Galloway unveils first CD tonight at UCO Jazz Lab

Mark Galloway could always bend a string as well as he could curve a 5-iron shot around a dogleg, but the long-time blues and rock guitarist had never recorded his music for commercial release.

Until now. Galloway, whose day job is director of golf and PGA Professional at Trosper Park Golf Course in Oklahoma City, will have a CD release show of Southern Sweet tonight at 7 p.m. at the UCO Jazz Lab, 100 East Ffith Street in Edmond. Call to reserve seats at 405-359-7989.

The album has four original compositions and eight blues standards, as well as a version of Georgia On My Mind that Galloway included because of his mother’s love for Ray Charles.

Galloway,  60, who grew up listening to and influenced by guitarists such as Freddie King, early Eric Clapton, Dwayne Allman, Muddy Waters and others, burst on the music scene as a guitar prodigy some 44 years ago, and has played in various bands and clubs in the Oklahoma City area for decades, but never put out an album.

He was inspired to do so by a recent collaboration with Tony Manaco, a world-famous Hammond keyboard player, and by his saxophonist Heath Jones, both of whom play on the CD.

Galloway recorded 10 songs in a studio in early June, five of which made it on to the CD. Other songs came from a previous live show at the UCO Jazz Lab as well as four recorded at his home studio.

Some of the blues covered include Killing Floor by Howlin’ Wolf, Little Martha by Duane Allman,  Hootchie Coochie Man by Willie Dixon, Cross Cut Saw by Tommy McClellan (1941). Among the orginal songs is the title song Southern Sweet, as well as a song called Charlie he wrote as a tribute to his father and Tribute to Benny, a song he wrote for Oklahoma City guitarist Benny Garcia, who used to play with Bob Willis and the Texas Playboys among others and influenced Galloway.

"I’m real happy with it," Galloway said. "It was a treat to get to play with someone with the resume of Monaco. Heath has four albums of his own. All the solos were improvised and I think they came out well."

The CD will eventually be available on ITunes, but anyone who wishes to obtain an early copy and can’t make it out tonight can email Mark at markgalloway@sbcglobal.net.