Vast Conduit – Always Be There (CD)When Bill Jenkins, who we have known for years from his work with Enchant and Thought Chamber, called and told of his new solo/band project, we were excited to hear what he had been up to and we were not disappointed. From the moment we received that first pre-release copy, it has been in constant circulation, getting regular spins and quickly becoming one of those albums that is hard to put away.As the band explains…“The Fates conspired and a fortuitous set of circumstances created a vast conduit, galvanizing what might have otherwise been a run-of-the-mill progressive rock project with an abundance of musical talent and prowess. Keyboardist Bill Jenkins (Enchant, Thought Chamber), musing over some material near to heart, enlisted the talents of these amazing musicians to bring that material to light. Adding everything from scorching leads to subtle emoting is virtuosic guitarist Michael Harris (Arch Rival, Thought Chamber, Darkology, The Michael Harris Tranz-Fusion). Laying the foundation with solid grooves and making odd time signatures seem effortless and feel natural is drummer Will Jenkins (Ghost and the City, Great Wall). The venerable Jeff Plant solidifies that foundation with electric and fretless bass (also from Thought Chamber and whose pedigree otherwise is too long to list here and whose amazing bass playing simply speaks for itself). Adding just the right amount of smoke and fire off his rosined bow is violinist Jim Hurley (who has performed with the likes of Ritchie Blackmore, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Ancient Future, and Queen Ida's Grammy-winning Bon Temps Zydeco Band, among many others). Rounding out the list are the satiny vocals of Friel (a truly rare gem of vocal talent to have somehow, somewhere, out of the blue, been found for this project).”With the players in place, a cross-country recording project began, finishing with Vast Conduit's initial studio album release Always Be There - a centrally themed album that explores several musical genres. Although progressive rock in nature, when pressed for a singular genre, Michael jokingly suggested "smooth prog." After the requisite laughter, the recognition of how apropos of a description it was settled in. The laughter shifted to nods of approval as it was fully embraced by the band.Musicians:Bill Jenkins – Keyboards, VocalsWill Jenkins – DrumsMichael Harris – GuitarJeff Plant – BassFriel – Lead VocalsJim Hurley – ViolinSpecial Guests:Tom Abraira – Trumpet on Philly EtymologyBert Lams – Acoustic Guitar on Early EclipseManon Roem – Vocals on BarrierBetsy Walter – Vocals on Early Eclipse Tracks: Barrier Soul Tuck Always Be There Endless Days Too Busy Odessa 500 Miles Philly Etymology Early Eclipse Of A Feather Wesley Save Us Format: CDArtist: Vast ConduitRelease Date: February 16, 2022
