Rob Mullins has joined Bruce Willis and the Accelerators, a high powered Chicago-style Blues/Rock band. The world tour begins
Sunday May 18 with the band's first show on the summer tour at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
I had the chance to catch up with Doug Hamblin, musical director for Bruce's band right before the tour was getting going..and asked him for some info about the tour.
Laura Harrison: You are the musical director for Bruce Willis' band, the Accelerators.
Tell us a little bit about the band.
Doug Hamblin: Bruce heard me playing in a little dump of a blues bar in Burbank one night and
asked me to join his band.
I figured it was for a gig or two. Five years later, here we are.
When I joined it it was a rather loosely organized Chicago-type blues band. It's
evolved quite a bit; as musicians would leave I would replace them with the
best I could find. What we have now is a rather slammin' 13 piece outfit that
features four background singers and four horns including a genuine legend
Jack Hale, one of the original Memphis horns with over 300 gold records under his belt!
Laura Harrison: What is it like working with Bruce?
Doug Hamblin:
Its great. We've played on five continents. Flew into the Korean DMZ in Army
Chinook Helicopters to play for the troops there. I say "where there's a Willis, there's a way."
Bruce has great taste in music,and has a gritty soulful voice, and plays a mean harmonica.
Laura Harrison: Rob is a new addition to the band...how is that working out and what is
it like working with Rob?
Doug Hamblin: Rob is a consummate musician and composer with a very strange sense of humor.
So he fits right in.
Laura Harrison: I understand that you are going on a European tour soon....where will you be visiting, and what is touring with Bruce like?
Doug Hamblin: We will performing in Cannes, Zurich, Dubai, Moscow, London, Berlin, some others.
Touring with Bruce in general: Three chords, Four stars.
Laura Harrison:
You play the guitar and sing, and have some original music of your own.
Tell us about your music.
Doug Hamblin:
For more info on me, check out http://www.fatcityrecords.com.
In other news, Rob completed his part of the new Eric Marienthal CD on May 14th at Andora Studios.
Working on Eric's project there this week with Rob and Eric were Stanley Clark, Harvey Mason, Lee Ritenour, Ronnie Foster, Joe Sample, Chuck Delmonico, John Beasley, Russ Ferrante, and others.
"I have very high hopes for the success of Eric's new CD" said Rob. "It is a brilliant collection of songs, and the most talented line-up I have had the pleasure of working with in quite some time" he added.
Rob has a solo composition on Eric's new CD, two co-writes with Eric, and worked on six songs of the 13.
Stay tuned for more news from Planetmullins:), and let's all wish Rob a successful and safe journey around the world.
