Comprised of three of New Mexico’s finest guitarists, Michael Anthony, Claudio Tolousse and John Maestas, this trio has been playing together off and on since Maestas and Tolousse were high school students at Manzano High School in Albuquerque, first taking group lessons and then moving onto private lessons at Anthony’s home.
The project was put together by Tolousse and Maestas to showcase their mentor. There are 12 cuts including Jimmy Smith’s Mellow Mood, Chick Corea’s Matrix, Mingus’ Nostalgia in Times Square and a brilliant arrangement of Wes Montgomery’s Four in Six. Tolousse contributes his composition, Ella. Michael Anthony brings Les is More and all contribute to the song Steps. All of the cuts are arranged by one or more of the trio. There’s even track where the guys talk about how much fun it is to play together before going into the final track on the album, Joe Henderson’s Recordame where the three just sit and play together without accompaniment. The album also features Asher Barreras on Bass and Arnaldo Acosta on Drums and percussion.
Recorded at Empty House Studios in Albuquerque the album was engineered by Matt Tobias, mixed by Nicholas Guttman and mastered by Maestas with photography and design by Ryan Montaño.
Michael Anthony was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a group of in demand studio musicians in Los Angeles that played on nearly every pop and rock album released in the late 60s and 70s. (That’s Mike guitar on the hit Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.) He has played on countless jazz albums and soundtracks and recorded or performed with Blue Mitchell, Herbie Laws, the Bobby Bryant Orchestra, the Louie Belson Orchestra, Quincy Jones, the Gil Evans Orchestra and with Miles Davis at the Monterey Jazz Festival. He was a member of the Carol Burnette Orchestra where he met his wife, Kathy, a dancer on the show.
Michael moved to New Mexico in 1980 but never slowed down. Michael Anthony was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Mexico Music Awards in 2014, has recorded ten albums and written four Jazz Guitar books. Anthony and Tolousse still make their home in Albuquerque where they teach and perform while Maestas has spent the last 10 years in The Big Easy, New Orleans. The album is available for streaming or purchase at https://jmaestoso.bandcamp.com/album/the-lineage-trio
Just a word to let you know that there is another Lineage Trio streaming online through most of the other streaming services, so be sure to get your version from the link provided.