The Enlightenment Road Band was born out of an excellent idea and then brought to life by a number of top musical artists who list their home ground as Georgia. The group's first offering comes from members with demanding, successful solo careers already in full swing. The lineup includes songwriter and producer John Scriven, vocalist, pianist, and saxophonist Randall Bramblett, keyboardists Steve McRay and Kenny Head, vocalists Francine Reed, Michael Bastedo, Susan Gallion, Jeff Hilyer, Chris Long, and Wally Carter. One of the main members of this talented combination is Marvin Taylor, who serves as songwriter, bassist, guitarist, and drummer.
The debut album, Songs From the Road to Enlightenment, was released in the spring of 2001 to mostly rave reviews. It has been called an uplifting offering, filled with songs that are a clever mixture of rock & roll, blues, soul, jazz, and even a little country ballad flavoring. Some of the tracks from the album are "I'm Not Doubtful," "Forgiving Eyes," "Under the Skin," "Stranded in the Comfort Zone," "Be True to You," and "Love Gives You Wings."
The Enlightenment Road Band does do some live performing and there might even be more albums, but the lineup of artists will be a changeable one by all accounts, some new musicians probably showing up, some of the original ones bowing out. Either way it is stirred together, the result should be an enjoyable one.