That's The Way

<p>Over the past few years The Freddie Long Band, described as a &ldquo;t-shirt and jeans blend of pop, rock, soul, and honesty,&rdquo; has come a long way in a short time, cultivating its local roots into an act recognized throughout the East Coast. Since its inception, the group that calls rural Frederick County, MD home has garnered numerous music awards, opened for many major national acts, had music placed in a popular arcade game, and secured a corporate promotional partnership, all in addition to recording two full albums of original material and playing hundreds of shows up and down the coast.<br /><br />Their story began as such: Fresh out of Lebanon Valley College and looking to continue his career in music with a larger live arrangement, songwriter/performer Freddie Long began to audition musicians for a full band, finding some of the most talented players in his area. Long and the other members had found something special--they were already gigging at popular clubs and festivals and receiving many positive responses within the first few weeks of playing together.<br /><br />The group has been turning heads and ears ever since, charming listeners across the Mid-Atlantic with their catchy and introspective music. Along their busy touring schedule, The FLB has performed on commercial TV and radio and has shared stages with many popular regional and national acts including Jo Dee Messina, Edwin McCain, Blue Oyster Cult, Orleans, Jimmie&lsquo;s Chicken Shack and Scott Ambush (of Grammy-nominated group Spyro Gyra), among others. Their 2007 debut independent album, entitled &lsquo;Strangers and Friends,&rsquo; has been praised by critics and fans alike and has received positive reviews in both print and online industry publications. The album won Indie-Music.com's Top 25 releases of 2007 award, as well as Indie-Music.com's Top 25 MP3s of 2007 award for the song 'Blanket'. The Freddie Long Band was also nominated for three 2007 Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies).<br /><br />Currently, the group is supporting its newest album, 'Shotgun With The Devil,' an anticipated 17-track collection of new material that was released in August 2009. The new album features soulful influences and expanded arrangements, and the band has begun performing many shows with a full horn section to showcase the new material. Tracks from both 'Strangers and Friends' and 'Shotgun With The Devil' were also selected for inclusion into the Golden Tee 2010 golfing arcade game. <br /><br />In a very short time The Freddie Long Band has made an undeniable impression up and down the East Coast. Now comprised of vocalist/pianist/guitarist Freddie Long, drummer Mike Ball, bassist Edmund Allan Brown, saxophone player Scott Benford, and original lead guitarist Christopher Bell, The Freddie Long Band looks forward to sharing their new album and creating more of the memorable performances that have helped them earn new listeners and solidify their place in today's vast musical landscape.</p>