Brian Maes
Encyclopedia
Brian Maes is a musician who was born in Lynn, Massachusetts
on August 8, 1956. He graduated from Lynn Classical High School
in 1974 and from Berklee College of Music
in 1979.
lessons with Louis Pascucci which lasted until the age of fourteen when he switched to playing baritone horn
at the request of Lynn Public schools senior band director, Fancis Pagnotta. By the age of sixteen, Maes had decided to focus primarily on singing and playing the keyboard
. Private instruction from North Shore organist, Marie Fairfield as well as piano studies from jazz pianist, Joe Carlton prepared Maes for his audition and acceptance to Berklee in 1975. While at Berklee, Maes studied classical piano under Emanuel Zambelli and scored an A- on his senior recital, performing an hour of memorized classical pieces and an hour of memorized original material.
recording artist, Robert Ellis Orrall
, and was hired to tour in support of the release of the "Special Pain" album on RCA Records. In 1983 Maes travelled to Wales
to play keyboards and sing backing vocals on the follow-up album, "Contain Yourself."
Maes was commissioned to return to the United Kingdom
to work on other recording projects, acting as arranger
, performer and conductor
with Orrall band mates, Charles (Kook) Lawry, David Stefanelli and Don Waldon.
In 1984, Maes began his long standing relationship with Barry Goudreau
when he successfully auditioned for the keyboardist/backing vocalist chair with Orion the Hunter (band)
The band toured as the opening act for Aerosmith
on the "Back in the Saddle" tour during the summer of 1984. After their first tour, Orion the Hunter disbanded. Maes and Goudreau made the decision to stay together and work on new material.
In 1985, while still writing and recording with Barry Goudreau, Maes began collaborating with Peter Wolf
, the J. Geils Band front man, doing pre-production and arranging work in the recording studio
for Peter's solo record "Come As You Are". Maes, Lawry, Stefanelli and Waldon all worked together in the studio recording the songs that would later be on this record and all received credit on the label. This collaboration between Wolf and Maes began a long standing personal and professional relationship that would bring them together on numerable musical endeavors. It was during this time that Maes presented Wolf with the song "Until Your Love Comes Back Around" for consideration but Wolf passed on the song. Brian and Peter would come together again in 1993 to tour the United States and Japan in support of Peter's Long Line
album. The band was then called "Peter Wolf and the House Party 5" with Tim Archibald on bass
, David Stefanelli on drums and backing vocals, Johnny A.
on guitar, Doug Dube on Hammond B3
and backing vocals, Brian Maes on keys and backing vocals and Peter Wolf on lead vocals. Maes was also a member of RTZ.
Maes is currently the lead singer and keyboardist for "Ernie and the Automatics" which features original and former members of the band Boston
, Barry Goudreau
on guitar
and Sib Hashian
on drums. Fellow RTZ and Peter Wolf's House Party Five bandmate, bassist, Tim Archibald is also a member of "The Automatics" along with tenor saxophonist
, Michael "Tunes" Antunes
from John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band. The Automatics' new album, Low Expectations, was produced by Brian Maes and was set for release on February 17, 2009 on "Open E" Records, the new label owned by Ernie Boch, Jr, who is also a guitarist in the band.
Maes also leads the Brian Maes Band, which also features Archibald and guitarist Kook Lawry.
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
on August 8, 1956. He graduated from Lynn Classical High School
Lynn Classical High School
Lynn Classical High School is a high school in the city of Lynn, Massachusetts. The school was once located off of the Lynn Commons, but was moved to O'Callaghan Way after the controversial construction of a new facility. The new facility has had to undergo massive reconstruction after it was...
in 1974 and from Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in 1979.
Early days
Maes' music studies began at the age of eight when he began trumpetTrumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
lessons with Louis Pascucci which lasted until the age of fourteen when he switched to playing baritone horn
Baritone horn
The baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
at the request of Lynn Public schools senior band director, Fancis Pagnotta. By the age of sixteen, Maes had decided to focus primarily on singing and playing the keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
. Private instruction from North Shore organist, Marie Fairfield as well as piano studies from jazz pianist, Joe Carlton prepared Maes for his audition and acceptance to Berklee in 1975. While at Berklee, Maes studied classical piano under Emanuel Zambelli and scored an A- on his senior recital, performing an hour of memorized classical pieces and an hour of memorized original material.
Career
After graduation from Berklee, Maes began touring with Boston based pop rock group "American Teen" as keyboardist and vocalist. In 1982 Maes auditioned with RCARCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
recording artist, Robert Ellis Orrall
Robert Ellis Orrall
Robert Ellis Orrall is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Signed to RCA Records in 1980, Orrall debuted that year with the album "Fixation". His first Top 40 single was "I Couldn't Say No", a duet with Carlene Carter...
, and was hired to tour in support of the release of the "Special Pain" album on RCA Records. In 1983 Maes travelled to Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to play keyboards and sing backing vocals on the follow-up album, "Contain Yourself."
Maes was commissioned to return to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to work on other recording projects, acting as arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
, performer and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
with Orrall band mates, Charles (Kook) Lawry, David Stefanelli and Don Waldon.
In 1984, Maes began his long standing relationship with Barry Goudreau
Barry Goudreau
Barry Goudreau is a musician, best known as one of the original guitarists for the rock band Boston.- Before Boston :Goudreau had developed a musical interest at an early age and got his first guitar, an acoustic which he borrowed from a friend, at age 11. He began taking lessons and by age 13,...
when he successfully auditioned for the keyboardist/backing vocalist chair with Orion the Hunter (band)
Orion the Hunter (band)
Orion the Hunter was a 1980s rock combo and offshoot of the popular band Boston. It featured former Boston members Barry Goudreau on guitars and Brad Delp on backing vocals, as well as future Boston lead vocalist Fran Cosmo....
The band toured as the opening act for Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
on the "Back in the Saddle" tour during the summer of 1984. After their first tour, Orion the Hunter disbanded. Maes and Goudreau made the decision to stay together and work on new material.
In 1985, while still writing and recording with Barry Goudreau, Maes began collaborating with Peter Wolf
Peter Wolf
Peter Wolf is an American Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Rock and Roll musician, best known as the lead vocalist for the J. Geils Band from 1967 to 1983; and for a successful musical solo career to date with writing partner Will Jennings.- Life and career :Wolf was born in the Bronx, New York...
, the J. Geils Band front man, doing pre-production and arranging work in the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
for Peter's solo record "Come As You Are". Maes, Lawry, Stefanelli and Waldon all worked together in the studio recording the songs that would later be on this record and all received credit on the label. This collaboration between Wolf and Maes began a long standing personal and professional relationship that would bring them together on numerable musical endeavors. It was during this time that Maes presented Wolf with the song "Until Your Love Comes Back Around" for consideration but Wolf passed on the song. Brian and Peter would come together again in 1993 to tour the United States and Japan in support of Peter's Long Line
Long Line
Long Line is the fourth solo album by Peter Wolf, released in 1996 .-Track listing:#"Long Line" - 3:33#"Romeo Is Dead" - 3:24#"Rosie" - 4:26...
album. The band was then called "Peter Wolf and the House Party 5" with Tim Archibald on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, David Stefanelli on drums and backing vocals, Johnny A.
Johnny A.
Johnny A. is an American guitarist/songwriter, born in Malden, Massachusetts.Growing up in Boston as a young child, he became interested in music, starting with drums at age six. Upon being exposed to The Beatles in 1964 , Johnny bought a $49 Lafayette Electronics guitar. In the late seventies, he...
on guitar, Doug Dube on Hammond B3
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
and backing vocals, Brian Maes on keys and backing vocals and Peter Wolf on lead vocals. Maes was also a member of RTZ.
Latest activities
Maes released the solo album Songs for Madeline in 2004, dedicated to his daughter.Maes is currently the lead singer and keyboardist for "Ernie and the Automatics" which features original and former members of the band Boston
Boston (band)
Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...
, Barry Goudreau
Barry Goudreau
Barry Goudreau is a musician, best known as one of the original guitarists for the rock band Boston.- Before Boston :Goudreau had developed a musical interest at an early age and got his first guitar, an acoustic which he borrowed from a friend, at age 11. He began taking lessons and by age 13,...
on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and Sib Hashian
Sib Hashian
John "Sib" Hashian is a drummer who was a member of the rock band Boston during their first and most successful lineup. Hashian currently lives in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. Sib is of Armenian descent.-Boston years:...
on drums. Fellow RTZ and Peter Wolf's House Party Five bandmate, bassist, Tim Archibald is also a member of "The Automatics" along with tenor saxophonist
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, Michael "Tunes" Antunes
Michael Antunes
Michael "Tunes" Antunes is an American musician and actor best known as the saxophone player for John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band.-Career:...
from John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band. The Automatics' new album, Low Expectations, was produced by Brian Maes and was set for release on February 17, 2009 on "Open E" Records, the new label owned by Ernie Boch, Jr, who is also a guitarist in the band.
Maes also leads the Brian Maes Band, which also features Archibald and guitarist Kook Lawry.