The Flyin' Ryan Brothers
Encyclopedia
The Flyin' Ryan Brothers is an American progressive rock
band that formed in Illinois
in 1995. It comprises two brothers, Jimmy and Johnny, who between them contribute guitar
s, bass
, drums
, keyboard
s, vocals
and many other instruments.
band Wishbone Ash
(notable for featuring two lead guitar
ists) on the radio in 1973, the brothers formed a similar band with local musicians by the name of Westfall. They progressed from playing local clubs to having their first studio
session and recording their first two tracks, "Everything I Could Ask For" and "Sunshine Daydream", in a short space of time, developing their double lead style along the way. Other bands they played in through the 1970s include Axis, Nutcracker and Freeze, opening for such famous acts as Kiss
, Styx
, Survivor
, Head East
and The Beach Boys
.
During the 1980s, as the music scene was changing to focus on disco
, the brothers began to work separately as session musician
s, solo artists and with other bands. It was during this time that Jimmy recorded his solo album Finally and Johnny began building his own studio, known as The Garage, where he also began recording his own music. After some years the brothers reunited, and in 1996 released their debut album, Sibling Revelry
, which featured guest appearances from guitarists Michael Angelo Batio
and Tommy Dziallo. The Brothers' second album, Colorama, was released in 1999, which featured more guest musicians (in addition to Batio and Dziallo), namely vocalists Jim "Mudpuppy" Wiley, Nick Cortese and Johnny Mrozek. The band's official website was created in February 2000, a process which Johnny values highly, claiming "The internet saved us ... without it, we could have never hoped for more than a regional awareness of our music ... we've established contacts and expanded our fan base across the entire planet." Legacy
was released in 2002, followed by Blue Marble and Totality
in 2005 and 2008 respectively.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band that formed in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in 1995. It comprises two brothers, Jimmy and Johnny, who between them contribute guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s, vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and many other instruments.
History
Jimmy and Johnny began playing guitar in the late-1960s, at the ages of 14 and 12 respectively. Influenced by their parents—mother Virginia was a pianist, father Edward was a vocalist—they received no formal music training and had joined bands by 1971. After hearing progressive rockProgressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...
(notable for featuring two lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ists) on the radio in 1973, the brothers formed a similar band with local musicians by the name of Westfall. They progressed from playing local clubs to having their first studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
session and recording their first two tracks, "Everything I Could Ask For" and "Sunshine Daydream", in a short space of time, developing their double lead style along the way. Other bands they played in through the 1970s include Axis, Nutcracker and Freeze, opening for such famous acts as Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
, Survivor
Survivor (band)
Survivor is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1978. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s with its AOR sound, which garnered many charting singles, especially in the United States. The band is best known for its double platinum-certified 1982 hit "Eye of the Tiger", the theme...
, Head East
Head East
Head East is an American hard rock band originally from South Central Illinois. The band was formed by vocalist John Schlitt, guitarist Mike Somerville, keyboardist Roger Boyd, bassist Dan Birney, and drummer Steve Huston. They met and formed the band while studying at the University of Illinois,...
and The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
.
During the 1980s, as the music scene was changing to focus on disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, the brothers began to work separately as session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s, solo artists and with other bands. It was during this time that Jimmy recorded his solo album Finally and Johnny began building his own studio, known as The Garage, where he also began recording his own music. After some years the brothers reunited, and in 1996 released their debut album, Sibling Revelry
Sibling Revelry
-Personnel:*Jimmy Ryan – electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, EBow, drum programming, sequencers, samplers, sound effects, lead vocals, backing vocals, production, arrangements, mixing, design...
, which featured guest appearances from guitarists Michael Angelo Batio
Michael Angelo Batio
Michael Angelo Batio also known as Mike Batio or MAB, is a guitarist and columnist from Chicago, Illinois. His work has encompassed many genres, notably metal and its subgenres. Batio was voted the "No. 1 Shredder of All Time" by Guitar One Magazine in 2003...
and Tommy Dziallo. The Brothers' second album, Colorama, was released in 1999, which featured more guest musicians (in addition to Batio and Dziallo), namely vocalists Jim "Mudpuppy" Wiley, Nick Cortese and Johnny Mrozek. The band's official website was created in February 2000, a process which Johnny values highly, claiming "The internet saved us ... without it, we could have never hoped for more than a regional awareness of our music ... we've established contacts and expanded our fan base across the entire planet." Legacy
Legacy (The Flyin' Ryan Brothers album)
-Personnel:*Jimmy Ryan – guitars, keyboards, percussion programming, lead vocals, backing vocals, production, arrangements, engineering, mixing, mastering, executive production, design...
was released in 2002, followed by Blue Marble and Totality
Totality (album)
-Personnel:*Jimmy Ryan – electric guitars, lap steel guitar, glockenspiel, sitar, theremin, production*Johnny Ryan – electric guitars, acoustic guitars, accordion, sitar, keyboards, production*William Kopecky – bass...
in 2005 and 2008 respectively.
Discography
- Sibling RevelrySibling Revelry-Personnel:*Jimmy Ryan – electric guitars, acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, EBow, drum programming, sequencers, samplers, sound effects, lead vocals, backing vocals, production, arrangements, mixing, design...
(1996) - Colorama (1999)
- LegacyLegacy (The Flyin' Ryan Brothers album)-Personnel:*Jimmy Ryan – guitars, keyboards, percussion programming, lead vocals, backing vocals, production, arrangements, engineering, mixing, mastering, executive production, design...
(2002) - The Chaos Sampler (2003)
- Blue Marble (2005)
- TotalityTotality (album)-Personnel:*Jimmy Ryan – electric guitars, lap steel guitar, glockenspiel, sitar, theremin, production*Johnny Ryan – electric guitars, acoustic guitars, accordion, sitar, keyboards, production*William Kopecky – bass...
(2008)