Despite it's big city tendencies, fans in Oregon still favor music
with that good ol' country sound.The metro area has in fact become
a virtual Mecca for aspiring musicians, with a scene developing
that may one day rival Nashville.
Home-grown rising star Jason Snell is busy preparing his debut
album, The Thrill, at several studios in the local area for imminent
release. A screening of a demo edition of the disc indicates that
this could be a break-through recording of an artist on the move.
Growing up in Gresham, Snell was "hooked" by the power of music
at an early age. He first started playing professional gigs at the
tender age of 15 in legendary clubs like The Last Hurrah and Key
Largo. Rubbing elbows with local luminaries such as Dan Reed and
Valerie Day in these premier venues helped inspire Snell to aim
his musical sights a bit higher.
As a fledgling lyricist/vocalist, he began to hone both composing
and performing skills that are now reaching full bloom. Playing
drums and singing for over two decades has given Snell the time
to explore his range and craft with a unique style and sound.
His debut solo project, The Thrill, seems designed to show case
the combination of Snell's strong suits. Co-written and produced
by musical mover and shaker Peter Bunch, the album has been two
years in the making. The engineering process utilized five different
local recording facilities and features an all-star line-up of area
session backup players. The songs and performances on The Thrill
span the gamut of emotions. The title track speaks of lost love
and broken dreams, while tunes like Deep Love and She's My World
evoke the power of passion and devotion. The song writing is tight
and clear, thanks to added assistance form contributors John DiRollo
and Bob Cowsill.
Snell's vocals are strong and clean, blending well with the band's
instrumentation, with support from such local icons as drummers
Carlton Jackson and Guy Maxwell, the bass lines of Tom Stroud and
Sandin Wilson, and background vocals provided by Tracy Fordice and
a host of others, Snell is presented in a contemporary mode worthy
of CMT. The overall sound quality, courtesy of engineer Dean Baskerville,
makes listening to this home-grown product a pleasure.
Snell is working hard to share The Thrill of his music with you.
Look for this exciting new disc at a store near you soon. Watch
for a CD release party as well.
