Songwriting-Composition

Arthur Adams has written and played the blues nearly his entire life! He played guitar for many top blues players such as BB King, Elmore James, Lowell Fulson and Gene Allison. Arthur also wrote some wonderful songs that are a part of our musical history such as "Love and Peace" covered by Quincy Jones on his Grammy winning album in 1969 Walking In Space! Arthur's music has been included in several box office hit movies including his instrument hit "Pipe Dream." The great Sam Cooke recorded one of his early songs called "Somebody's Gonna Miss Me."

Van Alexander co-wrote “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” with Ella Fitzgerald while both worked in the Chick Webb Orchestra back in 1938. The success of that song led to a job as arranger for Webb as well as Benny Goodman and Paul Whiteman and super stardom for Ella. Van formed his own band during the wonderful swing era but gave it up to work in the movies when Bing Crosby offered him a job in 1948.

Muriel Anderson sure puts her heart and soul into her music as both a performer and songwriter. Over the years the music products industry has been lucky to be closely associated with Murial thanks to her endorsement of instruments and accessories as well as her widely successful All Star Guitar Nights, a feature at NAMM Shows since 2000. Her many projects include raising funds for school music programs and music education.
 

Whispering Bill Anderson began his music career as a songwriter penning the 1958 hit “City Lights” for Ray Price. Within a few years Bill was encouraged to sing some of his songs in his low and mellow way. The results were a string of hit songs including the cross-over smash record “Still” in 1963 and a nickname, Whispering Bill. Over the years he has been an actor, game show star and television host but found himself back to songwriting from the 1990s onwards. Music is a great part of Whispering Bill and, luckily for us, he is still sharing it with the world. 

Craig Anderton was among a very small group of engineers at the dawn of the synthesizer revolution during the 1970s that was in the position to report, educate and compose music based on this new technology as it was being created. His monthly articles for Keyboard magazine have become a historic chronicle of the evolution of the new electronic music age. Craig’s compositions continue to establish new forms of musical expression and have long since been the source of inspiration for up and coming composers around the world.
 

Ron Anthony can be heard playing his jazz guitar on several classic recordings of George Shearing as well as on the top selling CD, Frank Sinatra’s “Duets.” His love of music goes back to his childhood and has remained in full force ever since those early days. In addition to performing, Ron is a music teacher and a songwriter. His songs have been recorded by many artists including George Shearing. He co-wrote “It’s Always 4am” with legendary songwriter Sammy Cahn, which has been recorded by several artists over the years.

Rod Argent had an idea for a new sound, a new band in a new era of music. After creating a group and writing songs to perform and record, Rod’s dream of a new style of rock was born (with the help with his fellow countrymen, the Beatles). His group, the Zombies, helped change the face of music and scored several hits in the 1960s including “She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No” and “Time of the Seasons.” After the group dissolved he formed the band Argent, which toured and recorded for nearly a decade before he reestablished the Zombies for world tours in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Dave Bartholomew is a noted bandleader, trumpeter, and songwriter who captured a pioneering sound known as the “big beat” of rock and roll. His uncanny ability to provide the perfect musical expression to the words of his band mate Fats Domino resulted in a long list of classic recordings. Together the team wrote “I’m Walkin’,” ”Ain’t that a Shame,” “I’m in Love Again,” “Blue Monday,” and “Valley of Tears.” Equally impressive are his talents as arranger and bandleader. Over the years, he has cultivated the talents of legendary musicians including his drummer and life long friend Earl Palmer.
 

Max Bennett is among the jazz world’s most percussive bass players. With a strong knowledge of drums, he explored and helped design the rhythm of jazz of the 1970s and 80s in the pre soft jazz era, a style he refers to as cool-whip. With his group, LA Express, he was able to showcase his own compositions and intertwine his artistic creativity within the bass parts, which helped drive the rhythm of the song as much as the drum part. His many contributions to the music products industry include being an endorser for MTD Guitars.
 

Ray Benson and two friends formed a country rock band in 1970 called Asleep At The Wheel. Ever since that time Ray has continued to play with the band, which has seen nearly 100 musicians come and go, but Ray remained! His colorful career has had its highs and lows, most of which he has expressed in song over the years including in 1975 hit “The Letter That Johnny Walker Read.” In more recent years Ray has worked with Willie Nelson and others on Asleep At The Wheel material, which has continued to find a growing audience for over 40 years.