from Showcase Reviews, October 1996
Singer/songwriter/painter Al Rose and his band, The Transcendos, including
drummer Heath Chappell, bassist Steve Hashimoto, guitarist Mike Smith, vocalist
Laura Blye, and mandolinist Maury Smith, capture the warmth and meaning of
Rose's compositions with a style that eludes labeling. He sometimes presents his
music as an acoustic solo, sometimes with just a bassist, sometimes as a trio,
sometimes with the whole band of the musicians previously mentioned. There are
even more musicians credited on the sleeve.
Naked In A Trailer is Rose's second release.
The first, Information Overload, was well
received and got some impressive reviews. Touring for the first release brought
him outside of his Midwestern Chicago base, from the east coast to Nashville,
and some southern states.
As a painter, Rose's watercolors have been showcased in galleries, including some
solo exhibitions. He claims that although his painting is another creative outlet, it
is definitely secondary to his music. The cover of this CD is graced by one of his
own paintings.
[...]
-Jon Hermansen
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