Personnel: John Fournier (vocals, tenor saxophone, piano); Joe Fournier (baritone saxophone); John Blane (tuba); Scott Stevenson (accordion); Chris Varga (vibraphone); Carter Luke (piano, organ); Brando Triantafillou (guitar, background vocals); Robbie Fulks (guitar); Brett Simons (lap steel guitar, bass, percussion, background vocals); Gerald Dowd (drums); Jose Gregorio (congas). Recorded at Steve Yates Recordings, Morton Grove, Illinois and The Rhythm Cafe, Chicago, Illinois.

Product Description This is POP music like you've never heard! The band swings and rocks, and then jerks tears from your eyes just before you burst out laughing. Don't Listen to the Words if your emotionally squeamish. Definitely warped and dangerous life experiences recounted here. There isn't another songwriter quite like John, and the tunes REALLY Groove. John Fournier writes songs with grit. He approaches each subject with aplomb, but makes no judgements about either the seedy or the beautiful emotions that lead us through life and love. Just dark and light, twisted and soulful, hopeful and despairing and funny, glimpses of the human condition. That AND the tunes Really Groove. Review Local singer John Fournier has cultivated a reputation for admirably relentless eclecticism. His latest disc, Breakfast At Epiphany's, welds together jazz, pop and cabaret, with light rock and the occasional bossa nova thrown in besides, along with a Robbie Fulks cameo and a Fatty Arbuckle homage, "That Fat Man is a Miracle to Me," which is better than it sounds (Arbuckle is also the subject of Fournier's Second City theatre piece, "Fatty"). Fournier has been tirelessly compared to Elvis Costello, something born out by nosta ic, clever tracks like "The Right Boy" and "I Want To Live In An Elvis Movie." Fournier may more closely resemble the gentle present day Elvis than the laser-edged Elvis of old, but anyone fond of Costello's subdued Bacharach collaborations should find something to love in Fournier's copacetic pop. -- Allison Stewart From the Label Fournier Forges Ahead with Genre-Hopping Style John Fournier is a 31-year-old songwriter who composes music that could seamlessly fit into any generation's musical palette. The "cabaret jazz-pop" performer mixes comically biting lyrics with an alternately smooth and stomping sound that has made his band, The John Fournier Quintet, one of the most unique live music experiences in the city. Serving as a charismatic frontman on vocals as well as tenor sax and piano, Fournier has found that pursuing his unusual musical tastes - a self-described "blend of Randy Newman and Elvis Costello" - has helped him stand out from the vast crowd of his rock-oriented peers.... An Oak Park native, Fournier earned a masters degree in composition at the University of Miami....he returned to his hometown two years ago to form the band bassist/producer Brett Simons. Other members include Fournier's brother Joe on baritone sax, Gerald Dowd on drums, and Carter Luke on piano and organ. The move has already paid off, with a self-released CD leading to a New York showcase last July which earneed them a three-album deal with Florida-based jazz label LunaDisc. The first release, archly titled Breakfast at Epiphany's, is now prompting a national tour.... About the Artist The singer, songwriter, saxophonist and pianist studied music composition and jazz saxophone at the University of Miami's renowned music school where he received a B.A. and an M.A. in music. In March of 1998 John premiered a multi-media theatre performance at Chicago's world-famous Second City Theatre. Fatty was conceived, written and scored by Fournier and tells the story of the infamous trial and scandalous downfall of silent screen legend Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. This one-of-a-kind performance piece skillfully blends Fournier's flair for the dramatic with an original song-cycle and a multi-media montage of rare 1920's film footage, stills and slides. Fatty is presently being developed into a large-scale musical theater piece by the Second City Theatre and will be premiered in the fall of 1999. When asked about the collaboration with Fournier, Second City producer Kelly Leonard commented "John Fournier is a true original: a musician, storyteller and theater artist - funny, smart and sublime." Band members include Brett Simons - bassist, producer Gerald Dowd - drums Carter Luke - piano Joe Fournier - baritone sax and

Personnel: John Fournier (vocals, tenor saxophone, piano); Joe Fournier (baritone saxophone); John Blane (tuba); Scott Stevenson (accordion); Chris Varga (vibraphone); Carter Luke (piano, organ); Brando Triantafillou (guitar, background vocals); Robbie Fulks (guitar); Brett Simons (lap steel guitar, bass, percussion, background vocals); Gerald Dowd (drums); Jose Gregorio (congas). Recorded at Steve Yates Recordings, Morton Grove, Illinois and The Rhythm Cafe, Chicago, Illinois.