Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush

Frank Marino Born November 20 1954 In Montréal Canada - Is The Guitarist And Leader Of Canadian Band Mahogany Rush Which Was Quite Popular In The 1970s Playing Such Venues As California Jam II Together With Bands Such As Aerosmith And Heart. His Father Is Italian And His Mother Arabic. He Stayed In School To 7th Grade And Did A Short Stint In Military School. He Was Involved With The School Band As A Drummer But The Heady Hippie Days Got The Better Of Him As We Have Read He Was Hospitalized At The Age Of 13. Luckily For Him And Us While In Hospital The True Love Of The Music Totally Took Over From The Drugs. At 14 He Had His Band.. Mahogany Rush Playing Covers. Franks Influences Were Hendrix The Beatles The Doors Quicksilver Santana Johnny Winter The Grateful Dead Jefferson Airplane And Most Of The Late Sixties Artists That Had A Psychedelic Flair. Also Pink Floyd And Older Bob Dylan Among Others. They Brought Their First Album Out 'Maxoon' When Frank Was Only 16. The Band Went From Strength To Strength Through The 70's 80's Till '93 They Were One Of The First Bands To Achieve International Stardom Playing To Huge Crowds In Japan Germany England Sweden And Across The Globe. In 1993 Frank Walked Away From It All. He Got Fed Up With The Money Making Hypocrisy Within The Music Business. He Went Home From His Never Ending Touring To Start A Family. He Has 3 Young Daughters. After A 5 Years Break He Returned To The Music Scene. It Is A More Relaxed Frank Who We Can Now See Who Has No Need To Chase The Business This Time Round And Can Pick And Choose When He Plays. Marino Says The Name Mahogany Rush Was Less A Band Name And More A Description Of The Entire Experience Of Taking The Drug Acid. Early On In His Career It Was Claimed That He Was The Reincarnation Of Jimi Hendrix A Claim That Was Substantiated By His Playing Of Hendrix Classics With Considerable Virtuosity. This Claim Was Dismissed By Marino However And He Set Out To Forge A Style Of His Own Through The Late 70s To This Day. Marino Is Still Active And Involved In Blues Recordings As Well. Marino's First Album "Maxoom" Was Released When He Was Only 16. He Began A Short Tour Of Britain In Late July 2005 Playing Venues Such As The Mean Fiddler In London. Early On In His Career It Was Stated In The Music Press That He Claimed To Be The Reincarnation Of Jimi Hendrix A Claim Stemming From Marino's Playing Style Being Similar To Hendrix'. This Claim Was Dismissed By Marino Himself As Falsified Information Created By The Press And He Has Continued To Forge A Style Of His Own Through The 1970s Up To Present Day. This Is Discussed In-Depth On The MySpace Page For Frank Marino & Mahagony Rush. To Say That Frank Marino Excels In A Live Environment Is A Total Understatement! The Power Of Frank "live" Is The Stuff Of Legend As Everyone Who Has Seen Him Will Agree And He Certainly Lives Up To His Reputation On His Latest Album. Quote “When I Was A Kid And I First Heard Frank Marino I Was Stunned. His Technique And Tone Was Smooth Yet Aggressive. He Is A Very Powerful Performer And Was An Inspiration To Me At A Critical Time In My Musical Evolution.” ~ Steve Vai A True Rock Pioneer In Every Sense Of The Word Frank Marino Has Never Strayed From What He Believed True - A Good Song Isn't Necessarily One That's Played On The Radio Every Half Hour. Never Compromising He's Always Done What He Thought Was Right. Coincidentally A Fan Base Rivalled By Few Agrees. Frank Marino's Music Never Reached The Mainstream Of Popularity But Has Had A Devoted Fan Base That Has Grown Over The Years. Being Sober Now For Over 35 Years He Still Plays With The Enthusiasm That He's Always Had. Frank Is Into His Music And Doesn't Really Care For The Business Side Of It And Has Always Produced His Own Albums As Well As Writing And Arranging All Of The Music. If You Ever Get A Chance To See Him Play Live Don't Pass It Up. I Have Been A Devoted Fan For 30 Years And Welcome Any Newcomers With Open Arms. Marino Is Still Active As Of 2008 Recording And Touring Under His Own Name And Has Also Been Involved In Blues Recordings With Other Artists As Well. He Is The Uncle Of Two Very Talented Brothers Guitarist And Songwriter Danny Marino Of The Melodic Death Metal Band The Agonist And Mike Marino Eccentric Bass Player Of The Montreal Thrash Metal Band The Catalyst. Discography 1972 Maxoom
1974 Child Of The Novelty
1975 Strange Universe
1976 Mahogany Rush IV
1977 World Anthem
1978 Live
1979 Tales Of The Unexpected
1980 What's Next
1981 The Power Of Rock & Roll
1982 Juggernaut
1987 Full Circle
1988 Double Live
1990 From The Hip
1997 Dragonfly - Best Of Mahogany Rush
2000 Eye Of The Storm
2003 RealLIVE! *****/5 Www.Mahoganyrush.Com read less