Autobiograph I get quite a few home recorded demo CD's in the mail from various people, some of which are ok, and most of which, frankly, suck or sound like 4-track demos. Recently I received a CD from Doug Bowers and his band KDB3 called Autobiograph that I thought was really quite exceptional. Its not pure prog, although a couple of songs definitely lean that way, but the guy is really talented. His songs have great hooks, melodies, and the playing is tasteful. And his lyrics are good, with a strong message as he shares his life testimony throughout the album. I've heard some rather poor attempts to tell stories put to lyrics, but Bowers doesn't fall into any of those traps. His lyrics are tasteful and unpredictable, with quite a bit of humor thrown in. Musically Autobiograph ranges from the early Elton John/Billy Joel realm to the Queen/Styx/Kansas/Pink Floyd comparisons. Doug's got a great voice, a little like Freddy Mercury or Ray Weston of Echolyn, very expressive. The vocals are out front in the mix, which gives it a pop feel like Supertramp, with creative musicianship intact. If you like keyboard driven 70's proggy pop rock music, done well, with a solid Christian message, I really recommend it. Its certainly better than 99% of the crap the CCM industry is putting out these days. I find myself listening to it quite a bit, which is a good sign of a quality album. KDB3's web page is at http://kdb3.iuma.com. Sample some sound bytes and dig in. Try Dark side, which has a Kansas type feel, and Second Coming or He Knows, which sounds a little like Pink Floyd. Reviewed by David Trout at http://www.spiritualprog.com.

St Simon's Sounds! A Christmans Celebration A CD and cassette, "St. Simon's Sounds-A Christmas Celebration" is the newest project of St. Simon's on-the-Sound Episcopal Church in Fort Walton Beach. The co-producers of the all-local vocal and instrumental package, Scott Smith and Dr. Doug Bowers, call it a "mix of traditional and contemporary classics". Smith, e test engeneer at Hurlburt Field, and Bowers, a dentist, have combined their technical and musical expertise to create the tribute to Christmas. The 13 selections feature the church coir, solo vocalists, the handbell choir, and the Joyful Noise children's choir. All profits from sales will be used to benefit the music ministry of the church "to the glory of God and in memory of the Rev. Dr. Edmund D. Campbell Jr." the church rector who died in April. For one of the selections, "That's Good", Campbell wrote the lyrics years ago. Phyllis Hiller of Oakhill Music Publishing Company wrote the music, and their song was copyrighted in 1974. It features children singing with a children's approach to theology. The other dozen selections range from the traditional to unusual. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", an instrumental, "provides the opening fanfare" Bowers said. Others are "Gabriel's Message", "Angels We Have Hears on High", "Silent Night", "Go Tell It on the Mountain", "O Holy NIght", "Away in the Manger", "What Child is This", "Sing We Now of Christmas", "Bring a Torch", "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear", "Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming", and "I Wonder as I Wander". Several are arranged by Bowers and other St. Simon's musicians. Bowers, who plays keyboard, synthesizer and guitar, started recording Christmas music for his family six or seven years ago. "Then after Hurricane Opal, people at the church began saying this would be a good way to raise money", he said. To save money, everything was recorded at his home, except for two numbers, which were done at the church. Recording began in April and was comnpleted in late July. Several soloists are featured on the CD. Allison Everitt, who teaches music at Okaloosa-Walton Community College, has been well known locally for years. She and Mike Sheppard are both soloists with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. Sheppard's wife Ellen, a math teacher at Niceville High School, plays acoustic guitar, hammered dulcimer, and autoharp. John Zirpola, another well known local musician, plays guitar and sings. Billy Holmes, who plays mandolin, owns a recording studio and has worked wirh B. B. King and other famous musicians. But the one soloist who stands out from all the rest, according to Bowers, Smith, and the Derosiers, is Julia Lundy, age 12. She sings with the adult choir at St. Simon's, and on the CD, she sings "Silent Night". Julia is blind, so she has to memorize the music. She is aided by her older brother, Jeff, who's also in the choir, and who records for her, so she can practice at home. (Text taken from a larger article written in the Northwest Florida Daily News by Senior Staff Writer Peggy May)

Beyond Our Bounds Ad Astra is Doug Bowers (keyboards, vocals) of KBD3 fame, along with Chris Flynn (guitars, bass, and vocals) and Mitch Rall (drums and vocals). Sounding a bit like Marillion and packing a no-compromise Christian lyrical punch, Ad Astra is a welcome newcomer to the Christian prog genre. All the songs are highlighted by Bower's tasteful 70's vintage synth leads, as well as tight guitar and drums and solid vocals. Highlights of the album include the opener Liberty, the title track (which features the crew of Apollo 8 reading from Genesis), Spirit Wars, which picks up the tempo with heavier guitars, the catchy Severe Mercy, the beautiful guitar instrumental Ed Spence, and the jamming closer Angle of Repose, which features ex-Kansas member Dave Hope on bass and some great guitar and keyboard solos. Ad Astra is a side project of the worship team at Immanuel Anglican Church in Destin Florida, where Dave Hope is a pastor. Reviewed by Dave Trout at http://www.spiritualprog.com