TOM FORSELL

WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE Cat# SV0465

"WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE" Tom Forsell's solo recording with the Luah Cowboys

Tom originally from Upper Michigan then Detroit, lived in Texas, and has been living in Melbourne since 1976. His first instrument was the accordion. He later went to the guitar, then mandolin and has been writing songs and singing since he was 14. His early interests through family, and friends were country music(Lefty and Hank), polkas, and with the radio he discovered Detroit's great blues, and doo wop in the late 50's like Nolan Strong and the Diablos. He moved into rock and roll, but still loved blues and country even when it wasn't fashionable like when the Beatles arrived in 1964. Not one to follow trends he just listened with one ear to the radio with friends but the other was tuned into WCHB (R&b & soul), and WYSI(country) and the new Fm stations like WABX .

In Ann Arbor in the 60's he saw people like Jimmy Reed, T Bone Walker, the Louvin Brothers, and Commander Cody & the Lost Planet Airmen. Leaving Dylan behind in 1970, he listened to country songwriters like Paul Siebel, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and lots of bluegrass.

Living in Melbourne he has played in a number of bluegrass bands in the late 70's and early 80's with Peter Somerville and members of the band Hardrive. In 1985 Tom formed the award winning Moonee Valley Drifters a longstanding Melbourne institution. With lineup changes and two years absence living in Lubbock Texas, he has kept that band in the public eye since, blending some of his favorite country, cajun, swing and ballads together with a dash of the polka or rhumba. In Lubbock he played with Joe Carr and other West Texans doing country and western swing, borrowed PA"s from Buddy Holly's niece, blues singer Ingrid Kaiter, and supported Sonny Curtis.

Over the past year he has worked on these songs for his first solo album blending his early musical influences from the States, living here, and just living life. He launched this new recording in April at the Cornish Arms with the Luau Cowboys, who are Brian Fitzgerald on guitars and Paul Pyle on double bass. Paul has played with Johnnie O'Keefe, Slim Dusty, the Moonee Valley Drifters and Texicali Rose, while Brian is a veteran from the Perth blues and roots music scene. With the Luau's he has been able to put together the songs and air them at gigs with a whole range of other songs and styles including blues, bluegrass, instrumentals and Brian's Hawaiin slack key. This recording includes all of this with songs based on everyday people with plenty of "roots" styles, using clean guitar, mandolin, and accordion recorded as a "live album".

So, don't miss this CD "When two worlds collide" with the Luau Cowboys plus James Black piano, Gerard Rowan dobro/steel, Dave Hubbard harmonies and Hamish Davidson on fiddle.
Hill & range

The Luau Cowboys are:

Tom Forsell on vocals, guitar, mandolin, and accordion from the Moonee Valley Drifters and various bluegrass bands Brian Fitzgerald- guitar and slack key guitar from Perth's blues/roots scene Paul Pyle on double bass ex Slim Dusty Band, Johnnie O'Keefe, Moonee Valley Drifters, Texicali Rose, and Saltbush.

To make this band throw in a little country, some singer songwriter originals, Johnny Cash, add some bluegrass and guitar instrumentals, a little spice with some rhumba rhythm, cook over an acoustic stove, and finally add a little touch of hawaiin melodies and you have it. The Luau Cowboys.

Email: tforsell@dodo.com.au