(RED BANK, NJ) -- On Saturday January 29th, the Mike Montrey Band (MMB) will enter into the studio to record a live studio album entitled, WEAVING THE BASKET, which is a nod to Henry David Thoreau's inspirational piece, Walden. The event will take place at Retromedia Studios in Red Bank, NJ. This will be the first "studio" album for the band since 2008's "A Perfect Reality", which featured current MMB members Rob Smith (drums), Karl Dietel (keyboards), and Adam Garnys (alto saxophone), and was nominated as album of the year by the AMA's. Joining them will be current members Anthony "Duke" Duca on bass guitar and Hayden Wright on tenor saxophone, as well as some other special guests.
Tickets to the event will be made available on the band's website: www.mikemontrey.com. Admission is $20. The event is all ages. Seating will be limited, and there will be 2 times to choose from. For those who may not be able to attend, you can still help support the band by making a donation at the website, for which you will receive a copy of the first printing of the album. We feel we are affording our fans and friends a wonderful opportunity to sit intimately and watch the making of a live album unfold, so we hope you can appreciate it as much as we will.
The MMB consists of frontman Mike Montrey on vocals and guitar, Anthony "Duke" Duca on bass and vocals, Rob Smith on drums and backing vocals, Karl Dietel on keyboards and backing vocals, and Adam Garnys and Hayden Wright on saxophone.
Montrey's professional music career began in 2001, with the formation of the eclectic rock band, …water... Acting as chief songwriter and vocalist/guitarist, Montrey led the five-piece into garnering a regional cult following and very rewarding press. After releasing their second studio LP, 2003's "Dig", New Jersey's Gannett Publications stated, "This band could represent rock's past, present and future", while the renowned tri-state music publication Upstage Magazine pronounced Montrey as "one of the scene's most commanding frontmen and inventive guitarists."
In 2007, after countless …water… performances at markets such as SXSW (Austin, TX), The Knitting Factory (NYC), Musikfest (Bethlehem, PA), The Starland Ballroom (Sayreville, NJ) and The Stone Pony (Asbury Park, NJ), Montrey was invited to tour nationally as a member of epic rock band The Samples, who'd been touring for 19 years and had shared stages with Dave Matthews Band, Sting and Phish, among many other heavy hitters. Montrey continues to perform with the legendary Samples at such venues as House of Blues (Dallas and Atlantic City), Tipitina's (New Orleans), Red Rocks Amphitheater (Morrison, CO) and The Highline Ballroom (NYC).
2008 saw Montrey collect his considerable experience and prowess to complete the debut solo album, "A Perfect Reality", consisting of 11 original Montrey compositions ranging from rock to country to experimental soundscapes. The album features fellow Samples and MMB member Karl Dietel on keyboards, as well as a slew of talented guests. Grammy Award-winner Mike Tarsia (Patti LaBelle, Joe Pass, Billy Preston) acted as engineer and co-producer. Within months of its release in April 2008, the album debuted at #29 on the Jambands.com radio charts. The single "Take Me Down Mississippi" was featured as a Garageband.com track of the week, and "Tin Can" was a Relix Magazine Jam Off! selection. Montrey celebrated the release with a performance at a packed Sullivan Hall in NYC.
"A Perfect Reality" has enjoyed a nomination for Top Release of 2008 by the Asbury Music Awards.
Montrey soon formed the nexus of what would become The MMB. Following their inception, The College of New Jersey's weekly publication, The Signal, spoke of their live show: "The audience sat mesmerized by the explosive energy of the music and the enthusiasm and passion of the band members." Following suit, Relix Magazine published a feature about the band that November.
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