Great Gypsy Soul
By Tommy Bolin and Friends
429 Records
Release date: March 26, 2012
MP3* | CD Exclusive | CD

The late, great Tommy Bolin, one of the most prolific and underrated guitarists arguably of all time, is getting the royal crown tribute firmly affixed on his sonic memory with the release of Great Gypsy Soul. The eleven song album, which was released in MP3* format today, March 25 (it’s actually on sale right now for $3.99) has a stunning array of guests on it that reads like a who’s who line-up of some guitar and vocal greats of the 1970s and 80s and today, like Peter Frampton, Joe Bonamassa, and Warren Haynes.

Bolin, who was born in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1951 and died in Miami, Florida, in late 1976, was yet another guitar player in the annals of rock whose bright future was stilled, a victim of a heroin overdose while on tour with Jeff Beck.

William Shatner is working on another music project, and this time it’s all about metal. Following a “space” theme, and titled Seeking Major Tom, Shatner is joining forces with some major hard rock icons for the new project, which is set to be released later this year. Essentially, the release is a covers album, but with covers brought together to tell the story of a concept album.

So far, Shatner has collaborated with Brian May (Queen), Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society), Peter Frampton, Ian Paice (Deep Purple), and Steve Howe (Yes). Seeking Major Tom is said to be a collection of 18 “rock anthems” reinterpreted to tell the story that Shatner is putting forward on the album.