In the annals of Colorado Rock and Roll, few stars stand up to the short comet like presence of Tommy Bolin.  For seven years, Bolin WAS the Colorado rock scene.  And though he has been hailed as an icon for years, he may finally be getting his due with an all-star tribute album coming out at the end of March.
 

Of course those of us at KZYR feel a special kinship with the artist, since he began his formidable career with the band Zephyr, shortly after moving to Boulder. He reached his plateau as rock god guitarist for Deep Purple for two glorious years following a stint as Joe Walsh’s replacement in The James Gang.  He was a staple of the early Denver concert scene performing often with Zephyr including opening for the US debut of Led Zeppelin.

Now finally comes an album tribute worthy of his place in local music. The project includes appearances by some of rock’s finest gunslingers like Peter Frampton, Warren Haynes, Sonny Landreth, Derek Trucks and Joe Bonamassa. This tribute will be called “Great Gypsy Soul” and will be released on March 26. The guitar legends that appear add parts to some original Bolin multi-tracks that have never been made public before this release. Most of the remixes include original vocals and riffs by Bolin himself.

Tommy Bolin was heavy metal before there was Heavy Metal.  Denver concert promoter Barry Fey named him one of the ten best guitarists in the history of rock and roll and his legacy will become even more secure with this release.  A few lucky Denver rock fans can claim to being present at The Family Dog in 1969 when Bolin was joined on stage in an impromptu collaboration with Jimi Hendrix. Bolin was that revered at the time.  He performed at the doomed Denver Pop Festival as his band, Zephyr strummed on stage, police tear gassed the crowd causing a cessation of Denver concerts for sometime. He immediately made his impact felt after replacing Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple and writing most of the songs on the band’s  “Come Taste The Band” release in 1975.

After a short tour in support of the band’s album, Deep Purple called it quits and sent Bolin on a solo journey.  His second solo project was called “Private Eyes” and led to Bolin conducting his final solo tour.  A day after opening a triple bill that included Peter Frampton and close friend, Jeff Beck, Bolin died in a Miami hotel room of a drug overdose. He was 25.

TRACK LISTING:

Though originally born in Iowa where he now lays in peace, Bolin spent all of his formidable years as a Coloradoan mostly in Denver and Boulder and remains an iconic presence on the state’s music scene as this new tribute attests.