Mike Montrey Band

Mike Montrey is back with another organic concept that rolls music and art into one big groovy picture. Mike and I first discussed his idea about a year and a half ago. We talked about the method of time-releasing new music in conjunction with partnered visual pieces that would give listeners (and viewers) a unique and separate experience for each presentation.

To achieve this abstract composition style of presentation, Montrey engaged the help of various art fans, producers, musicians and specialists, bringing each individual’s rich expertise and input to the rock and roll roundtable for the formulation of a compositional examination called Song By Song By Song.

Song By Song By Song was produced in no less than six different studios across three states with the heavy-duty support from Grammy Award-winning engineer Carter William Humphrey (Rod Stewart, Dr. Dre), as well as Grammy-winning producer Hod David (Maxwell). The use of these two high-end industry kingpins gives the disc a smooth and easy continuity that shifts gears fluidly, leveling off for each compositional division and soaring into the next target without detectable delays.

The disc kicks off with the brisk, minor chord fed sounds of “The Sunshine.” Blending funky, pocketed cadences courtesy of Duke and Rob Smith, Montrey and colleagues lay out a summertime feel-good romp that includes memorable choruses, keyboard riffs (Karl Dietel) and sparkling, precise guitar salvos. When it comes to finding the listener’s concentration span for his point of illustration, Montrey fastens them in with time to spare, making this a great start for a disc that commemorates the parody and enigmas of love, life and everything in between. This is one of those songs that by the time I played it twice, it was in my head for good.

Moving into the 1970s country bluegrass feel of “Therapeutic Bliss,” we once again usher in the honey-toned help of vocalist Jen Augustine. Augustine is a perfect homage to Montrey’s powerful range. The sax peppering of Adam Garny supplies “Therapeutic Bliss” with its fun and funky presence. I especially love the acoustic guitar riffs, which flow along like Jimmy Croce or Harry Chapin, driving the band into the infectious chorus and bridge that stays with you for days.

Another impressive song on the disc is “A Hole In The Sky.” This is a rolling, handpicked acoustic prime example that once again features Augustine on backing vocals. Montrey waxes poetically with verses that fly wide as the plains. Once again he is joined by Augustine on this building Robbie Robertson-vibed treatment. Guided by the stormy expertise of Rob Smith and bassist Duke, the song comes to life, hammering out rhythmic beacons behind melancholy, single note guitar slides, orbital keyboard tiers and gala sax work courtesy of Garny.

My choice cut on this fresh collection of tracks is the funky, soul-tinged charm of “Providence Of Compromise.” Montrey is at the peak of his game here. His trademarked gravel cry enkindles melody charges along with blues savvy guitar leads and horn arrangements that aggressively push this gem from support to rock and roll gold. Montrey throws the ball to Dietel’s blistering organ prowess before Augustine grabs it and shoots her sexy tone into the core of the tune. By the time Montrey kicks back into the addictive melody, I’m completely on board and recognizing what I first liked about this act from earliest listen till right now. Montrey is a much underrated lead guitarist and he really radiates on “Providence Of Compromise.” Pentatonic rapture travels across the trail with the ghostly accuracy of Albert King and Gary Moore.

Song By Song By Song has a total of 10 pieces, ranging from full-blown rock arrangements to dynamic and moving statements of insight and journey. It should also be stated that each work on the CD involves an interpretive rendering by a local artisan.

Mike Montrey continues to make his own separate way in a world that most have crumpled up on. If you’re looking for music that fights for its individual living, breathing place in this realm, you owe it to yourself to listen to Song By Song By Song. - Aquarian Weekly

“The album is full of stunning instances. It’s during these skillfully crafted moments that a song is able to evoke feelings of nostalgia”

- Heather Simon, Relix Magazine

"If you’re looking for music that fights for its individual living, breathing place in this realm,
you owe it to yourself to listen to Song By Song By Song."

"Weaving the Basket rocks. It is spontaneous and dynamic. The songs are true works of art, gems in the rough that have been presented to the listener for their own interpretation and value"

- John Pfeiffer, Aquarian Weekly

"One of the music scene's most commanding frontmen and inventive guitarists"

- Bob Makin, Gannett Publications - Relix - Aquarian Weekly - Upstage Magazine

Shoreworld: Mike Montrey – Weaving Success In Multiple Directions
—by John Pfeiffer, April 27, 2011

Mike Montrey is back with a new concept and a CD that was inspired by the thinking of Henry David Thoreau. That’s right Thoreau’s Walden is mentioned as the guideline here when explaining the creation of art for art’s sake. Everything in the entertainment industry is labeled with expectations that disfigure any semblance of real expressive freedom. Just look at the charts and you know what I mean. The music has been processed, packaged and slapped into a form-fitted widget that has been proven profitable through corporate marketing and cultural brain washing. Like much of our very existence, it’s about constant sales. As the novelist Lewis Hyde said in his 1979 classic, The Gift: Creativity And The Modern World: “A work of art is a gift, not a commodity.” Thoreau said, “The life which men praise and regard as successful is but one kind. Why should we exaggerate any one kind at the expense of others?”

Mike Montrey utilizes these very words when showcasing his latest two-disc set, Weaving The Basket. Recorded live last January at John Nolls Retromedia Studios in Red Bank, the double album features one side full electric and one side more of a mostly acoustic nature. Special guests such as Brett Deptula, Adam Alexander, Jen Nay and harp maniac James Dalton don’t hurt the over all feel of this organically grown project either.

Mike is part of a small group that are wising up to economically stressed listeners that pass on more CDs than they buy due to basic survival purchases being first on the list, or just plain saturation in a scene where merch tables call out to passers-by with the same urgent pleas of any third world bazaar. So, Montrey has gone with the “give whatever you can” motto, a system of operations that seems to be working with many artists now due to putting the decision in the hands of the buyer. Ask a person for $15 and they might walk away, but give THEM the power to give what they actually want, and you might be surprised how high they will go when they’re in control of the bottom line.

Weaving The Basket is spontaneous and dynamic. The standard perfection associated with the recording studio and its unending overdubs are gone and replaced by passionate human interaction and performance. The live audience in the studio probably lent quite a bit of inspiration for this lively and colorful splash of musical celebration but Mike and the crew came up with the means to an end, Weaving The Basket rocks.

Selections from the electric set such as “I’m So Confused” feature stone cold grooves ala Chicago and awesome horn arrangements from the days of Tower Of Power or Blood, Sweat and Tears. Building layers and riffs, Montrey sets up the disc in complex musical steps, dodging convention and taking his passages to the next level. “Shadow Of Doubt” mixes old school visions of The Band and The James Gang as the jam plays on. Montrey interjects lyrical Bob Weir/Neil Young shots throughout, stepping in to steer the band into the next odyssey before moving on.

None of the tracks on this disk sound anything alike and it’s a refreshing to listen to an artists color outside the lines when they feel like it. The organic organ sounds on “Atticus” bring back old Woodstock afternoons at the Pink house and the sing-song beauty of Jen Nays (Juggling Suns) vocals sooth the stress-laden soul. Other cool tunes on this are the arabesque “My Shell,” a song that features a melodic intro hook that sticks to the listener’s brain like crazy glue on that guy’s helmet in the commercial.

Kicking with in the pocket drum and sax work, the funky guitars bounce and pop all day long here. This song breathes jam band grand slam. Never boring the listener with unnecessary filler, Montrey spends his arrangements wisely. The horns of Hayden Wright and Adam Garnys follow the old-time religion of Levon Helm’s boys. Montrey’s voice is gravel good, not too raspy and filled with harmonic choice and inflection. He’s in top form here and he knows it.

The band takes it way down for “Wait And See” as Mike cleans up for this mellow sub-ballad. The sounds on this disk are amazing. Noll has his shit together at Retromedia and this live recording is a perfect example of a guy that’s put all his eggs in one basket and ain’t gonna go hungry. The band bounces along softly, making way for a smooth sax solo, standout sparse and full as the band walks down the riff underneath Montrey’s pristine vocal. I also dug the classy launch of “Red” a song that utilizes sweet, offbeat rhythms and dissonant chordal arrangements. The band moves, launching jazz tinged horns that move in and out like a wave on the beach. The middle features the guitar work of Montrey, who resembles the gritty, real style of my favorite axemen, Terry Kath from Chicago. Gone but not forgotten, this brought me back to the glorious ‘70s.

The acoustic disc offers just - Aquarian Weekly

Shoreworld: Mike Montrey – Weaving Success In Multiple Directions
—by John Pfeiffer, April 27, 2011

Mike Montrey is back with a new concept and a CD that was inspired by the thinking of Henry David Thoreau. That’s right Thoreau’s Walden is mentioned as the guideline here when explaining the creation of art for art’s sake. Everything in the entertainment industry is labeled with expectations that disfigure any semblance of real expressive freedom. Just look at the charts and you know what I mean. The music has been processed, packaged and slapped into a form-fitted widget that has been proven profitable through corporate marketing and cultural brain washing. Like much of our very existence, it’s about constant sales. As the novelist Lewis Hyde said in his 1979 classic, The Gift: Creativity And The Modern World: “A work of art is a gift, not a commodity.” Thoreau said, “The life which men praise and regard as successful is but one kind. Why should we exaggerate any one kind at the expense of others?”

Mike Montrey utilizes these very words when showcasing his latest two-disc set, Weaving The Basket. Recorded live last January at John Nolls Retromedia Studios in Red Bank, the double album features one side full electric and one side more of a mostly acoustic nature. Special guests such as Brett Deptula, Adam Alexander, Jen Nay and harp maniac James Dalton don’t hurt the over all feel of this organically grown project either.

Mike is part of a small group that are wising up to economically stressed listeners that pass on more CDs than they buy due to basic survival purchases being first on the list, or just plain saturation in a scene where merch tables call out to passers-by with the same urgent pleas of any third world bazaar. So, Montrey has gone with the “give whatever you can” motto, a system of operations that seems to be working with many artists now due to putting the decision in the hands of the buyer. Ask a person for $15 and they might walk away, but give THEM the power to give what they actually want, and you might be surprised how high they will go when they’re in control of the bottom line.

Weaving The Basket is spontaneous and dynamic. The standard perfection associated with the recording studio and its unending overdubs are gone and replaced by passionate human interaction and performance. The live audience in the studio probably lent quite a bit of inspiration for this lively and colorful splash of musical celebration but Mike and the crew came up with the means to an end, Weaving The Basket rocks.

Selections from the electric set such as “I’m So Confused” feature stone cold grooves ala Chicago and awesome horn arrangements from the days of Tower Of Power or Blood, Sweat and Tears. Building layers and riffs, Montrey sets up the disc in complex musical steps, dodging convention and taking his passages to the next level. “Shadow Of Doubt” mixes old school visions of The Band and The James Gang as the jam plays on. Montrey interjects lyrical Bob Weir/Neil Young shots throughout, stepping in to steer the band into the next odyssey before moving on.

None of the tracks on this disk sound anything alike and it’s a refreshing to listen to an artists color outside the lines when they feel like it. The organic organ sounds on “Atticus” bring back old Woodstock afternoons at the Pink house and the sing-song beauty of Jen Nays (Juggling Suns) vocals sooth the stress-laden soul. Other cool tunes on this are the arabesque “My Shell,” a song that features a melodic intro hook that sticks to the listener’s brain like crazy glue on that guy’s helmet in the commercial.

Kicking with in the pocket drum and sax work, the funky guitars bounce and pop all day long here. This song breathes jam band grand slam. Never boring the listener with unnecessary filler, Montrey spends his arrangements wisely. The horns of Hayden Wright and Adam Garnys follow the old-time religion of Levon Helm’s boys. Montrey’s voice is gravel good, not too raspy and filled with harmonic choice and inflection. He’s in top form here and he knows it.

The band takes it way down for “Wait And See” as Mike cleans up for this mellow sub-ballad. The sounds on this disk are amazing. Noll has his shit together at Retromedia and this live recording is a perfect example of a guy that’s put all his eggs in one basket and ain’t gonna go hungry. The band bounces along softly, making way for a smooth sax solo, standout sparse and full as the band walks down the riff underneath Montrey’s pristine vocal. I also dug the classy launch of “Red” a song that utilizes sweet, offbeat rhythms and dissonant chordal arrangements. The band moves, launching jazz tinged horns that move in and out like a wave on the beach. The middle features the guitar work of Montrey, who resembles the gritty, real style of my favorite axemen, Terry Kath from Chicago. Gone but not forgotten, this brought me back to the glorious ‘70s.

The acoustic disc offers just - Aquarian Weekly

Please check our websites link below to myriad press reviews, etc... - Multiple

Please check our websites link below to myriad press reviews, etc... - Multiple

"Obviously a believer in letting their his music speak for itself…guitarist/songwriter/singer Mike Montrey – is a vocal cross between Bob Weir, Donovan and Dave Matthews..."

Al Muzer (Aquarian Weekly) - Aquarian Weekly

Music. Food. Free stuff. Alluring as these features of the night were, it was the distinct sound of the Mike Montrey Band that brought students to the Kendall Hall TV studio for the second WTSR Concert Series of the semester Sept. 10.

Montrey, equipped with a bright pink guitar, took the stage with flair. The studio was brought to life through the animated band members, whose eclecticism was accentuated by the presence of a blue lava lamp and Yoda statue.

The band opened the show with "World Full of Dreams," the first song off their recent album, "A Perfect Reality." They followed up with other tracks off the album, including "Take Me Down Mississippi," "Care for Me Tomorrow" and "Mr. Last Night."

These songs were a compilation of different styles and rhythms, combining the smooth, jazzy saxaphone of Adam Garnys, the thunderous drumming of Rob Smith, the rumbling bass of John Mangan, the melodic piano of Karl Dietel and the raspy, yet inspired voice of Mike Montrey.

The audience sat mesmerized by the explosive energy of the music and the enthusiasm and passion of the band members.

While this was the band's first performance at the College, Montrey, the lead singer and namesake of the band, was impressed by what he called the "intimate" atmosphere in the studio.

"I like the pink chairs," he said.

The band continued to joke with the audience throughout the performance. In honor of the start of the fall semester, and to the amusement of the audience, the band covered Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall," slowing it to a crawl.

Montrey, a New Jersey native, is currently touring with his band in cities across the state, and in locations in Pennsylvania and New York. In an interview with Lions Now, the 31-year-old said he'd been playing since he was 17.

When asked what he envisioned for himself in 15 years, Montrey enthusiastically said, "I'll definitely still be playing."

Montrey's music refuses to be stylistically categorized, derived from many traditional forms such as folk, jazz, country and rock, a combination that left the audience wanting more. - The Signal - 9/17/08 - Katie Brenzel

"Main songwriter-vocalist Mike Montrey has grown into one of the fiercely fertile New Jersey music scene's most commanding frontmen and inventive guitarists."

Bob Makin (Upstage Magazine) - Upstage Magazine