John Bundrick, aka Rabbit could have been a legend if he wasn’t as unassuming a character as he is, and it doesn’t matter that the American keyboard player served as a member of FREE – he wrote or co-wrote a half of their “Heartbreaker” album – and recorded and toured with THE WHO, as well as appeared on such notable platters as John Martyn’s “Solid Air” and "Whale Meat Again" by Jim Capaldi to name but two. Rabbit also issued quite a few solo albums, such as "Run For Cover" from 1995, although the last one out dates from 2003, and following “A Tribute To John Entwistle” were only two volumes of a movie soundtrack John composed composed together with his old friend Johnny Nash. However, May 29th will see the appearance of a song cycle Bundrick calls his last… probably.
Titled “Mr. Big Boss Man” and comprised of a dozen fresh cuts, it features several guests, most notably OSIBISA guitarist Gregg Kofi Brown and former SAVOY BROWN and CACTUS vocalist Jimmy Kunes; the latter also co-penned a track called “Asylum” with Rabbit.
“I had some songs that could use keyboards, Hammond and piano for my second solo album, ‘Gate Of All Saints’ that I released in 2005,” explains Kunes, “so I sent a few of these to Rabbit as he was interested. He immediately sent those overdubs back and replied, ‘Send me all the Simon tracks you have!’ as he had been in FREE with Simon Kirke who played drums on the bulk of the record – and some amazing piano, too. Talk about exciting! A lot of these songs are unreleased, so get my hint here, but subsequently, Rab sent me some of his original gems that needed vocals, and that was how ‘Asylum’ came about. Bill Leverty from FIREHOUSE engineered and recorded my vocal at his studio in Richmond at the start of the ‘Flood The Engine’ sessions in 2012.”
Mr. Big Boss Man
1. What The Man Has To Say
2. Nkosi B
3. Asylum
4. Mr. Big Boss Man
5. Grownups
6. Living On A Level
7. Forever You
8. Africa ’25
9. Hole In My Head
10. Funky James
11. Salty Popcorn
12. Send Your Love
