Claremont music scene...
"The musical vibration of Claremont comes from the hills. Mt. Baldy is a powerful place and exudes a peaceful yet powerful inspirational pull. I believe that is why so many good musicians come from and still reside in this area. Many of these artists/musicians are known and many are unknown by their own wishes. The downtown village area has always flourished with traditional music and the roots are deep with the people who grow up here. It's just a given there is music everywhere. The performances are given and appreciated by regular everyday people who often would walk into a coffee shop not even realizing they were witnessing some artists who helped shape music history. One of them being Chris Darrow who played with such greats as Linda Rondstant, Hoyt Axton, Nitty Gritty Dirty Band, Kaleidoscope. Chris always enjoyed appearing with the Real Time Jazz Band and never an ego involved. He would just show up with his fiddle or mandolin and join in. It's a wonderful place to be at ease with yourself."

JP Plunier...
"I played in a band with JP in 1984 many moons ago. We put a show together to play at a party for the local University. I think the show was for a Rugby team party. We didn't continue to practice much after that but I formed a band with the guitar player after that which was my band the Immigrants. JP was very artsy and a good photographer. He did some nice photo sessions for us in the years following.
I used to try to speak French to him because I was attending the Alliance Francaise in Santa Monica at the time and taking courses in French but I couldn't keep up with him too well. I tried though.

Nick’s caffé...
JP got to be good friends with my old boss Nick Sandro at the cappuccino bar I worked at so I would see him quite often. That's of course how I met Ben too because Ben and his grandfather would come in every day to get their coffee. Ben's grandfather was the most polite gentleman I had ever met and classic in the sense that he was true to his love of music and art."

The Real Time Bazz Band...
"The Real Time Jazz Band was the most classic down home rootsy band I had ever been exposed to. Often there were no vocals but just swinging music. I worked the coffee shop for six years listening to them play every Thursday night, never missing a beat."

Interview by Emmanuel Rivet / swer.net - april 2004

From official bio (by Harvey Kubernik) : Pomona born and Claremont-raised vocalist / singer / songwriter Caroline Dourley has been recording her debut album with producer and influential multi-instrumentalist, Claremont native Chris Darrow in his Studio Nadine.

"The singer known by the one name, Caroline, has been one of my favorite singers for years. We met when she was just a teenager and have continued to be good friends, collaborators and compatriots. She has a cry in her voice that especially lends itself to songs of love and heartbreak. Her crystalline tone and soft vibrato get under your skin as she sells her own brand of smoky sexuality." - Chris Darrow.

Comin' Back To You
Produced by Chris Darrow - 1999

01. Once Upon A Time (Chris Darrow) — 02. Good Imitation (Patrick Brayer) — 03. Good Thing (Chris Darrow / Connie Mardon) — 04. No One Owns The Night (Jerry Waller / Steve Lewis) — 05. Southside Girl (Chris Darrow / Sean McPhetridge) — 06. Any Old Port In The Storm (Chris Darrow/Connie Mardon) — 07. Rainbow (John York / Roy Swedeen) — 08. Reason No To Cry (Chris Darrow) — 09. Comin' Back To You (Chris Darrow / Caroline Topalian) — 10. Coyote (Chris Darrow).

Caroline Dourley : Vocals — Chris Darrow : guitars, bass, mandolin, electric WMI, percussion, vocals — Jerry Waller : keyboards, vocals — Max Buda : violin — Liz Darrow-Jones : vocals.

Download audio samples on
www.carolinedourley.com

Songs From The Heart
Produced by Chris Darrow
Mastered by Richard Bosworth
Angelina Elizabeth Music - 2004

01. Love (Darrow) — 02. I Can't Take A Chance (Darrow / Dourley / Newkirk) — 03. To Which Cross Do I Cling (Darrow) — 04. Last Chance (Darrow / McPhetridge) — 05. Too Much, Too Soon (Darrow / McPhetridge) — 06. Fork In The Road (Darrow / Cunningham / Gibson) — 07. The Moon (Darrow / Dourley / Newkirk) — 08. Restless Blood (Darrow) — 09. Love Is Never Wrong (Strandlund) — 10. The Only One (Darrow / Dourley / Newkirk).

Caroline Dourley: vocals — Chris Darrow : all instruments, vocals — Loren Newkirk : keyboards — Connie Mardon, Liz Darrow-Jones, Christina Mato, Burl Johnson, Chris Darrow : background vocals — John Russel : congas.


••• Listen / order album on
www.cdbaby.com


••• View flash movie of the song The Moon

From cdbaby.com — The artist known simply as Caroline offers her sophomore album "Songs From The Heart" produced by multi-instrumentalist, friend and mentor Chris Darrow. For the "difficult second album" concept Darrow raises the bar demonstratively, fleshing out each song with rich, varied and sympathetic soundscapes. Caroline clears the bar with space to spare.-Michael McDonald
Loren Newkirk's historical jazz background give the three trio written songs the status of "new standards." Instead of covering the old classics, Caroline Dourley, Chris Darrow and Loren Newkirk set out to create new stories with the grace of the old classics. These songs are here to stay. The vocal duets are sultry and real. The music is rich in singing, writing and playing. Darrow's topped himself this time with his innovative solos-ones that musicians often try to mimmick but miss the originality too often. Many of Darrows proteges often miss the originality but not Caroline. She takes Darrows love for music to new heights. This is apparent when they work together. Newkirk adds the icing on the cake, or the canvas to the painted picture. "Songs from the Heart is to be both admired and loved." Michael McDonald/Caroline Dourley