Toler/Townsend Band News

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Not Fade Away: Top 10 Ass-Kicking
Gibson Guitar Gods from the Past
Ted Drozdowski - 04.29.2011
3. Dan Toler "Dangerous" Dan Toler was given his nickname by Dickey Betts,
who employed his friend in Great Southern and bumped him up to the Allman
Brothers for a three-album run from 1979 to 1982, including the band's
comeback, Enlightened Rogues. His axe of preference has long been a vintage
Gibson Les Paul Standard, just like Betts'. In recent years Toler, an Indiana
native, has flown his flag with several kudzu-dappled rock projects including
the Southern Legends Band, a reconfigured Great Southern and the Toler/Townsend
Band with Johnny Townsend. READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

- Dan Toler Interview
With Jason Saulnier

Check out the Dan Toler Interview in Dec. issue of Vintage Guitar Mag

TTB INKS DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH BURNSIDE. We are happy to announce that Garage Door Records has signed a distribution deal with Burnside Distribution Corporation. "It's a big boost for us at GDR to be partnered with a great distributor like Burnside," says GDR head Glenn Halverson. "We're pulling out all the stops for our first release, Toler/Townsend Band, coming up on October 5th and we're very excited to be working with Burnside on this project."

TOLER/TOWNSEND BAND - is the new musical venture of two icons of the Southern Blues-Rock genre. The principals are virtuoso guitarist "Dangerous" Dan Toler, formerly of The Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts & Great Southern and The Gregg Allman Band, and Johnny Townsend, the blockbuster voice of The Sanford/Townsend Band and their monster hit "Smoke From A Distant Fire". For more info on Toler/Townsend Band, please visit their website.

- REVIEWS -

CHICAGO SUN TIMES - TOLER/TOWNSEND BAND "This project combines two of the more talented stalwarts of the Southern Blues/Rock genre, "Dangerous" Dan Toler, former Allman guitarist, and Johnny Townsend, vocalist-keyboardist for the Sanford / Townsend Band of "Smoke From a Distant Fire" fame..... Toler plays a dangerous ax, as he demonstrates on "Ali Shuffle," and Townsend can belt it out vocally a la Michael McDonald."

SWAMPLAND.COM - TOLER/TOWNSEND BAND
"What happens when one of pop-rock's finest voices teams up with the former guitarist of The Allman Brothers Band? Magic. Pure magic."

TOLER/TOWNSEND BAND - (Garage Door Records)"Dare I use the term "Adult Contemporary" in these pages? Yes, because the description fits the Toler / Townsend Band's self titled debut in the same way it did Gregg AIIman's "Playin' Up A Storm" 32 years ago, or the lone album by the Marshall Tucker Band spin-off, Seven Moore, back about five. Long in the making, the disc presents these two music vets in the context of polished, often times sizzling contemporary R&B and more, perfecting a formula developed in 2007 in the short-lived TGZ Band. Toler, of course, is guitarist "Dangerous" Dan Toler, whose resume includes Dickie Betts and Great Southern, the Gregg Allman Band, and the Allman Brothers Band. Johnny Townsend was the voice of the Sanford / Townsend Band who scored a big hit in 1977 with their great song "Smoke From a Distant Fire". All this time later, the expressive power in Townsend's voice actualIy has become enhanced - just listen to him manipulate the brass-spiked and funk "Loneliness". Better yet, sit back and absorb his gut-wrenching, blues-infused barrage of soul in "Sorry's Not Enough". Dan lets loose his dangerous side during "Ali Shuffle" peeling off plenty of tasty licks in an instrumental with definite shades of the mid-period Brothers. The infinitely catchy "Novato Moon" is the centerpiece of the album, with a ringing melody and Iyrics that paint a vivid scene of longing. With no prior notice you may at first scratch your head at Toler's choice of direction here, but do give "Toler / Townsend Band" the time it deserves. Little by little, big rewards unfurl. - Tom Clarke

VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE - TOLER/TOWNSEND BAND (Garage Door Records)"Veteran southern rock guitarist Dan Toler joins forces with West Coast vocalist Johnny Townsend (Remember "Smoke From A Distant Fire"?) to create a nice blend of rock, pop, and soul. Those who think Toler's strictly a Southern rocker will be surprised by stretches into jazz and beyond. - John Heidt"

"With backgrounds like this, you would expect them to be very competent musicians, and you wouldn't be wrong in that assumption..... Whilst it's not a pure blues album, there are some tracks that are nothing but the blues - the rest is blues/rock with a lot of influence from The Allmans, Wet Willie, Molly Hatchet & others. John Townsend co-wrote all but three of the 11 tracks on the album, and Dan Toler co-wrote the others, so it's all original music and all good music. The CD opens with "Loneliness," a medium tempo blues/rock number that sets the tone for the rest of the album - the band comes back to blues/rock after excursions into ballads & a bit of country rock. Track four, "Full Time Fool," is very reminiscent of '80s southern rock- with a good driving beat, track five, "Ali Shuffle, is probably the blusiest (and the best) track on the album - I'd love to hear this band do a full album of this sort of material! It has Tony Perrino on Hammond B3 laying down a great backing, with the guitar of Dan Toler above it.The tempo of the CD is mainly on the up side, but there is some slower material to satisfy those who want to chill a little..."
- Terry Clear