Band: Howard Leese
Album title: Secret Weapon
Label: Frontiers Records
Distributor: Rough Trade Benelux.
Release date: 03/07/2009
Release: CD

Howard M. Leese (born 13 June 1951, Hollywood, California) is an American guitarist, record producer and musical director who played with Heart for 22 years (1975-1997).
Leese got his first record deal with Ed Cobb’s Sunburst label at the young age of 15, with a band called The Zoo (with friend and drummer Mike Flicker. Later when Flicker went to work for Jack Herschorn at Mushroom Studios in Vancouver, Leese went with him as a production manager.
And it was at Mushroom Studios in 1974 that Leese  co-produce a demo for the Wilson sisters (Ann and Nancy). The next year Mushroom Records signed Heart and released the group’s first album Dreamboat Annie which Flicker produced. Leese was assistant producer on the album, and was asked to join the band later that year. He stayed with them until 1997 and until that time Leese was the bands guitarist, backing vocalist, keyboard player and song arranger.
He joined the The Paul Rodgers Band in 1998 and 2009 saw the release of Leese’s first solo effort called Secret Weapon. The album is a classic rock album like they only made in the old days. Lots of grooves, cool atmosphere and lots of musicianship (but not to much fancy stuff like everybody does these days) and varies a lot. Although not a rip of, the music will sound like you heard it in some other band before.

82/100

Jeroen.