Connections: A is for ...

Jane Aire (1+) Connecting in 1979. Singer.

Jane You want connections? Hey let's start with an easy one - a STIFF connection! Kirsty sang backing vocals on the album Jane Aire & the Belvederes along with Akron teenager Rachel Sweet. Jane was a fellow Stiff act - the Belvederes were in fact The Edge and comprised Lu Edmonds, Glyn Havard, Gavin Povey and Jon Moss who went on to form Culture Club and who has been quoted as saying "If I go round to someone's house and there's an Eric Clapton record, I just walk out."

The Edge backed Kirsty on They don't know (produced as was Jane by Liam Sternberg) and Desperate Character. Rachel Sweet on the other hand had the support of various Blockheads on her album - Charley Charles, Norman Watt-Roy and Mickey Gallagher. Jane later married Pete Briquette of the Boomtown Rats (who co-wrote You caught me out with Kirsty and played on the record) and left the music business. It was fun while it lasted Jane. I once saw her supporting Lene Lovich on tour, and of course Lene sang backup vocals on Rachel Sweet's debut. Much later (1986), Kirsty luminary Mark Nevin played in Jane's band. You really want connections?

Ian Aitken (3) Connecting in 1991. Guitarist.

Session guitarist in a jazz-rock style. He played guitar on All I ever wanted, He never mentioned love & My way home. Other appearances included lead guitar with Shakin' Stevens, a Tribute to the Blues Brothers album and Scottish folk outfit New Celeste, even strAngely contributing a guitar solo to Death Metal album Necropolis - Blueprint for Bedlam. We think.

Luiz de Almeida (2) Connecting in 2000. Guitar, Surdo.

Luiz played Nylon String Guitar and Surdo on Não Esperando, and guitar on Designer life from Tropical Brainstorm. He is part of the Auwê project with Mark Hinton Stewart and singer Gabriela Geluda.

Robby Ameen (5) Connecting from 1989 to 1991. Drummer.

Robby Highly rated powerhouse session drummer featured on All I ever wanted, Children of the revolution, My Affair, He never mentioned love & We'll never pass this way again. Although he is of Lebanese origin, he is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban style he created. Growing up in Connecticut, upon moving to New York, Robby began recording with Dave Valentin and Ruben Blades, who was the first salsa singer to add a full-time drummer to his band, Seis del Solar. Another of his early recordings was "New Faces" with Dizzy Gillespie, about whom Dizzy said in Jazz Times "Just the other day I made a record with a Lebanese drummer – b-a-a-d! He had so much happening, and it keeps going, you know?".

The Kirsty connection began for Robby at the recording of David Byrne's Rei Momo. He has beaten the skins with all sorts of top Latin and jazz acts including band leader, producer & percussionist Kip Hanrahan, with whom he has been recording and touring since 1987, band leader Eddie Palmieri, percussionist Richie Flores, reeds & keyboard man Chico Freeman, Mongo Santamaria, Hilton Ruiz, Daniel Ponce, Jack Bruce, flautist Dave Valentin and salsa singer Marc Anthony (he was the drummer at Marc Anthony's historic first solo concert at Madison Square Garden).

His work with the Ruben Blades sextet is said to have helped to redefine the standards for Latin music. He has even made his own drumming videos and books ("Funkifying the Clave: Afro Cuban Grooves for Bass and Drums") and performed on Paul Simon's Songs from the Capeman studio recordings along with Milton Cardona and musical director Oscar Hernandez, as well as Marc Anthony, who starred in the play. Robby has lived in New York City since the early eighties.

In addition to his recording and touring schedule, he is busy doing jingles, TV music, and film scores with such composers as Dave Grusin, Carlos Franzetti, and Howard Shore. As a co-leader Robby recorded two records with Seis del Solar, Decision and Alternate Roots. Robby is also an active clinician, performing at NAMM and PAS shows, as well as internationally.

apollo four forty (3) Connecting in 1993. Remixers & dance music.

The British collective known as apollo four forty became a force in the burgeoning world of electronica in the 90s, thanks to an eclectic, playful and relentlessly inventive approach. The group was founded by brothers Howard & Trevor Gray and Noko in Liverpool in 1990, though the band would base itself in London's Camden. As the dance scene exploded, apollo four forty's sonic astronauts collaborated on remixes with such influential acts as U2, EMF, Deep Forest, Scritti Politti, and Shabba Ranks. Their crowning moments of course involve Kirsty! Trevor played organs, synthesizers & programming on Walking down Madison. Howard meantime remixes and production work on Walking down Madison and My Affair, and of course the Apollo 440 remix of Angel.

Connections: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W

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