ETTORE SALATI

This month's Artist in Spotlight is Ettore Salati from Italy. Ettore is a sought after session guitarist by many prog musicians not just in Italy but all around the world. He started playing piano at a very young age (mostly classical music) but when he became a teenager and discovered the world of Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Genesis and 70's rock in general, he was immediately fascinated by guitar... more

KAT EPPLE (Emerald Web)

KAT EPPLE, flautist and composer, is our interview guest this month. She has won 8 Emmy awards, was nominated for a Grammy and she has released 18 albums internationally. Most of you know her as the other half of the legendary ambient/new age duo EMERALD WEB. She has a very large collection (over 200) of flutes that she gathered from all around the world during her travels. Kat composes original New Age/Jazz/World/orchestral music and has produced film scores and television soundtracks for National Geographic, Nova, CNN, Carl Sagan, Another World, The Travel Channel, Turner Broadcasting System, History Channel, HGN, The Guiding Light, PBS, and NASA among others, and was Music Director for the feature-length film, Captiva Island. She also owns a record company and works on both sides of the music industry as a musician and as a business woman... more

New Grass Revival / On The Boulevard

New Grass Revival are one of the pioneers of progressive bluegrass. Formed in 1971 by Sam Bush (mandolin/vocals), Curtis Burch (guitar), Ebo Walker (bass) and Courtney Johnson (banjo), they immediately got the attention from the industry both in a good and bad way. First of all, they were often told that their music was not bluegrass, and they knew it wasn’t “bluegrass” in its traditional sense, and it wasn’t what they were trying to achieve anyways. They were blending rock, soul and blues rhythms with the traditional bluegrass music. They were not wearing suites, but instead they had a more casual style along with long hair... more

ANTON ROOLAART

Earlier this year we had the distinct pleasure of reviewing Anton Roolaart's debut album "Dreamer". In that review Dale Juday unashamedly proclaimed that the CD was played frequently at The Prog Files... a statement not to be taken lightly when this office receives upwards of a hundred CDs per month. So when the Spotlight feature was scheduled for a change in artist, there was no question who would be selected. We're honored to have Mr Roolaart as our featured Artist this month. He has also been kind enough to allow our readers the opportunity to hear a track from his CD in full.

We here at TheProgFiles were thrilled to hear that Anton has assembled a band that he has already begun taking out for gigs with the intention of playing venues later in the year. The band consists of:

Anton Roolaart's extroverted enthusiasm and passion for life seems ever expanding and well in tune with the musical genre he has embraced and made apparent on his debut album of progressive rock material, Dreamer.

Anton was born in Iran; initially raised in the Netherlands, and subsequently arriving to the US with his family when he was still young. Growing up, Anton was exposed to classical music which his father played at home, as well as classic rock that his older brother followed. Anton started playing an instrument at the age of 13 taking classical guitar lessons. Shortly thereafter, he began to explore the acoustic guitar on his own. This was complimented after attending University at which time he explored electric guitar, mandolin and bass guitar, as well as keyboards, and synthesizers.

Anton's life long love affair with music took firm grip in his early adolescence when the music from Yes, Genesis, Beatles, and David Bowie illuminated a path that he readily started down. In his late teens, Anton began writing his own songs and performed in various clubs and cafes in the Charlotte, NC area.

Anton's college studies included electrical and multi-track sound engineering. These studies went hand in hand with the maturating of his musical skills. Upon completing his studies at the University, Anton spent a year traveling and living in Europe. When he came back to the USA,Anton decided to move close to New York City, the world's largest cultural melting pot.

It wasn't long before he was playing in cover bands and introducing some of his own compositions into the repertoire. Over time, his endeavors in the realms of computer technology evolved and matured, very much in step with the very fast technological advancements that have been introduced in recent years. He never could resist investing in new technological "gadgetry" that had the potential to enhance his ability to create music and as a result his studio grew in capability and professionalism.

Anton has passionately followed the evolution of Progressive Rock. This knowledge along with his strong computer skills moved Anton into creating ProgRockRadio.com, today one of the most popular Progressive Rock Internet Radio stations with dedicated listeners worldwide. Anton also contributed as a vocalist for JESDAT (based in Spain) on their debut album "City Lights". Anton released his debut album "Dreamer" in April of 2007, completely written, arranged, and produced by him. Recorded mostly in his home studio, "Dreamer" boasts the participation of some of New Jersey's most prominent musicians including, Rave Tesar (Keyboards - Renaissance, Annie Haslam), Rich Berends (Drums- Mastermind), and Vinnie Puryear (bass). The album was most welcomed by the Progressive Rock public and continues to receive positive reviews world wide.

Anton Roolaart's music represents a testimonial of life experiences and ideas which he laboriously captures not only with musical statements but also with lyrical content. As a never-stopping musician and composer, he continues to grow both musically and technically and his compositions continue to evolve and mature.

Anton has begun working on his next album, which he says will be released sometime next year and has every indication of being more than interesting.

You can find Anton Roolaart at:

www.antonroolaart.com

www.myspace.com/AntonRoolaart

...as well, you can listen to his track "On To The Afterglow" in it's entirety by clickingHERE