Credit: Maryanne BilhamDuring the past couple of years, Gregg Rolie reunited with his old Santana band mates to record a new album called Santana IV, toured with Ringo Starr‘s All Starr Band and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey. Now the veteran singer/keyboardist says he’s taking some time to focus on a new solo project.
“I put off finishing recording for myself to do Santana IV and play with Ringo, and now that I’m not touring [with the All Starr Band] till October I have time…so I’m gonna finish that,” Rolie tells ABC Radio about his new album. “It’s gonna be called Sonic Ranch, named after one of the studios I used in El Paso.”
He describes the music on the record as “kind of eclectic,” adding, “The best way I can put it is, like, between Santana and Journey, I’m in there somewhere.”
As for how far along the record is, Gregg says, “Half of it’s in the can, done, mastered, all of that. Now I just gotta finish the rest of it. It’s only like a few vocals and one recording.” He adds, that he’d like to finish work on the album this year and “hopefully get it out.”
Meanwhile, Rolie, who has played with Ringo’s All Starr Band for the last five years, will rejoin the ex-Beatles drummer’s group when they head out on a new fall U.S. trek, which begins with an eight-show, October 13-28, engagement at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
This past April, Gregg became a two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee when he was welcomed into the hallowed institution with Journey. He previously was inducted with Santana in 1998.
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