Jeff Stetson - Cycle of Life

After six years of producing my ailing friend Jeff Stetson's project, "Cycle Of Life" is finally here! We thank those of you who have been waiting for this moment to arrive. Our hope is that the interest from people like you and others will soon help heal this loving soul's health. So my simple request is this: please buy his new album, 'Cycle Of Life', and help spread the word upon enjoying it, and you'll be helping raise money for Jeff's much needed medicine. Together with some of our friends, we helped make this project because we believe Jeff is of legendary stature in our generation, yet virtually no one knows who he is, primarily because he's had to struggle all his life to maintain his health. Under Clinton's administration, Jeff finally got excellent health care which went away 7 years ago. But this is not a political issue. He's been getting worse with a lifelong condition called Crohns Disease. It's horrible, chronic, lifelong and incurable. (He's a tough s.o.b. - I think I'd probably have checked out long ago myself.). Imagine being trapped in a torture machine for over fifty hard years enduring yet defiantly battling the pain. There is excellent treatment available, yet out of reach for this kind and humble struggling San Gabriel Valley guitar teacher. Jeff's illness has unfortunately become more progressive over the last several years. It is our hope that the medicine he needs will prop him right back up. Jeff also needs to be well in order to take care of his wonderful wife, who suffers from MS. By simply buying a CD, you can truly be a part of Jeff's healing. It was an incredible challenge to complete this album, yet it was a labor of love. 'Cycle of Life' shows the genius of a man with a unique perspective of this 'journey' that we all share. I'm honored to have been allowed to use my own vision to help shape this brilliant man's musical stories. I would love nothing more than to see this wonderful album help raise money for medication that would bring my friend and mentor back to the kind of good health necessary to tour, enabling him to share his insights and skills with all of us. We believe "Cycle Of Life" is his masterpiece! Listen to the samples on Jeff's myspace page and you might believe too! To learn a little more about Jeff and to hear samples of the new tracks (we don't want y'all buyin' something you don't want just to help someone out), go to our player here. If you'd like to see him in action, we captured Jeff in an MTV Unplugged style performance and turned it into a YouTube show: http://www.youtube.com/jeffstetson Jeff doesn't currently own a computer, but I'm working to change that. He's been a brilliant source of inspiration to guys like me and thousands of others living in the San Gabriel Valley who came to him for guitar and writing lessons since the 1960s. For myself, he took me under his wing as a band mate when I was just seventeen years old. I feel I owe him plenty. I would not be where I am today were it not for Jeff Stetson and a handful of other individuals like him. Since he doesn't check this profile which I put together for him very often, I am helping him out, as I am also proud to represent Jeff and his fine and vast catalog, which he's built since the '60s. Now, on a serious note, Jeff suffers from a debilitating chronic disease, Crohns, which keeps him from leading an active life large parts of the year. MediCal cut his meds when they cut funding, and now he's worse than when he took them. So I am taking up the plea to you fine friends out there to please help support Jeff by going online and purchasing either his CD download, or a song or two. I don't ask for charity. Just support in purchasing his tunes. He's my only pro-bono case. I do this in hopes that we'll raise enough to enable him to afford his medicine and get him healthy and back onstage and studio, which he loves more than anything, to share his music with you. If I'm a little emotional, it's because I'm outraged that the system he contributed to for so long has forsaken him. So now I turn to our community to see if we can help him out. Besides, you may just get to hear and love this awesome man's music. Bythe way I'm proud to say that, recently I have started a new production of a soon to be released CD by Jeff. We've been in my studio makin' magic this month. Many Thanks and Blessings, Max Vasquez Members: On Cycle Of Life: Max Vasquez, producer, engineer, mixer, mastering, arranger, keyboards, bass, additional guitar, horns and percussion; Forrest Robinson, Drums, Percussion Bob Helm, Fiddle Amanda Abizaid, Vocals Steve Magill, Vibraphone Mike Tomolonis, Harmonica Cesar Cotacachi, Pan Flutes Carl A. Craig, Keyboard, Audio Consultant Brian Overton, Additional Mixing and Mastering Rene Gaston, Additional Mixing The playerss have changed through the years, but the ones that have stuck with me are Gaston Rene, Steve Correll, Max Vasquez, C.A. Craig, Steve McGill, Gary Lenk, Les Butler, Gerald Monteros and Olesis Naranjo. Note From Jeff If only all this was around when I was younger... So now, with the help of Max Vasquez (and his own publishing house Maxx Vaxx Music), who I brought into my band, Watercolours, back in '82 when he was only 17 years old, I am finally available online to download. This is one place you can find my album and songs individually on. For all the generations that supported me and in turn learned what I could teach you here in the San Gabriel valley, I thank you wholeheartedly. I only hope I have been an influence through my love to teach you more than you sounding like me. I encourage everyone of you to find your own thing, make your own stand.

1) The Shell
2) Daddy's Gone
3) The Cycle of Life
4) The Grip of Your Hands
5) Deliver Me From Me
6) Come Into My Life
7) Freedom
8) NRA
9) The Gift of Life On the Run
10) Only In Death (Will You Ever Be Free)
11) Back At War (In the Land of the Free)
12) My Race Is Already Run
13) Memories of the Past
14) Bring You Sunshine
15) Drowning Again
16) Bayonets (In the Shape of a Cross)
17) Ballad of A Desperado
18) Forever Yours Forever Mine