MICHAELPACKER

MICHAEL PACKER'S NEW CD RELEASES

The Sunny Side Of Me

Michael Packer's new release "The Sunny Side of Me" on the Iris Music Group Record Store label is special. The cover-art and lyrics
of the title song is created by 8 year old Gabby Kasper from Albany, NY. Packer returns to his early singer/songwriter
folk/country roots of Papa Nebo and Free Beer, with songs about love, love lost, missed opportunities, and about his beloved city,
New Orleans. (The Free Beer and Papa Nebo compilations are currently in release by Iris Music Group)

Of Gabby Kasper, Michael explains, “The daughter of one of my oldest friends came to me with the lyric of “Sunny Side” and it
just knocked me out. I had to write a song for it and based my new album around it. I love her artwork too.”

Best Of The Michael Packer Blues Band

The Michael Packer Blues Band recorded 3 albums from 2003 to 2006. Featured here on the ‘Best Of’ are tracks from "No Use
Running From The Blues” and the highly acclaimed "Bleecker - Bowery" CD. Also included are tracks from the "Sweet Rhythm" CD
recorded in live performance on February 1, 2006 in NYC, featuring singer-songwriter/guitarist Michael Packer, Jimmy Vivino,
guitar (Conan O'Brien), David Maxwell, piano (James Cotton), Lou Marini, sax (Blues Brothers) and Felix Cabrera on harmonica.
Michael Packer, born in New York City, recorded 4 albums for major labels including, Atlantic, RCA and Buddah Records in the 70's
with his groups, Free Beer and Papa Nebo. The albums were produced, as is this compilation, by well known record producer Alan
Lorber

Papa Nebo

Papa Nebo which ultimately morphed into FREE BEER was described by legendary music exec Ahmet Ertegun who personally signed
them to Atlantic Records as “So fresh it's amazing, an artist with a girl violinist, a jazz saxophone(Bob Mintzer, now leader of the
Yellow Jackets), classical piano, hard rock guitar and soft country rock harmonies". Two years later the group splintered into FREE
BEER headed by Michael Packer & Sandy Allen, two of the founding members of Papa Nebo. Free Beer recorded one album for
Buddah and two albums for RCA.

Free Beer: Free Beer

After predecessor group Papa Nebo had broken up two years earlier, the first of Free Beer's three albums was released on
producer Alan Lorber's Southwind Records which was part of the Buddah Records group. The album was produced by Papa Nebo
guitarist Brendin Harkin. Founding members Michael Packer & Sandy Allen added 3rd vocalist Bob Potter. Session players included
Bernard Purdie, Eric Weissburg, Jon Paris, and Bob Mintzer (from Papa Nebo).

Free Beer: Highway Robbery

Free Beer album, "Highway Robbery", the first released on RCA, featured pedal steel guitarist, Dan Daley, who wrote "Still in
Saigon," for Charlie Daniels. The group went out on the road in support of the album throughout Texas and the South, opening for
The Atlanta Rhythm Section, Doug Sham, and Dr. Hook.

Free Beer: Nouveau Chapeau

The third and last album, "Nouveau Chapeau", which was released on RCA had an all star line up of studio musicians assembled by
producer Alan Lorber which included Wing's guitarist, Hugh McCracken; guitarist Steve Kahan; Will Lee, bass; Chris Parker, drums;
Ken Ascher, piano. Specially written songs for the album were "Queen of the Purple Sage", by singer/writer Lou Christie who sang
background on the recording and "Time, Time, Time",which was written by Grammy winner and top-five Nashville songwriter, Hugh
Prestwood.

Drowning In A River Of Wine: Michael Packer, Sandy Allen, Free Beer

“Drowning in a River of Wine” is a potent collection about alcoholism. The album is based on the song “River of Wine” written by
Michael Packer, who played in the 70's country-rock groups Free Beer and Papa Nebo (also available through the Iris Music
Group). The songs are performed by Packer and Sandy Allen also an integral part of Free Beer and Papa Nebo. They take you
through the depths of alcoholism, the loneliness, the despair and finally the recovery. These are real, upfront and personal
experiences by these musicians who lived the highs and confronted the lows created by alcohol and who took the courageous step
to change their lives and accept their responsibilities. They survived and thrived. Today Packer and Allen have led sober lives for
many years. Michael Packer continues to record and perform with his blues band, “The Michael Packer Blues Band”, and has just
recorded a new solo CD called, “The Sunny Side of Me”, also released by the Iris Music Group. The label has also released a
wonderful collection of Sandy Allen’s recorded works, entitled, “Sandy Allen – Anthology: Life’s Just Something That You Do In
Between The Dreams”.

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