Birds Of Paradox

JEFF SLATE POISED FOR DEBUT SOLO RELEASE, BIRDS OF PARADOX, OUT OCTOBER 9th, 2012 INCLUDING PERFORMANCES BY MEMBERS OF WINGS, THE BYRDS, THE WHO, THE PLASTIC ONO ELEPHANT’S MEMORY BAND AND MORE Album Release Show at Joe’s Pub, Wednesday, October 10th September 19th, 2012 (New York, NY) Jeff Slate, founder and frontman for beloved indie outfit, The Badge, has announced that his first solo-project LP release Birds of Paradox will be available on October 9, 2012, with an album release party to follow at Joe’s Pub Wednesday, October 10, 2012. Following on the success of Jeff Slate’s 2010 single Dreamtime, which featured longtime David Bowie cohorts Earl Slick, Carlos Alomar and Gail Ann Dorsey, the album boasts performances from legends in the NYC scene, spanning decades of legacy. Gary Van Scyoc (bass, vocals) and Adam Ippolito (keyboards, vocals) played with John Lennon’s Plostic Ono Elephant’s Memory Band, on Yoko Ono’s recordings, and have played with Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Paul Simon, Keith Moon, Mick Jagger and many more. Steve Holley (drums) was a member of Wings for 3 years and has played with Elton John, Joe Cocker, Chuck Berry, Ian Hunter and many more over his illustrious career. Jimmy “Mack” McElligott (guitar, vocals) was a member of 1980s New York New Wavers The Propellers and has performed with countless rock legends as well, including Rock -n’ Roll Hall of Famers Tommy Ramone and Gene Cornish, and Denny Lane. The title of the LP, Birds of Paradox, is taken from the song written by John Lennon about May Pang, “Surprise, Surprise; Sweet Birds of Paradox”, owing to the fact that Pang introduced the members of Jeff Slate’s band, leading to their first performance together at her 60th birthday party in 2009. “It began as an act of charity,” Jeff Slate says in the liner notes to Birds of Paradox. “I was the musical director for a charity event and Steve Holley, who used to be the drummer in Wings, was one of the guest performers. We hit it off and I asked him to drum on some songs of mine in the studio a few weeks later. When we got in there it was exciting. The songs sounded better than I could have ever dreamed. After 15 years making records and playing live with The Badge a new door had opened and I was excited again about making music.” With a setlist of songs from Birds of Paradox, crowd favorites from Slate’s tenure with The Badge, and classics that Van Scyoc and Ippolito performed live with Lennon, as well as hits by Bob Dylan, The Band, The Beatles and other giants of the last 50 years of popular music, upcoming live shows are sure to bring the house down. “We rehearsed at the old Hit Factory, which is now the New York headquarters of Gibson Guitars, and then started with a few shows out of town in Rhode Island and near Woodstock” said Slate. “It sounds fantastic and the crowd response has been amazing. It’s such a thrill to play these songs with these musicians. It’s intimidating to think the last time Gary and Adam played -Come Together’ was with John Lennon at Madison Square Garden, but even more than that it’s exciting.” The album also features Laurence Juber (Wings), Gene Parsons (The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers), Alex Alexander (Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nile), Simon Townshend (The Who, Roger Daltrey) and Susie Collins (ELO, Ace Frehley).