Tom The Suit Forst Announces New Video For "Women of the World" Video Release To Commemorate Women's March January 21

Tom The Suit Forst has announced a new lyric music video for his song "Women of the World," a track on his new album "On Fire" that was released on January 14, 2017. The video is set for release on Saturday, January 21, 2017 to commemorate the Women's March on Washington DC, and other cities across America. 

"Women of the World" features lyrics written by The Suit's long time friend Gary Youell who passed away this year. The lyrics ask the question of how much better off the world would be run by women. Youell, like Forst himself, was a staunch supporter of Women's Rights. The video is dedicated to Youell, who Forst is certain would be proud to see his words and message broadcast as part of the narrative of the Women's March.

"For me the song is bi-partisan, not political in the sense of being anti-Trump, just being Pro-Women, something I have always been. As a father, husband, just a human being, women's rights have always been a personal cause for me. So when the opportunity to take Gary's lyrics and set them to music for my album became a reality, I knew that I wanted to make a video for the song. Once the Women's March on Washington DC was announced, I knew right away that I wanted the video to commemorate that day. I feel certain Gary would have been there supporting the cause," said Forst. 

 "Women of the World" will launch on You Tube at midnight, January 21, 2017, and will become available on Vevo at a later date. The song itself is part of Tom The Suit Forst's album "On Fire" that is now available on Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify and other streaming and retails sites around the world. 

Tom The Suit Forst on Apple Music/iTunes
Tom The Suit Forst on Spotify
Tom The Suit Forst on the Web

TOM THE SUIT FORST RECORD RELEASE PACKS HOUSE AT BLACK EYED SALLY'S IN HARTFORD, SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDING SLAM ALLEN

     Releasing his debut album "On Fire" on Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, and on all major retail and streaming sites around the world this past Saturday, January 14, 2017, Tom The Suit Forst celebrated his release the way any serious musician would-on stage jamming with special guests for an eager, packed audience of friends, family and die-hard fans. 

Tom The Suit Forst

     "On Fire" is the first solo release from the blues-rock artist who has been compared to Joe Walsh for his incendiary rock guitar and singing style. On the blues side of his music, the guitarist has also been compared to BB King and Eric Clapton for his slow-hand, melodic approach. That mix of styles was captured faithfully by producer-guitarist Paul Nelson, who is no stranger to the blues-rock music world, having toured with and managed Johnny Winter for many years. For the recording of "On Fire" Nelson tapped musicians with hundreds of years of playing time between them, musicians from bands like Allman Brothers, Johnny Winter Band, Paul Nelson Band, Popa Chubby Band, Saturday Night Live Band, and Steven Colbert Band. After tracking at Nelson's home studio, the record was mixed and mastered at Factory Underground Studio in Norwalk, CT, with the exception of "Women of the World," which was mastered by famed mastering engineer Emily Lazar. 

Tom The Suit Forst with Slam Allen

     The standing-room only release party was held at Black Eyed Sally's Southern Kitchen and Bar in Hartford, CT close to where the guitarist has spent the better part of 20 years living with his wife and family in Wethersfield, CT.  "I wanted to be close to the people who have been supporting me over the last eight years, the ones who made this all possible for me," Forst said, referencing the shift between his last job outside of music (Corporate Executive, VP at Cox Communications Group) and his present status as a full-time recording artist.  

Tom The Suit Forst with Doug Wahlberg

     The show featured several beloved and prominent CT blues musicians who turned up to support the man they call "The Suit," including Slam Allen, who wowed the audience with a powerhouse vocal sans microphone strolling through the crowd while the band played on stage, guitarist Paul Gabriel, and guitarist Doug Wahlberg. Forst's band included Pedro "Big Thurrsty" Broughton on drums, David Allen Rivera on percussion, and David Stoltz on drums. 

Tom The Suit Forst with

     Next for Tom The Suit Forst will be releasing a promotional video for his song "Women of the World, which he explains was a song where he wrote the music around a lyric from his friend Gary Youell, another CT songwriter who passed away this year. "The lyric was very personal to him- it asked the question of how much better of the world would be if women had a chance to full run things for a change. I love the song that came out of it, and its place on the album is a tribute to my dear friend. I'm very proud of it," said Forst. 

     The video for the song produced by Marc Alan at Factory Underground with editing by Nick Swenson features photos and video clips of multi-cultural women of various ages and walks of life from around the world, as well photos and videos clips of famous female pioneers. The release of the video has been set for January 21, 2017 to commemorate the Women's March on Washington DC. "For me it's a bipartisan issue, not a political event; I have always been a supporter of women's rights and it was very important to Gary Youell as well. I think he would be proud of the song and the video being released on this important day, " he said.

     "I have always been a supporter of women's rights and it was very important to Gary Youell as well"

www.TomTheSuitForst.com

All Photos by Brad Formaker

Tom The Suit Forst New Blues Rock Album "On Fire" Now On Apple Music and iTunes

Now available on Apple Music, iTunes, and from all major retail and streaming sites around the world is the new blues rock album "On Fire," from guitarist and singer-songwriter Tom The Suit Forst. The digital album, previously released on CD in Q4 2016 through the artist's web site www.TomTheSuitForst.com, was produced by Grammy Award-winning guitarist Paul Nelson. The album features the song "Going Home" for which a video was produced and released on Vevo and You Tube in December.

The album also features the song "Women of the World" with a new video going to You Tube on January 21, 2017, in commemoration of the Million Women March on Washington DC. The song asks the question of how much better off the world would be if women had a chance to run things. The lyrics were written by the late Gary Youell, a long time friend of The Suit. The video is to be dedicated to Gary, who like Tom Forst, a long time ardent and passionate supporter of women's rights.  

"On Fire" on Apple Music iTunes

"On Fire" on Spotify

Norwalk rapper FNX Provides Food to Families in Need (Norwalk Hour, December 26, 2016)

Photo by Erik Trautmann, Heart Connecticut Media

NORWALK — When Norwalk rapper Kenneth Shuler decided to give back this holiday season, he hoped he would be able to help four local families.

As of Christmas Day, he and a team of friends and family have provided two to three weeks of food for 11 Fairfield County families and counting.

“It’s been amazing,” Shuler said. “It’s a testament to the type of legwork the FNX team has put forth. Marc Alan (of Factory Underground) has been a big help, and it’s just been an amazing experience.”

Shuler released his debut hip-hop album under the moniker FNX (pronounced phoenix) on Black Friday. Produced by Norwalk’s Factory Underground, Shuler has been giving away the 17-track album for free, asking instead that fans donate the money they would have spent to a GoFundMe page used to purchase food for hungry families in Fairfield County.

Photo by Alex Von Kleydorff, Heart Connecticut Media

Using statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that say $250 is the cost to feed a family of four for a week, Shuler had hoped to give one week’s worth of food to one family in Norwalk, one in Stamford, one in Bridgeport and one in New Haven, selecting them with the help of local nonprofit agencies.

The fundraiser brought in $1,400. By completing the shopping himself and finding items on sale, Shuler was able to provide even more food than anticipated, feeding two families in Stamford, three in Norwalk, one in Bridgeport and two in New Haven. Shuler said the FNX team will feed an additional two families next week.

“I feel great about what we were able to do,” Shuler said. “When we got to the door of the families and I said, ‘Hi, I’m FNX and I have some food for you,’ they didn’t know what to say. Not too many people expected it. As we started to bring in the food, joy started to come by, and we started to be able to communicate. It was just a blessing. I was blessed to be able to do it.”

The fundraiser is not Shuler’s first time giving back to the community. In June, Shuler hosted the first Hometown Love Initiative event in conjunction with Factory Underground and the Carver Center. The event featured a barbecue, basketball tournament and food drive, drawing alumni and community members for an event so successful they are planning to duplicate it next year.

“We’re really happy to support people in the city of Norwalk, but also across Fairfield County,” Shuler said. “We appreciate the support of everyone who either directly donated or donated to the GoFundMe.”

Shuler’s album is available at fnxmusic.bandcamp.com, and donations can be made at gofundme.com/fnxholidayfooddrive.

Norwalk CT Rapper FNX: Changing The Culture of Hip Hop (Norwalk Hour, December 15, 2016))

Photo by Alex Von Kleydorff, Hearst Connecticut Media

Written by Kaitlyn Krasselt
Reprinted from the Norwalk Hour, December 15, 2016


[NORWALK] Kenneth Shuler’s story isn’t unusual.

He grew up in South Norwalk, a child of a broken home and a family in poverty. Depression, homelessness, domestic violence and abuse in the shelter system are all issues that have shaped his life.

Rather than fall into an endless cycle, he’s breaking the mold and building a career in music, telling a story and giving back to the community that shaped him into the artist he is today.

But the story isn’t about him, he said. It’s about everyone who’s ever dealt with those same issues. 

Photo by Alex Von Kleydorff, Hearst Connecticut Media

“My life story is very similar to a lot of people who battle class and race issues,” Shuler said. “I had a brief stay in the shelter, I grew up around mental illness and domestic violence, I slept on the floor of the pentecostal church in high school. And despite those dynamics, I can tell my story and it’s one that people like me are going through.”

Shuler released his debut hip-hop album under the moniker FNX (pronounced phoenix) on Black Friday. But he isn't selling it. Produced by Norwalk’s Factory Underground, Shuler is giving away the 17-track album for free, asking instead that fans donate the money they would have spent to a GoFundMe page he plans to use to feed hungry families in Fairfield County. [see follow up story in the Norwalk Hour, December 26, 2016 for results of the campaign].

Shuler credits his ability to break out of his family's predetermined path of poverty to Norwalk’s George Washington Carver Center, an organization he says kept him off the streets and in school. After graduating from Brian McMahon High School in 2003, he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Southern Connecticut, and an MBA from the University of New Hampshire. 

Photo by Alex Von Kleydorff, Hearst Connecticut Media

In June 2016, Shuler hosted the first Hometown Love Initiative event in conjunction with Factory Underground and the Carver Center. The event featured a barbecue, basketball tournament and food drive, drawing alumni and community members for an event so successful they’re already planning to duplicate it next year. [The event raised 600 non-perishable food items that were donated to Person-to-Person Food Bank of Norwalk.]

“[Carver] gave me a platform to give back to my hometown,” Shuler said.

Marc Alan, director of marketing for Factory Underground, said the Norwalk-based recording studio is always looking for ways to get involved in the community. And, having built a relationship with Shuler since he started recording there five years ago, the Factory became the perfect partner for Shuler’s initiatives.

“We love being involved in things to help people,” Alan said. “And FNX is great. With hip-hop, people expect a negative connotation, and it can be hard to convince people it’s not that, but he keeps bringing positive attention to the culture and we really support that.”

Read the full article in the Norwalk Hour. 

Free Download of "DJ Juelz Presents: FNX Music Volume 1" 

Tom The Suit Forst in the Norwalk Hour: Retired Sales Executive Trades in C-Suite for Center Stage

NORWALK — After two decades in the corporate world, Tom Forst had had enough.

So when his wife told him they’d finally paid off the last of their children’s college tuition, his response, naturally, was, “I’m quitting.”

That was eight years ago. Back when he had a tight haircut and wore a full suit to work every day. Back when the idea of playing music full time was nothing more than a daydream supplied by a memory.

With the blessing of his wife, Forst gave his six months notice — as it turns out, you don’t just “quit” when you’re the regional vice president of sales at Cox Communications — and returned to a life he always knew he’d find again someday.

"I think if I have a message it’s that you should never give up on your dreams,” Forst said. “The dream was always to start again. It never occurred to me that being older would be a problem, and it hasn’t been.”

Forst, now 65, will release his first solo album, “On Fire,” Jan. 14. Produced by Grammy-winning guitarist, producer and songwriter Paul Nelson and recorded at Norwalk’s Factory Underground, the album features musicians from the Johnny Winter Band, Popa Chubby Band, Allman Brothers Band, Saturday Night Live Band and Steven Colbert Band.

Known as “The Suit,” Forst hasn’t given up his corporate identity entirely. Though a little more eccentric, his face framed by shoulder-length gray hair and classic Chuck Taylor’s on his feet, he still dons a suit jacket everywhere he goes. Some are more flamboyant, decorated with elaborate embroidery, and others are classic, well-fitting and subtle.

His 11 track blues-rock album also features the songwriting of Forst’s longtime friend, the late Gary Youell of Norwalk, whose suggestion that Forst cut a song about a world where women have taken over was the inspiration for a single Forst plans to release in January called “Women of the World.”

“He came to me and said, ‘The world is such a mess. What if women took over the world instead of the good old boys?’ And that’s how we came up with this song,” Forst said.

The father of two daughters, he said the song was also informed by their experiences as women of the world, as well as the glass ceilings he saw in the corporate world.

Read More: Tom The Suit Forst in the Norwalk Hour 

NEW VIDEO RELEASE: TOBIN MUELLER MASTERWORKS TRILOGY: MUSIC OF TRANSCENDENCE

     Tobin Mueller has announced his film biopic "Masterworks Trilogy, Music of Transcendence," featuring interviews, and a behind the scenes look at the writing, recording, and mixing of his latest work "Of Two Minds: The Music of Frederic Chopin and Tobin Mueller." Directed by Marc Alan of Factory Underground Records, with editing by Aidan Gerety of Stateside Visuals, the ten minute film work is now available on Mueller's YouTube video channel. 

     The Masterworks Trilogy is a three album set recorded by Mueller over the past three years. The final album in the trilogy, "Of Two Minds," is an exploration of the intersection between jazz and classical piano. On disc one, "Tobin Plays Chopin,"  Tobin performs a selection of intricate musical compositions by Frederic Chopin, including Polonaise in A Major, Op 40, No 1, Mazurka in A Minor, Op 17, No. 4, and others. Disc Two is "Tobin Plays Tobin," nine pieces of solo jazz piano written by Tobin Mueller, inspired by the music of Chopin. Mixed, mastered and engineered by Kenny Cash of Factory Underground, the double album set was released in 2016, and is available for purchase on CD Baby, Amazon, and other online retail sites. 

    The two other albums in the trilogy are "Tobin Mueller: Impressions of Water and Light," featuring original compositions inspired by Impressionist painters of the 19th Century, and "Flow: Music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Tobin Mueller," another two disc set.   

     Interviews in the film detail parallels between Mueller's struggles with A1AD lung disease, and Chopin's struggles with tuberculosis and other lung disease that resulted in the composer's death at 39. As Mueller explains, "This is why I have to get the music out as long as I can continue, why I've had to reduce stress, change all my priorities..."

     The film also outlines Mueller's volunteer work at Ground Zero in New York City, which began the day after 9-11, September 12, 2001. Mueller's work on site including supplying the firemen and welders with food, water and other materials. In the years after 9-11, Mueller developed what he thought was a bad case of asthma, but that later turned out to be A1AD, a condition which involves inflammation and swelling of his joints and lungs. 

     An interview with Kenny Cash reveals Tobin's prolific nature, having worked on at least eight of Tobin's albums over four years of their work together, a number of them multiple disc sets.

http://www.TobinMueller.com
http://www.CDBaby.com/m/cd/tobinplayschopin
http://www.factoryundergroundstudio.com