Dear readers, take a deep breath and let's get started: Takara - Blind in Paradise/Eternity, Michael Riesenbeck - Shouting Silence, Damir Simic-Shime - The Quest (featuring Tony Mc Alpine), Vox Tempus (featuring Gregg Bissonette), Jack Frost  - Out in the Cold, The Lec Zorn Project - It Began In The Underground, Seven Witches, Michael Bormann - Conspiracy/Capture the Moment, American Angel - Vanity, David Readman, Steve Grimmett - Personal Crisis, Ted Poley - Smile, Tony Mills - A Vital Design, From the Inside - Visions, Poley/Rivera - Only Human, Ramos/Hugo - The Dream, and of course China Blue. These are some of the projects Eric Ragno has participated in, either as a founder member, songwriter or as a session keyboard player. Impressive or what? Welcome to our webzine Eric, and thank you for spending with us some of your minimal (apparently) free time.

Thanks Stefanos!  First off let me say wow!  You have seriously done your homework!  Thanks for contacting me man; I am thrilled to talk about some of these records I have been involved with.  As for free time, I can't even imagine what that is anymore.  I get to do what I love, so who would want time away from that? 

Along with Tommy Denander, I presume you must be the busiest musician/composer at the time. Do you find this refreshing or exhausting? Are there any particular things that you miss, because of that?

You know I've never met Tommy Denander, we have just missed each other on a few occasions and I've been a fan since his work with Prisoner.  I love doing what I do, and I miss it when I'm away from it.  It's a privilege to work with these artists and have a chance to add my own touch to their sound.  Like any job it can get tedious - but when you hear the finished product and you read what the fans have to say, there is no greater rush.  I love the chance to work with new people, especially artists I have looked up to.

Did you actually start performing with your parents' band back in the early '80s, as your bio mentions? This sounds very '60s, doesn't it?

HAHAHA Well I was born in the late '60's so that would make sense now wouldn't it?  But I grew up in the '70's, which was a special time for rock music.  We were relatively close in age - my parents got married at 19 and delivered me exactly 9 months later.  It wasn't like we had a 30, 40 year space between us.  My folks put together a successful cover band and gradually worked in their own music, until they dropped the cover material entirely - and they gigged constantly.  It was hard rock stuff, not like Bob Dylan or the Beach Boys!  They were considered rock stars in the surrounding towns, which I thought was VERY cool!  They would bring me to shows and I would help carry whatever gear I could.  When I was 13 I started working the light rig, and by 15 I was finally ready to perform on stage.  My first show was at a sold-out party for this huge motorcycle club - seriously bad dudes!  It was a fascinating way to grow up.  My friends thought I was pretty friggin cool.

Two of your very first bands were Crucible and Amazing Grace. How was it for you then? What do you recollect from those times?

Wow...it was the best of times, and the worst of times.  With Crucible, it was a band of friends from the neighborhood - writing songs in each other's basements, going to each other's houses for dinner, etc.  The best bands are a musical expression of a good friendship, you know?  When Crucible fell apart, Tom Gasbarro and I built the first version of China Blue.  From that point this became the musical solace I would return to whenever things fell apart in my career.  Tom left to get married and I joined Amazing Grace, which was my entry into 80's rock/metal.  They were a great band with a solid following.  David Prater produced our demo three months before he recorded Dream Theater's "Images & Words" record.  We went toured a LOT and opened for all the Slaugthers/Wingers/Firehouses of the day.  We had a road crew and an agent, it was a very professional operation and I learned a lot about the business during this time.  We had a falling out, and I quit to move to LA.  I keep in touch with most of them; they are like long-lost family.  Same with Crucible - I just spoke to Tommy yesterday.

Takara has been a significant part in your career. I saw the other day that ProgRock Records has signed them. Peculiar or not?

The verdict is still out on that one.  I've heard the new clips on their My Space, and the sound is certainly different from the Takara that I remember - and I certainly wouldn't call it prog.  Neal Grusky (guitars) is the one constant in Takara, he's been through a lot in the past decade and with this new album coming out I'm assuming that he's back now and stronger than ever.  I hear he brought Jeff Scott Soto back for some backing vocals, although I can't hear it much on their clips.  Jeff has been an amazing influence for me, I have learned a lot from him.  I miss those guys - that band really kick started my career after moving to LA and I love them like brothers.  We've all gone through so much since those days and I wish them well.

The Lec Zorn Project ended high on my list for the last year. The new David Readman is also a fine release. Did you enjoy being involved in both of those albums?

Hey I'm glad you picked up those records, especially Lec's - not a lot of people know about that one and it really is a gem.  I enjoyed both albums, in fact David has me writing material now for his follow-up record for 2009.  I met David at Prog Power in 2005 while I was performing with D.C. Cooper.  I appeared on 3-4 songs each for both David and Lec's records.   I'm always thrilled when someone new calls and asks me to work on their record - it is a true honor.  And Lec let me go wild with a lot of synth work on this one - we did a cover of Kansas' "Play the Game Tonight" that I also arranged, and I am very proud of it.   

You've written a lot of the new From the Inside. Your name is in the credits of "Making Waves", which in my opinion belongs to the best AOR songs of the current year, as well as the whole album. Could you share with us some background info on "Visions"? Was this the first time you teamed up with Danny Vaughn?  

Thanks so much, that is an amazing compliment.  Tyketto played the same east coast touring circuit in the 80's that I did with Amazing Grace, but we never crossed paths.  When Fabrizio Grossi approached me about doing this record with Danny, I listened intently to the first "From the Inside" album and read every review that I could find, etc.  I wanted to understand what his fans wanted from a new Danny Vaughn record, you know?  I finally met Danny in person at Firefest in the U.K. (where I was playing with Steve Grimmett) and we chatted for awhile. 

Fab wanted to make sure this was a band record, where we wrote towards each other's strengths.  We didn't want it to sound like some project where nobody knows each other and contributes random parts that don't flow.  In the internet age of songwriting it's easy to lose that band identity.  So Fab, Danny and I wrote about half the album together, trading MP3's and with Fab & I sitting down regularly.  My style is a very keyboard-driven Journey-vibe, and Danny had just finished opening for Journey on their U.K. tour with Jeff Scott Soto.  So we were all on the same wavelength, and we worked very closely to maintain that sound and focus throughout the album.  My old friend Peter Lobo played drums, and Jimi Bell (House of Lords) came in at the end and shredded away!  It's one of my favorite records from start to finish.

Tony Mills and "Vital Designs" is another treat you're in as well. In Neil Hibbs' words: "God Called My Name was written by the amazing Eric Ragno", to be followed by Tony Mills' statement: "I have written an album with Eric Ragno from Los Angeles and Eric is a very talented session man who is very flexible." What's your viewpoint about this collaboration? Personally, loved what you did on "Vital Designs".

Those guys are so awesome - they really are excellent people.  To be honest, this album was a real challenge for me.  When Tony originally approached me about a new record, it was going to be a traditional AOR album.  But two months later I was getting all of these shredding, Queensryche-style metal tracks in my e-mail!  I flew to England and drove around with Neil, we stayed over at Tony's house and listened to the demos together and discussed the direction.  Again, I believe you have to go that extra mile and get to know the people you are working with, talk to them and understand what they are aiming for.  And what their fans are thinking!  I try to reach a happy balance between what the artist is shooting for and what their audience wants to hear.   

And this one was heavier than most records I've done, definitely not your typical AOR record.  Neil is an amazing player and filled most of the space with his intricate guitar shredding.  I didn't have a lot of ideas for melodies or sounds, and by the third song I realized I was in trouble…I had already done all my best tricks and I had this European tour coming up with Graham Bonnett, so I was running out of time.  I had to throw out the old book and take a new, modern approach to this record.  I owe so much to Tony, and after the TNT controversies I knew how important this record was to him.  So I bought a new Roland Fantom and I tried a lot of new things, modern ideas I've never tried before.  I wanted each song to have some different layers and touches that set it apart - but they had to sound both classic and modern as well.  I must have hit upon something because now I'm getting a lot more work from metal bands! 

But back to that song - once it was clear the direction had changed, my usual AOR song ideas were toast!  In desperation I sent over "God Called My Name" - a heavy-sounding piece I wrote for Seven Witches several years ago that was too modern sounding for them.  Tony LOVED it and wrote some very personal lyrics that I really identify with.  In the end I recorded between 8-10 songs for the album, and Tony brought in some friends to finish it once I went on tour.  Great record, I still listen to it!  I was disappointed that I didn't get to hear it until two months after it was released, but these days the labels give us our copies last.  Weird huh?

You are going to have Tony Mills on the long expected China Blue album. I do have high hopes for this one and I've read elsewhere you calling it "your baby." Is there any news regarding the release date and of course details about its making procedure?

Frontiers are releasing the album on December 5th.  YEAH!  It's something I've been cooking up during my downtime - my own pet project.  It's my own personal statement - I had a clear vision and I knew exactly who could bring those elements across, from the players right down to the artwork.  I am a HUGE rock fan and I've had a little experience now in these areas.  So for this album, I wanted to create something that could encompass all of the things I love about this music - the melody, the technical musicianship…the kind of record I always wanted to hear.

And it took some time - each of the guys on this record is a pro player with a busy schedule of his own.  They are also friends of mine, people whom I have played at one point or another, had dinner at their houses, etc.  I go back to that 70's mentality where you start a band with your friends, not by picking random players out of ads or referrals.  And I really tried to celebrate those friendships through the music, and wrote to everyone's strengths.  The lineup includes Tony Mills (TNT, Shy) on vocals, Josh Ramos (The Storm, Hardline) on rhythm guitars, Ronny Smith (Xenon) on rhythm guitars, Doug Odell (Crunch/Adriangale, TNA) on bass and Zane Petersen (Conditioned Response, Solna) on drums.  There are also guest spots from my good friend Fabrizio Grossi (Steve Vai, Starbreaker) on bass and Pete Newdeck (Steve Grimmett/Grim Reaper) on drums.  

Vox Tempus is a super group project that came out of the ashes of Equinox, and "In the Eye of Time" is going to be re-released through Angel Milk Records. Judging by the samples at http://www.myspace.com/voxtempus, it sits somewhere between Fates Warning and late Rush. What do you expect from this album the second time around?

This album took a LONG time to make, and after our Equinox drama no one was ready to trust a label to release this properly.  We went through several offers that the guys rejected for one reason or another… it was extremely frustrating as I was on tour (with Dawn Robinson from En Vogue) and working out the details with these labels while traveling on the road, only to have the band reject them one-by-one.  We finally did a self-release and sold some copies to online retailers.  We sent a LOT of copies out for review, to radio, etc. so the album developed a solid cult following.  But it was never distributed properly, and our biggest target audience - the fans overseas - never got to hear the record.   I always hoped that once some time had passed, we might have another shot with getting this album out over there.  Thank God that Angelmilk decided to give us a shot.  The songs still sound as fresh today as they did in 2004, and many people will be hearing this album for the first time, especially overseas. 

Ramos/Hugo is another album of yours that saw the light of day in 2008. We all know your love for Journey (count me in by all means), and this album is aiming for that sound. Are you pleased with the result and the feedback?

Good question!  I'm glad to have a chance to discuss this a bit, and would like to rewind a little. Some folks may not realize it, but this album was originally intended to be a Josh Ramos solo record, and not initially something that was "aiming for that sound".  Hugo only came in to replace the previous singer (a metal singer incidentally) once all of the music was 100% written and recorded.   Of course with Hugo's voice (and his look, let's face it - what a great guy) there will always be Journey comparisons. But this is what his voice sounds like!  And while we're all heavily influenced by Journey & other classic AOR, we only do what we do, you know?  We all brought our influences to the table, but they're just influences - there was never any discussion or plot to create a Journey tribute record. 

And the buzz has been great - I'm so grateful for the comments from the fans, it has been overwhelming.  Still there are a few folks don't know what to make of it, and instead of comparing the new record to the previous works by Hugo, Josh or myself, they are measuring it against their favorite Journey records!  And nostalgia is a tough ruler to be judged by.  It's like dating a girl who resembles your old high school sweetheart, only to be shocked to find that this new one has her own personality and style, which is different from that nostalgic crush you were after.  You never even considered she might have her own identity, you know?  It's a no-win scenario, something that Hugo tried to explain to me in those early phone calls.  As a fan I can understand - as you say I am a big Journey fan and we all want a new Journey album. That's why I bought the remasters along with Revelations.

What is this Melodicrock.com All Stars thing that emerged out of the blue?

Andrew McNiece reached out to me and asked if I could find some pro players who could come out at the last minute and play a set of cover tunes at last year's Melodic Rock Fest.  He was working very closely with Michael Eden (Eden's Curse) who was an obvious choice on vocals.  John Parker (Talon drummer) was already coming in for the show, and I was able to get Vic Rivera & Doug Odell (Poley/Rivera, Crunch/Adriangale) to fly in at the last minute for guitars and bass.  We had five days to prepare on our own, and no rehearsal - we literally met just one hour before the show!  So the audience got to watch as we worked things out before their eyes.  It's been a year since then, and each of us have new releases coming out around the same week.  We are all good friends now; in fact I've played on the new Poley/Rivera and brought Doug in to play bass with China Blue.  It would have been fun to build a long-term band out of it...I guess you never know.

You've performed live or during studio recordings with distinguished artists, such as Bob Daisley (Rainbow/Uriah Heep/Ozzy Osbourne/Gary Moore), Graham Bonnet (Rainbow/Alcatrazz), Jack Frost (Savatage), and Steve Grimmett (Lionsheart) among others. Which of them has impressed you the most?

That has to be an impossible question!  I love all of these guys…Graham is an amazing character, he is such a sweet soul and we speak often.  And Jack is awesome; we hung out together in high school.  Pete Newdeck, another amazing guy.  Eric Martin is incredible; he's the consummate journey-man.  But performance-wise I guess I'd say Josh Ramos impressed me the most.  Watching him solo always makes my heart soar man.  Wait until you hear what he did on the China Blue record!  We spent Christmas week locked in my house and worked on solo sections for the record.  During breaks we'd go out and enjoy the holidays at LA's fine restaurants.  We ran into Jessica Simpson at one.  Josh is so humble and as soon as you plug him in, these classic AOR solos come out of the speakers!  

Who would you consider to be your major influences, as a keyboardist?

I have always been heavily influenced by the piano and writing style of Jonathan Cain, the synth textures of Geoff Downes and the solos of Kevin Moore.  Put those three into a blender and somewhere I pour out.  I also listen to what the new guys are doing on the radio - there are a lot of great keyboards in music again, finally! 

What music are you currently listening to and whom of the new artists would you pick out as a future hope?

I don't get to listen to a lot of music recreationally, you know.  This week I've been listening to the new Steve Grimmett demos, a track from Mario Parga which I have to write some solos for...I listen to everything ni teh car so the ideas sink in once I get home, you know?  When I do listen for pleasure, it's some of the new releases by friends of mine.  Right now I'm listening to the new Jeff Scott Soto album (oops we're calling him JSS now, lol), the new Poley/Rivera which ROCKS, and the new Valentine featuring Hugo.  Great stuff all around.  I don't know what the next big thing will be, but I'm hoping that the Poley/Rivera gets the attention that it deserves.  Vic and Ted really put something special on this one.

Have you ever considered releasing a solo instrumental album?

I've thought about doing an instrumental record, and I've actually put together a CD of piano pieces that I've given to friends and devoted fans over the years.  There are pieces of it on my website if you dig deeply enough!  If a label approached me about doing an instrumental record, I would certainly consider it.  But it takes a lot of time and work to do something like that - you are responsible for all of the melodies and solos, etc. and all the logistics as well.  I have good friends who put their career on hold for months and even years just to finish their instrumental record.  Even with all the help I received on the China Blue album, it still took a long time to finish!  

Are there any tour plans for the future?

I would love to do some shows with China Blue, and I hope that we get some good offers once the record comes out.  There are also plans for me to come over to Europe and Russia with a well-known group of guys.  We haven't finalized it yet but it looks very likely.  You can always find the latest info on my website at www.keyboardplayer.net.

Much obliged for this interview, Eric. All the best to you and your family.  

To you too my friend!  Thanks for speaking with me!  Your site rocks!