul to light L.A. for at least three days." -Albuquerque Alibi
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A singer-songwriter who arrived in Los Angeles via a number of places- Colorado, Belgium, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., ... for the insane but truly rewarding purpose of writing, performing, and recording tunes.
In 1997, Chris released his debut independent album American River. Co-produced by Laterzo and Denny Weston, Jr., the L.A. Music Connection called it “an engaging collection of American folk rock, and the essence of a rustic album.” After two years of playing the local scene and touring throughout California and the Southwest, Chris garnered solid album reviews, as well as airplay on both NPR and small market stations.
For his 2nd album WaterKing, Laterzo teamed up again with producer Denny Weston along with producer Ty Stevens. The core band for this album included notable talents such as Tad Wadhams (Sheryl Crow) on bass, Hank Linderman (America, Timothy B. Schmitt) on electric guitar, and Buck Johnson (Matthew Sweet, Shawn Mullins) on organ. Released in late 2000, WaterKing’s eleven original songs weave among the boundaries of rock, folk, and alternative country. WaterKing is a natural follow-up to American River, and its songs continued to reveal an artist devoted to melodic arrangements and placing the song center stage. The Performing Songwriter Magazine states: “Laterzo is first and foremost a gifted melodist with an ear for hooks that sink in more deeply with each listen.”
Touring over the last few years through the Southwest- and most notably his recent tours in Europe- has brought Laterzo many new fans. Chris has been a featured artist on ASCAP’s ‘Quiet on the Set’ and the musical guest on the number one national television talk show in The Netherlands ‘Barend en van Dorp’. Laterzo has had songs placed in rotation on several airlines such as Lufthansa and Continental, and recently had his song ‘Welcome to California’ included in the film ‘50 Yard Line’.
The fall of 2004 brought the release of Driftwood, Chris’ 3rd full length album. In realizing Driftwood, Laterzo opted to take on full production and engineering responsibilities. Chris admits that in recording Driftwood, “the end result is that I achieved exactly what I had envisioned- an album that has a homegrown and live-in-the studio band vibe. I specifically kept the instrumentation simple (drums, bass, guitars, piano, pedal steel) and strictly ruled out layering guitar tracks and the use of all the bells and whistles.”
January 2009 brings the latest album by Chris Laterzo- Juniper and Pinon. Basic tracks for the album were recorded at Sonora Studio in Glendale, California with overdubs being recorded in a variety of locations. “Many of the vocal tracks, including two solo acoustic numbers, were recorded over two days in a suite at The Joshua Tree Inn. For bass and drums on ‘Hacienda’ and ‘Senorita Sunshine’ we returned to Joshua Tree, California where we rented a house and set up all the recording gear. The high desert offered an ideal setting for making this record, and we were able to capture some great moments.” Laterzo said. Co-produced by Laterzo and Jeff LeGore, Juniper and Pinon consists of nine Laterzo compositions and an alt-country version of Elton John’s ‘Holiday Inn’. The album features Laterzo with his band Buffalo Robe, and includes several solo acoustic numbers as well. Some highlights include the electric guitar driven ‘Misfit Child’, the breezy pedal steel laced title track ‘Juniper and Pinon’, and the ballad ‘Woman’.
Expect to see Laterzo continue to tour through the Southwest and California, with a return to Europe.
For all the deets, travel to www.chrislaterzo.com
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Booking inquiries:
claterzo@earthlink.net
Europe publicity:
Peter Holmstedt at Hemifran
www.hemifran.com
