GRAMMY-AWARD WINNER DAVID PACK’S NEW CD “NAPA CROSSROADS” FEATURES FIVE OF AMERICA’S PREMIER WINERIES AND LEGENDARY STARS THAT INCLUDE THE DOORS’ RAY MANZAREK, BÉLA FLECK, TODD RUNDGREN
Album now available on Amazon, iTunes and in select Whole Foods Market® stores in Southern California, Arizona, Southern Nevada, Hawaii, Dallas TX and Chicago IL.
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. (March 18, 2014) – Long home to top wine-makers, Napa Valley is now ripe with a new kind of phenomenon – music making. Legendary producer, vocalist and hit-maker David Pack is bringing both worlds together with Napa Crossroads, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between five prestigious wineries -- Silver Oak, Far Niente, Pride Mountain, Gargiulo Vineyards and Casa Piena.
Guest stars include: The Doors' Ray Manzarek, Béla Fleck, Alan Parsons, Todd Rundgren, David Benoit, Billy Dean, Jimmy Wayne, Larry Carlton, Doyle Dykes, Mindi Abair, Robert Schwartzman, Cage the Elephant's Lincoln Parish, Rick Braun and others. The album was created with a unique blend of superstars in the world of wine including Larry Maguire of Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel on jazz guitar and vocals; David Duncan of Silver Oak and Twomey on guitar and vocals, and Jeff Gargiulo of Gargiulo Vineyards on guitar, piano and vocals. Suzanne Pride Bryan of Pride Mountain Vineyards and Carmen and Gail Policy of Casa Piena wrote lyrics along with the rest of the group.
The album is now available on Amazon, iTunes and at select retailers, including several Whole Foods Market stores in Southern California, Arizona, Southern Nevada and Hawaii.
On Monday, April 28, 2014 the new City Winery in Napa, California will host the official album release celebration for Napa Crossroads. The evening features a musical performance starring David Pack with celebrity guests that include Alan Parsons, Jimmy Wayne, and Robert Schwartzman, all featured on the album, along with the all vintner- led local Napa band, The Silverado Pickups. The celebration includes a wine reception and silent auction, followed by a three-course dinner provided by City Winery with expertly paired wines provided by the Napa Crossroads’ vintners. The event will benefit Arts Council Napa Valley and The Music Connection, to help keep music and arts alive in Napa Valley schools.
Limited tickets for this exclusive Napa Crossroads album release celebration are $75 per person, and are available at www.citywinery.com/napa/tickets. For more information, please visit www.citywinery.com/napa.
Pack describes this experience as “five years, five wineries, 14 songs and way too much fun.” He goes on to say, “It’s a time capsule to preserve the memory of friends, Napa Valley and a time that will never be again.” Noted producer and musician, Pack has been drawn to Napa for many years with an unrequited passion for viticulture. He became a welcome figure in the Napa community a number of years ago after developing a friendship with winemaker Jeff Gargiulo and playing concerts for local events in the community. That friendship opened Pack to the world of undiscovered musicians among the winemakers and incited Pack’s desire to create a recording that serves as a backstage pass to a once-in-a-lifetime special event.
The wineries collaborated on two tracks each along with contributions from the special guest stars, culminating in 14 tracks of original material. All songs were produced by Pack and were written and recorded in Napa Valley beginning in May 2009, including one of the final recordings of the late Doors’ co-founder Ray Manzarek in a song titled “Silverado Free.”
###
About David Pack
David Pack has won international acclaim both for his solo work and as former front-man for progressive rock group Ambrosia. He is a Grammy winning producer of legendary artists including Wynonna, Selena, Aretha Franklin and Kenny Loggins, and a Music Director of global stage events including both of President Clinton’s Inaugurals and events for Barbra Streisand, Elton John & the late Leonard Bernstein, and recently for Avon, with Fergie of Black Eyed Peas and The Who’s Pete Townshend Tec Awards. His #1 pop classics such as “Biggest Part of Me,” “How Much I Feel,” and “You’re The Only Woman” have graced global radio for over 35 years each winning BMI’s coveted “Five Million Airplay” award. His collective works as a performer and producer have sold over 40 million units worldwide. He credits mentors and friends Leonard Bernstein and Quincy Jones, whom Pack introduced, as setting his life’s quest for excellence in creating special music projects that bring people together in unique ways, such as Napa Crossroads, David’s dream project.
About Far Niente/Nickel & Nickel
Founded in Oakville, California in 1885 and restored in 1979, Far Niente is consistently recognized as a benchmark producer of Napa Valley Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. A dedication to winemaking in its highest form, paired with a focus on house style, vineyard ownership and social responsibility, has established Far Niente as one of the world’s great wine estates.
Larry Maguire joined Gil and Beth Nickel and Dirk Hampson at Far Niente in 1983. The Nickels and Hampson had just finished restoring the historic stone winery building, launching the estate on a path to create Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay to rival the world’s finest. Dirk, the Nickel family and Maguire continue the Far Niente legacy along with their three sister wineries: Dolce, Nickel & Nickel and EnRoute.
About Silver Oak and Twomey
Silver Oak was founded in 1972 by Ray Duncan and Justin Meyer, who shared a vision of producing a single wine – Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Silver Oak is still family owned and operated by Ray’s sons David and Tim. In 1999 the Duncan family established Twomey Cellars where they produce Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. Of the comparison between making good music and making good wine, David Duncan says, “When you get the wine just right, it’s like hitting a chord on the guitar. You have to have all the notes in place.”
About Pride Mountain Vineyards
Suzanne Pride Bryan, co-owner and her husband, Stuart Bryan, Pride’s Director of National Sales, work with Suzanne’s brother Steve Pride, co-owner and CEO and Winemaker Sally Johnson to carry-on the tradition of highly-lauded and intensely delicious mountain grown wines. Pride Mountain Vineyards is known for its exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Viognier and their unique dessert wine Mistelle de Viognier.
Celebrating over 25 years since its founding by Jim and Carolyn Pride, Pride Mountain Vineyards has been named one of the “world’s greatest wine estates” by Robert Parker, Jr. joining just 156 other wineries from around the world for this distinction. The Wine Spectator has placed Pride’s wines on their Top100 Wines of the World list six times. Significantly, the wines of Pride Mountain Vineyards have been served at the White House 27 times over the last four Administrations.
About Casa Piena
Casa Piena is owned by Carmen and Gail Policy and located in Yountville surrounded by the Mayacamas, Vaca, and Stag’s Leap mountains. The inspiration for the winery started with Carmen’s childhood in Youngstown, Ohio where his grandfathers were “basement winemakers” in a vibrant Italian-American community. After a rewarding career in law, Policy joined the San Francisco 49ers organization, where he was fortunate enough to play a role in all five of the Super Bowl winning teams. This great achievement helped to establish the 49ers as one of the preeminent franchises in all of sports. He has carried a sense of family from his childhood, to the 49ers, and now into a world-class vineyard with Casa Piena in Napa Valley, where he and his wife Gail fell in love with the community, the beautiful climate, and the art of fine winemaking.
About Gargiulo Vineyards
Over 20 years ago Jeff Gargiulo and his wife Valerie had a Napa Valley dream that has since blossomed into the beautiful Gargiulo Vineyards winery and Oakville property that you see today. His background is in agriculture, he’s been a lifelong farmer, so he knew that it all starts with extraordinary land. In the early 90’s Valerie’s cousins, Napa icons Barney and Bell Rhodes of famed Bella Oaks Estate helped them find their first vineyard, Money Road Ranch. In early 2000 they added 575 OVX in Oakville’s premiere grape growing region, with their daughter April as creative director. Music is an important part of Jeff’s life and that theme is echoed throughout the winery, whether in jam sessions, songwriting, or grabbing one of his guitars off the wall and just being in the moment. He is grateful that their GV Cabernet Sauvignons, including G Major 7, Money Road Ranch, and OVX, have evolved into some of the most collectable wines in Napa Valley.
Social Media:
Website: napacrossroads.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfv_DorqaM8
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NapaCrossroads Twitter: @napacrossroads
Purchase on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/NapaXroads_amzn
Purchase on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/NapaXroads
Press Contacts:
Tom Fuller Leah Price
Fuller & Sander Communications Concord Music Group
Phone: 707-253-0868 Phone: 310.385.4234
Email: tom@fullerandsander.com Email: Leah.Price@concordmusicgroup.com