BIO:
-Geoff Byrd on the Grammy Ballot in 2004 in 4 catagories:
-Best New Artist (Geoff Byrd)
-Best Arrangement (Shrinking Violets)
-Best Pop Song (Parasol, Silver Plated)
-Best Pop Male Vocalist (Geoff Byrd)
-Geoff Byrd on the Grammy Ballot in 2008 with Jed Leiber and John Oates for the song: 1,000 Miles of Life Geoff Byrd (as co-songwriter)
-Nominated for a NMA Nashville Music Award 2009 in the category: MADE IN MUSIC CITY AWARD (for a recording made in Nashville by a non-Nashville artist) 1,000 Miles of Life John Oates, Geoff Byrd, Jed Leiber #1
-Most played song in the world on the internet a position held for two weeks. Geoff Byrd is the only independent artist to ever achieve a #1 position in the history of the internet: (Geoff Byrd (Silver Plated) -Radio Wave Monitor
-Garageband.com's all time best rated artist.
-Internet breakthrough artist of the year, (Live 365)
-Toured (playing only acoustic guitar and vocal) as the opening act for Hall and Oates on tour in the U.S. and Canada. (50 shows) including the Greek in LA, The Beacon in NYC and the Orpheum in Boston and the Hummingbird in Toronto and St. Dennis theater in Montreal.
-Byrd still continues to write songs and play with John Oates.
-#2 song in America on AC radio from Jim Brickman's record "Escape" with the single, "When It Snows" featuring Geoff Byrd singing all vocals. Byrd also co-wrote the song with Brickman.
-"The Light" -featured on "The Finest Hour" motion picture. (Billy Morrison/Geoff Byrd) Geoff Byrd vocals
-"Dirty In Texas" -"Anchored" (release coming this summer)
-Co-wrote and performed "Over The Top" the theme song for "Top This Party" on Lifetime TV (Byrd, Millman)
-Co-wrote and performed "Unstoppable" the theme song for Cheerleader Nation on Lifetime (Byrd/Millman)
-Co-wrote and performed "Far From Now" the theme song for "Wanna Go Fishing" on ESPN2 (Byrd/Millman)
-Wrote and performed "Before Kings" -#42 in the U.S.
-Co-wrote and performed "Silver Plated" #1 (HOT AC) on internet 2004 (Byrd, Page)
-Played live with and/or opened for: Stevie Wonder, Hall and Oates, John Oates, Jed Leiber, Jem, Seal, Kansas, John Waite, American Hi Fi, Michael Penn, Jurassic 5, The Calling, Jim Brickman, Billy Morrison (The Cult, Camp Freddy), Benny Mardones, Jeff Barry (Hall of Fame Songwriter), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), and many more.
-Byrd Has been featured in many articles as the first artist to break through from the internet into the mainstream (wikopedia), as well as the Washington Times, the cover of R&R and the cover of Billboard among many others.
-GEOFF BYRD SONGS APPEAR ON:
MTV shows "Next," "Real World," and "Road Rules" plus "America's Next Top Model," "Underaged and Engaged," "The Hills," "Last Comic Standing," "Army Wives," "Top This Party," "Wanna Go Fishing," "How To Look Good Naked," and hundreds of other TV shows.
-Byrd has over 500 placements on TV. Geoff Byrd is the vocalist on "Friend is a Friend" and "Take a Stand" on the kids animated show called "Toddworld" (on the Emmy ballot 2005)
-Byrd has been frequently in the Top 10 downloads on MSN and Amazon.com, as well as charting on hundreds of internet radio stations.
-Has been featured on the Mark and Brian show, Rick Dees show, top requested artist on 105.1 "The Buzz" in Portland. Appeared on PDXPosed, AM NW, and overall winner of KGW Channel 8 "Gimme the Mike" show; a singing competition. Byrd appreared as a judge the next year on the show. Also appeared on Next Great American Band as the frontman for The Likes of You.
SPONSORED BY:
Alvarez Guitars and Elixir Strings
-FEATURED ON:
Billboard (cover) Radio and Records (cover) Unsigned Magazine (cover) Washington Times Oregonian Hollywood Independent Fox News Music Connection Hollywood Reporter Forbes Magazine Cargo San Diego Tribune Ventura Star Fox TV (Next Great American Band) CNet news West Coast Performer Goldmine Magazine Music Connection MTV news MSN News CNN, The Oregonian Willamatte Week The Portland Mercury The LA Independent The LA Daily News Yahoo news Cover page of msn.com All Access Music and many more.
-CEO: Liquid Chrome Music (Music Publisher, Custom Boutique Production House that specializes in Film/TV and singer/songwriters.
-CEO of The Songwriting Academy
-RADIO STATIONS THAT SPIN GEOFF BYRD SONGS:
-105.1 FM KRSK in Portland
-KPLZ "Star" in Seattle
-KRSH in Santa Rosa
-KLLY in Bakersfield
-KINK in Portland
-WMRF-FM/Lewistown, PA
-WLAK-FM/Huntingdon, PA (Merf Radio)
-WMYX Milwaukie WI
-Star 93.3 (WBWZ) Poughkeepsie, NY
-Radio P-4 Sweden
-XEB AM 1220 n MVS 102.5 FM (Mexico)
-KESC 103.7 Oklahoma
-88.1 KWVA (University of Oregon, featured spins and interviews).
-KDEP 105.5 FM
-KSCU (Santa Clara)
-Featured on CBC Radio Canada.
-Hot AC station South Africa
-Hundreds of college and internet stations
Testimonials:
"I love you man. We should do a song together. I don't want to talk about it, I want to be about it."
-Stevie Wonder
"I love playing and writing with this guy. He is the real deal."
-John Oates
"Geoff Byrd is a Goldmine! And the band is tighter than a condom!"
-Isaac Hayes
"One of the most talented singer/songwriters I have heard! I mean this guy is a star!"
-Phil Ehart, founding member and drummer of the band Kansas
"Geoff is a star on the rise. He's talented, hardworking and his extraordinary vocal range delivers a fine mix of funk and soul."
-Tamara Conniff, Executive Editor: Billboard
"Geoff has everything going for him. He's got immense talent, good looks, a superstar personality and most important of all for us radio folks, a great song, "Silver Plated." It's a perfect fit for Hot AC. I'm sold on Geoff Byrd!
- Alisa Hashimoto, Music Director, KPLZ ~ Seattle.
"We all listened to the song and it is one of the best to come out of the Northwest in a long time! Best of success!"
-Kent Phillips, Program Director KPLZ, Seattle.
"Geoff's sound is exactly what this format needs! Fresh, unique and most of all, memorable. Geoff Byrd is the next superstar at the Hot A/C format!"
-Dan Persigehl, Program Director, KRSK "The Buzz," Portland
"Geoff Byrd is truly a breath of fresh air but at the same time reminiscent of the glory days of the best pop and soul. He covers the entire spectrum of what it takes to be a great artist - infectious melodies, pop in it's finest and most basic form, vocal deliveries from the heart, and a tornado of soul especially when seen live. Geoff was an absolute Star!"
-Jon Pleeter, CAA
"One of my favorite artists."
-Bill Wadhams, (Animotion, hit single "Obsession")
"I am a big Geoff Byrd fan...great classic pop songs!"
-Pat Boone, 50's legend
"GarageBand.com receives daily submissions from 120,000 bands, and every song gets rated by randomly-assigned members from our community of 450,000 listeners. Out of hundreds of thousands of songs, a few good songs rise up the charts because hundreds of listeners have consistently given them high ratings. It's rare that GarageBand.com sees an artist with such outstanding ratings as Geoff Byrd. Out of a deluge of submissions by hundreds of thousands of musicians, Geoff's music has consistently risen to the top because hundreds of randomly-assigned GarageBand.com listeners have consistenly given it high ratings. Geoff Byrd has not just one, but three songs in the top 10 of GarageBand.com's "Pop" or "Pop/Rock" charts, an exceptional accomplishment for any artist."
-Ali Partovi, CEO, GarageBand.com
"If good looks and a little bit of talent are all you need to make it big in pop music, then Portland recording artist Geoff Byrd is one step away from his own platinum paradise. Standing well over six feet 6 inches tall, with chiseled good looks and a face that screams both boy next door and rebel without a cause, Byrd is a looker, but like his debut record Candy Shell, there´s a lot more substance inside this indie rocker once you make your way passed the sugary sweet exterior. He´s zealous, warm and sincere — rarities in the often fake and fickle world of the music industry."
-LA Independent
I JUST LISTENED TO THE NEW GEOFF BYRD CD, AND I THINK HE IS THE BEST NEW SINGER SONGWRITER I HAVE HEARD IN A LONG TIME!!!
-RUSS REGAN (former president of Motown Records, signed Elton John, named the Beach Boys, responsible for over 1 BILLION records sold)
"Geoff Byrd is one BIG-sounding indie artist, complete with quality songwriting and impressive vocals. He has a sound any Major Label would be proud to market."
-Paul Loggins (CEO, Loggins Promotion / Editor-Publisher, New Music Weekly)
"We're really picky about what goes on the front page. We get about 75 new albums a day coming in here now, (about 30,000 total), and yours is one of the best I've ever heard."
-Derek Sivers, CDBaby President/CEO~ www.cdbaby.com
"From the moment this tall, lanky lead singer opened his mouth and started to sing, I knew he was a "hit waiting to happen"...any lead singer that can stop me in my tracks when I'm headin' out the door has gotta have some serious 'magic' that borders on 'spooky'..which is exactly what you need to get to the top of the mountain that "is" rock n roll"
-Benny Mardones, (singer/songwriter, hit song, "into the night," 6 million records sold)
"Geoff Byrd is incredible... he's an unscratched multi-million dollar lottery ticket... one of the best songwriters/singers/producers I've heard, and he's also a great guy. 3 million sold in the next year. Remember who said it first!"
-Ced Moore CEO American Skye Records/Aspen Agency, record producer/songwriter (Usher, 2pac, 112, Nivea) {Over 15 million records sold}
"Geoff Byrd is the real deal. "He is Elton John, the Beatles and the Bee Gees all wrapped up into one charismatic package. He will soon be his own institution in this business mark my words!"
-Norman Ratner, (#1 Hit Producer, Co-Founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, millions sold)
"Geoff Byrd has real talent, I get in 200 tapes a day and this guy stuck out immediately, he needs to be all over the radio...great songwriting and great vocals!" -David Moody, (multiple Grammy Award winning producer)
"Geoff's got a great sound and if there's more where that came from, he's more than likely to be one of 2005's Newest Star's!"
-James Baker Music Director, KIOI/STAR 1013 San Francisco
"Geoff Byrd is a Class act! Music that finds a friendly ear appealing to all generations. Geoff's lyrics are unforgettable, his music is unstoppable, his style: timeless. Geoff's music is time passages of his life experiences that we all can relate to. His music is refreshing, unique and instantly liked! We are extremely picky about who we play on our radio station. Without a second thought and within a blink of an eye, we knew Geoff Byrd had to played daily on our station. His CD Candy Shell is a must have for any music lover. Soon, you too will be singing every word of every song. It's that GOOD!"
-Doug "Dougo" Sims, Manager/On-air Personality/host of Rising Star 103.7 KESC, Oklahoma
"Soulful pop songs from an up-and-coming singer who has earned comparisons to John Mayer. Based on his melodic falsetto alone, we can say this may not be enough of a compliment."
-The Oregonian
"A solo performer with expert backup and producer (Steve Sundholm), Byrd has a terrific pop voice that's well suited to his material, which aims for mainstream radio. "Silver Plated" is a straightforward, mid-tempo cut that's flawlessly mounted. "Elusive Butterfly" shows Byrd's voice can easily take flight when necessary."
-Music Connection
"I once heard that Rivers Cuomo from Weezer carries around a three-ring binder full of spreadsheets and diagrams and dissections of songs which he studies in an effort to uncover the formula for the perfect pop song. I get the feeling that Portland's Geoff Byrd may have gotten his hands on this binder and added the crucial missing ingredient that Rivers Cuomo will probably always be too off-beat to ever provide - mass accessibility. The pop purity is flawless and the production and performances are top-notch. Including a cover of the bee gee's "How Deep Is Your Love", "Candy Shell" is eleven perfectly crafted tunes, smoothly sung and undeniably radio friendly. All this release needs is a little marketing money and Carson Daly's televised approval. In fact, if these songs aren't all over the radio within six months, someone somewhere did something horribly wrong. Mark my words."
-Pomn.com
"Byrd has a genuine gift for melody. Byrd comes with impeccable influences (Beatles, Elvis Costello, Bee Gees, Prince and Al Green), which helps to explain his tuneful songwriting. It doesn't hurt that Byrd has a fine band backing him. Steve Sundholm's crisp but never-too-slick production showcases these tight, pop-rock confections to their greatest advantage. Byrd seems very much his own man, one who excels in the kind of tuneful pop-rock songs that would be Top 40 material in a better world."
-Goldmine Magazine
"Appropriately described as john mayer with more conviction and a heck of a lot more guts, or perhaps coldplay on too much caffeine. this album doesn't beat around the bush when it comes to instantly grabbing, mind-filling pop rock with a three dimentional presence to encompass both light and dark. While the production and texturing sparkles, this isn't your overly-glossed pop candy; it comes with many tastes and satisfies a full palate...first sweet, then buttery with body and finally goes down with a creamy satisfaction. definitely a mood lifter!"
-CDBaby (Geoff Byrd: TOPSELLER at CDBaby.com)
"Not many ballads make it into the rotation of Popbang Radio, mainly because power pop means energy! But in this case, Geoff Byrd has made an exceptional ballad reminiscent of the best stuff by Eric Carmen, Kyle Vincent and ELO. Wonderfly sung and perfectly produced, "Frozen" is just one of many strong tracks on the excellent "Candy Shell". Do not let this artist slip by your ears."
-Popbang.com
"Geoff Byrd (and his stalwart backing band) are destined for very big things. His songs are memorable; the arrangements are tight as a drum. Geoff is an evocative vocalist gifted with a facile instrument, availed of a remarkable vocal range and depth of emotion. Success seems not so much a possibility for this talented young man, as a certainty."
-Two Louies Magazine
"The right measures of pure talent, hard work and confidence have given Geoff Byrd & "Candy Shell" an appointment with destiny and he will not be denied. The music is completely engaging & friendly and they make one believe that it's all so easy. Geoff Byrd's lyrics never waste a word and his vocal deliveries are always in sync with the superb artists playing with him."
-Clickspin.com
"Byrd has a versatile voice, including a fine falsetto, and he crafts catchy choruses."
-The Portland Mercury
"Geoff Byrd's music sounds like summertime. The lighthearted pop and breathy vocals found on "Candy Shell," his mainstream debut album, provide the ideal accompaniment to lazy days at the beach and Saturday afternoon lounging. A radio-friendly mix of John Mayer, Ben Folds and E, Byrd and his back-up band deftly perform their catchy melodies with practiced ease."
-Siren Song Magazine
"Imagine a mix between Jellyfish, a young and horny Elton John and Ben Folds and you're there... and what a voice he has! Melodic madness... I just love it. A big bravo to Geoff, splendid work!"
-Melodic.net
"Byrd Starting to Fly: Geoff Byrd is the first unsigned artist to be given air time on The Buzz, Portland´s 105.1. The song "Silver Plated is off his latest release Candy Shell (reviewed in this issue) After winning the local Gimme The Mike contest, one of the judges, Sheryl Stewart, on air personality and Music Director at The Buzz, was so impressed by Geoff´s talent she took his CD directly to her Program Director, Dan Persigehl. They then asked him to perform at a Buzz event with the Calling and Howie Day and the rest is history. There is a candy coated future For Byrd, he recently signed with booking agency Creative Artist Agency (CAA) generating interest from major labels. Signing Byrd was an unconventional move for CAA, which books tours for national acts including Maroon 5 and rarely takes on artists without major label support. Byrd said that he is excited about his band´s future with CAA. "They just get it, they get us," he said."
-West Coast Performer
"Geoff Byrd is the first pop star truly born on the internet! 472,600 Internet listeners can't be wrong!"
-Garageband.com
"Local guitar popper Geoff Byrd sings elegantly and in key over catchy pop-rock jams, backed by an extraordinarily tight band!"
-Willamette Week
"As an indie, Geoff Byrd and his band are on par with any national band out there!"
-Radio and Records
OTHER:
-Masters Degree: Education
-Bachelors Degree: History
-Taught Social Studies and created "Americana" the history of Rock and Roll in America at Reynolds HS
-Founder The Songwriting Academy
-Teaches songwriting lessons
-Singer, songwriter, producer
-Top 40 songwriter (3 hits in the top 40 of HOT AC or AC format)
-Worked at Dark Horse Comics as a colorist
-Grammy ballot 5 times
Geoff Byrd: Bio & Press
ARTICLES:
"With a rare gift for perfectly cast, universally approachable pop craftmanship (he's written themes for Cheerleader Nation and ESPNs Wanna Go Fishing, chiseled features (something like a 'roided-up Courtney Taylor-Taylor) and an indie marketing nous (three years ago he became the most downloaded artist absent any traditional push), Geoff Byrd seemed set to become the frist true internet superstar-and then he signed with a majorish label. Byrd's now returned to the gal that brung him, releasing new album Featurette exclusively through his website. Though typically beautiful, Byrd channelled his inner Brian Wilsom for this album, playing every single note from theramin to bongo to a 16 vocal-tracks-of-Geoff choir. He's always had a talent for melodic craftsmanship, but his songs are now matched by a greater lyrical complexity. Byrd could still be the first internet superstar after all."
"Geoff Byrd is not a man who’s willing to sell his soul to become a platinum-selling singer/songwriter; for that matter, he’s not even going out of his way to seek out a major-label deal. Some would say that those two particular paths meet more often than not, and if Byrd was more desperate and short-sighted, it’s likely that that would be the case.A lesser man would probably settle for an iffy major-label contract in order to get major-label distribution, then play umpteen gigs to promote the album, only to be dropped because some corporate bigwig doesn’t think he sounds enough like Justin Timberlake to make it worth spending the money on advertising him. Byrd, however, has spent the last several years building a name for himself – getting a major buzz going, selling thousands of copies of his CDs at his live shows and via the Internet, and inspiring coverage in Billboard and Radio & Records as well as on CNN and CNET – and he knows quite well that there are label deals to be had whenever he wants one…if he ever wants one.
Right now, however, it’s pretty clear that he definitely doesn’t want one. Byrd’s left his manager, left his label, and has decided to release his new album, Featurette, exclusively through his website. There’s indie, and then there’s really, really indie, but when you’re making an offer to personally autograph every single CD? Dude, that’s pretty damned indie.
Byrd’s last record – 2005’s Shrinking Violets – was produced by Steve Sundholm (a collaboration which led Byrd to appear on Jim Brickman’s 2006 album, Escape), but Featurette is a self-produced affair. In fact, everything was in Byrd’s hands this time around; in addition to handling production duties himself, he also recorded and mixed the disc, played all the instruments, and wrote all the songs, and the inevitable result is an album that feels just as personal as you’d expect it would. Byrd seems to realize, however, that you can be personal without falling into a pit of despair in the process.
Mind you, the lyrics are a little obscure at times – after several listens to the title track, which opens the album, I’m still not entirely sure what Byrd’s on about – but the music is a mix of jaunty pop (“Provocateur”), romantic ballads (“For Whatever It’s Worth”), and even a two-minute foray into country rock (“The Ballad of Patch Walker”). There’s even a gospel-styled choir on “Insignificant Others.” With the song “Summer,” Byrd begins with a few seconds of perfectly Wilson-esque harmonies; they recur briefly later in the track, but Byrd knows that a little Beach Boys tribute goes a long way, never allowing them to overwhelm; same deal with the Queen-like backing vocals that occur on “Terra Firma.” The album closer, “Under the Sun,” might be a little pretentious, given that it opens with a spoken-word proclamation, ends with a vaguely-Medieval-sounding choir, and has a JFK soundbite somewhere in the middle, but, damn, anyone who attempts put together a rock opera in under four minutes deserves some kind of praise, if only for trying something different.
As with Shrinking Violets, Geoff Byrd hasn’t gone into Featurette with an eye toward commercial success; he’s just out to make the music that he wants to make. It’s a mindset that the major labels will never accept, of course, but at the rate Byrd’s fan base is growing and the number of albums he’s selling, he’s probably giving less and less of a flying flip what they think, anyway."-Will Harris - bullz-eye.com"Plenty of musicians have probably fantasized about walking away from their record labels, but Portland singer/songwriter Geoff Byrd actually up and left the label nest after months of legal fighting with his manager and label. So he's taking a somewhat unusual route with his new album, "Featurette," selling it through his Web site, www.geoffbyrd.com. The album (for which he wrote all the songs, played all the instruments, produced and mixed.¤.¤. I'm tired just writing all that) is full of gentle songs, accessible without being cloying, enjoyable without being defensive. That simplicity is their strength, as the songwriting feels particularly strong on the album. Download "The Sentinels" for a taste of the album. Or hit up his CD release show on Sunday at Dante's, at 8:30 p.m., 3rd and West Burnside; $6.-Luciana Lopez - The Oregonian"This Grammy nominated Portland singer-songwriter will celebrate the release of his new album, "Featurette." There's very little, if anything, about his music that's not clean. His voice sparkles and his guitar flourishes in all the right places. And so while no unprecedented, his music, caught in a tradition of pop and soul fusion, is well-wrought."-Cheston Knapp - The Oregonian"Geoff Byrd might be the most popular artist you've never heard of. The Portland native has worked hard and racked up a list of impressive accomplishments that include having four out of five most downloaded songs on MSN simultaneously. Byrd also has been played on a list of influential mainstream radio stations and has been invited to tour with Hall and Oates - all without the support of a major label. His latest album, "Shrinking Violets" is full of well-crafted, radio-friendly pop-rock. Catch this former Reynolds High School teacher and his ace band tonight at Dante's."-Portland Tribune"Geoff Byrd's "Candy Shell" mixed "down south" in Los Angeles by the recently relocated Portland, Oregon wunderkind Steve Sundholm (Geoff Byrd, Lowcraft), these tracks literally storm the castle, displaying desperate yet unshakeable confidence, shotgun wed to worldclass songcraft. Now cometh the roar...these songs bespeak a firebrand urgency and intensity- and they display sheer creative range that most bands are either too timid or too unskilled to ever, ever, EVER attempt."-Daylight Assassin"GarageBand.com receives daily submissions from 120,000 bands, and every song gets rated by randomly-assigned members from our community of 450,000 listeners. Out of hundreds of thousands of songs, a few good songs rise up the charts because hundreds of listeners have consistently given them high ratings.It's rare that GarageBand.com sees an artist with such outstanding ratings as Geoff Byrd. Out of a deluge of submissions by hundreds of thousands of musicians, Geoff's music has consistently risen to the top because hundreds of randomly-assigned GarageBand.com listeners have consistenly given it high ratings. Geoff Byrd has not just one, but three songs in the top 10 of GarageBand.com's "Pop" or "Pop/Rock" charts, an exceptional accomplishment for any artist."-Ali Partovi, CEO, GarageBand.com"If good looks and a little bit of talent are all you need to make it big in pop music, then Portland recording artist Geoff Byrd is one step away from his own platinum paradise. Standing well over six feet, 6 inches tall, with chiseled good looks and a face that screams both boy next door and rebel without a cause, Byrd is a looker, but like his debut record Candy Shell, there´s a lot more substance inside this indie rocker once you make your way passed the sugary sweet exterior. He´s zealous, warm and sincere — rarities in the often fake and fickle world of the music industry."-Hollywood Independent"When Portland singer Geoff Byrd got the chance to open shows for Daryl Hall and John Oates late last summer, he was excited. Then nervous. Then elated.The excitement came not only from the professional opportunity in sharing the bill with the most successful duo in pop history, but also because Byrd is a longtime Hall and Oates fan. The nerves came into play during Byrd's first performance, at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, a historic outdoor amphitheater that Byrd calls "a tough place to play, but a cool one. There were three- or four-thousand people there, and I was scared to death -- that was the first time I'd played solo in front of that many people, and I was sweating!"But his set went well. Well enough to impress Oates, who told someone from the Creative Artists Agency -- which had suggested the concert pairing -- that he'd even like to try songwriting with Byrd. "Geoff heard that and he came right up to me and said, 'John, anything like that you want to do, wherever and whenever, I'm there,' " Oates says in a phone interview.
In what Oates calls "a natural progression," the working relationship has grown.
Byrd, along with pianist Jed Leiber, son of the songwriting legend Jerry Leiber, spent some time at Oates' Aspen, Colo., home writing songs.He's opened more shows for the duo -- 20 to 30 by Hall's offhand count -- and now often joins in on encores, helping sing such hits as "Kiss on My List." "He's kind of become my protg," Oates says.
The pop/soul masters and their young apprentice hit Portland on Saturday for a show at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Afterward, Byrd, this time backed by his dynamic band, will play at Old Town club Dante's.For Byrd, the tour is a fun ride and a veritable classroom. "Daryl is one of my favorite singers, and just one of the greatest in the world," Byrd says. "John's contribution is greater than I'd understood before: He does great harmony arrangements, plays terrific rhythm guitar -- which is really the crux of rock 'n' roll -- and is just a great, solid human being.And then there's T-Bone Wolk, my goodness! Just a legendary bassist; he's like the best of Paul McCartney meets James Jamerson."Byrd says he's picked up some tricks for how to maintain momentum from song to song during a show. But he's also learning just from proximity to such accomplished kindred spirits. "I'm kind of a Brit-pop-meets-soul guy," he says. "I love Al Green, Mahalia Jackson, the Dixie Hummingbirds, and they love all that, too. Our true passion lies in the blue notes of the gospel tradition."Hall, on the phone from his home in upstate New York, says he also sees Byrd as "part of that continuum" through which rock, pop and soul have developed. "I think he's going to get better and better as he matures, but he's got a great start and a really impressive body of work so far."He's a tremendous singer, a great songwriter, a very charismatic presence," Oates says of Byrd. "He's influenced by our music, yet I recognized that he has his own take on it and his own vision. So we're on the same page, but he brings a real youthful energy and a fresh perspective."There's nothing worse than writing a song with someone and having them not be able to deliver it. That's not something I'm used to. I work with one of the best singers in the world, and I think I'm a pretty good singer myself, so I'm sensitive to singers. And what's great about Geoff is we can write something great, and then he can deliver it and take it to the next level. And that's very exciting for a writer, because you never feel deprived at the end of it."Oates hopes to record the songs he wrote with Byrd, though he has no plans yet. Meanwhile, Byrd says his record label, Granite, lost its distribution arrangement with Universal, thus stalling his album, "Shrinking Violets." So he's hedging his bets with other writing collaborations, voiceover work, even acting. All of which is leading him toward a move."This is pretty much my last hurrah in Portland," he says. "I probably won't play there for another year. I'm moving to L.A. in September. Portland's an indie-rock town and I'm a pop guy -- what can I say? But the best fans that I've ever experienced have been in Portland. So if this is my farewell, at least for a while, I just want to leave on a positive note."-Marty Hughley, The OregonianLINKS TO FULL GB ARTICLES:Oregonian article on GB and his new schoolGB interview with Guitar International
GB interview with Blog Critics Magazine
Blog about GB by Billy Morrison
GB interview with radio host Bob Baker
GB interview with The Washington Times
GB interview with The Oregonian
GB wrote this article on Jed Leiber
GB wrote this article on John Oates