CLASSIC ROCK’S LEGENDARY SIDE MEN RETURN
TO THE FOREFRONT AS THE HIT MEN COMMENCE
2019 U.S. TOUR WITH ADDED SONGS
FROM THEIR RICH HISTORY OF COLLABORATIONS
After decades performing or recording with Paul McCartney, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, David Bowie, Lou Reed, as well as members of The Who, Cheap Trick, Foreigner, Toto, Journey, The Ramones, and dozens more, THE HIT MEN have become a Supergroup like no other.
“The Hit Men are musicians in a class all their own” – M Music & Musicians Magazine
WATCH & LISTEN: The Hit Men’s Jimmy Ryan on The Beatles Channel/Sirius XM:https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=SC_cKpmK-ms
NEW YORK (Jan. 21, 2019) ― True to the name of their latest album, Don’t Stop, THE HIT MEN, classic rock’s unique Supergroup of legendary side men, are back on the road this month to launch their 2019 U.S. tour aimed at delivering even more of the hits they first played with the original superstars, with additional classics emerging in their shows as the tour marches on.
After decades performing or recording with classic rock superstars Paul McCartney, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, David Bowie, Lou Reed, and members of The Who, Cheap Trick, Foreigner, Toto, Journey, The Ramones and dozens more, THE HIT MEN have become a Supergroup unlike any other. What the Wrecking Crew meant to the pop music revolution of the ‘60s, THE HIT MEN have meant to some of the most indelible hits of the ‘70s, ‘80s and beyond. It’s only now that the evolution of THE HIT MEN’S story – fueled, in part, by their countless first-hand experiences as eyewitnesses to rock history – has become a revelation.
With an eye on THE HIT MEN’s 10th anniversary fast approaching, the band decided to start revealing more of the seemingly countless classic tracks connected with the five guys who comprise this unique group of musicians.
The Hit Men, L-R: Jeff Ganz, Jimmy Ryan, Lee Shapiro, Russ Velazquez, Steve Murphy
(photo credit: Bobby Bank)
“We’re adding more of the songs of the people we’ve collaborated with than ever before, because with the recent additions of Jeff Ganz (bass/vocals) and Steve Murphy (drums/ lead vocals), we now have relationship s with more classic rock bands than ever,” says founding member Lee Shapiro (keyboards/vocals, and Frankie Valli’s former musical director). “Combined we have such a rich history of collaborations, and we’re super proud of that. We want to display the hits of these artists as broadly as we can. That makes it real fun for us to draw from those experiences and be able to play the hits that we do.”
THE HIT MEN 2019 U.S. Tour comes to Philadelphia Feb. 2 at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, PA, and then the Arizona Musicfest in Scottsdale, AZ, before heading South to theaters in Florida for the rest of February, and a second Florida run in April. In between, THE HIT MEN will visit Colorado and Ohio, and host a special, intimate club appearance back home in New York City (April 27 at the Cutting Room).
As the Associated Press noted, “Nostalgia Fades but the 'Hit Men' Play On."
The newest piece in THE HIT MEN’s recorded arsenal is Lee Shapiro Plays the Greatest Hits of Frankie Valli (Mink Mitten), a solo piano tribute to the iconic Jersey Boy, interpreted for the very first time as instrumental easy listening music. Shapiro, THE HIT MEN’s co-founder, was Valli’s musical director/arranger and Four Seasons member through the 1970s, and originally arranged two of Valli’s biggest Four Seasons mid-‘70s hits: the No. 1 smash “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)” and “Who Loves You” (#3).
From transistor radios, vinyl, 8-track tapes and cassettes to the Sony Walkman, CD's, digital downloads and the Apple iPod, THE HIT MEN ― also Jimmy Ryan (lead guitar/vocals, and Carly Simon’s longtime musical director), and Russ Velazquez(vocalist/keyboardist/percussionist) ― have seen and heard it all. And they have the stories to go with it!
THE HIT MEN continue to recreate their classics while proving again and again that you absolutely can teach old dogs new “tracks.”
THE HIT MEN 2019 TOUR DATES:
February 2: Montgomery County Comm. College, Blue Bell, PA
February 9: Arizona Music Feste, Scottsdale, AZ
February 15: Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, Aventura, FL
February 16: Flagler Auditorium, Palm Coast, FL
February 21: Citrus Hills, Hernando, FL
February 22-23: Crest Theatre, Delray Beach, FL
Feb. 24: Valencia Falls, West Delray, FL
March 23: The Rialto Theater, Loveland, CO
April 7: Lock One Community Arts, New Bremen, OH
April 10-12: Artis/Naples, Naples, FL
April 20: Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown, NJ
April 27: The Cutting Room, NYC
More dates to come!
THE HIT MEN ON THE WEB:
www.thehitmenlive.com
www.facebook.com/thehitmenlive
www.twitter.com/thehitmenlive
