CTA (California Transit Authority) – Sacred Ground (2013)

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At the dawn of the hard-rocking seventies, Chicago (the band) blew out of the windy city to populate the AC/AOR charts for the next several decades and earn their place in rock history.

Original drummer Danny Seraphine was dismissed from Chicago in 1990, then he formed CTA: California Transit Authority. Fast forward to the 21st century, CTA enlists Seraphine and incredible guitarist Marc Bonilla as songwriting force, along with keyboardists Ed Roth & Peter Fish and bassist Mick Mahan, with the simple goal of making the most of the music they love.

The band’s 2007 debut garnered critical raves and spawned some legendary live CTA performances, and now the combo are presenting their second studio effort entitled “Sacred Ground”.

CTA has – over the two and a half years it took to get this follow up out – developed an air-tight cohesion with Bonilla (who also works as a key cog in the Keith Emerson band) writing or co-writing eight of this album’s 14 tracks, and also handled the all-important horn arrangements on nine cuts, while Seraphine helped compose five others. They’ve become two halves of the one soul-lifting whole.

But, like Chicago did before CTA, there is actually a chorus of voices involved with “Sacred Ground”. Seraphine brings some of the best Westcoast talents with him for this new recording including former Chicago bandmate Bill Champlin, his son Will Champlin, ex- Tower of Power vocalist Larry Braggs and many more.

“Sacred Ground” brings back the original Chicago (the band) groove, the one with that challenging rhythm section, the infused horns, the fusion yet rocking guitars, all with with new power and excitement.

Champlin’s son Will takes center stage for the funky-cool title track as well as “Strike”, a mid-century swinger he co-wrote.

Bonilla sings his own song “Out of Reason”, delivering a much more pop sound that you get from his work with Keith Emerson. He also joins with Will Champlin for a duet on the uptempo and catchy “Staring at the Sun” later.

CTA and company take the opportunity to stretch out on take-no-prisoners instrumentals like “Primetime” and “In The Kitchen”, displaying a versatility and a virtuosity that feels like a breath of fresh, creative air across today’s over-programmed radio landscape.

By any definition, Sacred Ground is an eclectic collection, but somehow the brush-stroked balladry of “Go On” (delivered in a soulful near-whisper by vocalist Eric Redd) feels right at home.

Keyboardist Ed Roth penned “Conviction”, a quietly impactful solo tribute to Ronnie Montrose, a mentor to so many young musicians — including Bonilla — before his tragic passing last year.

True to form, CTA also takes on a couple of choice covers. Larry Bragg’s soaring vocal on the funky-and-nostalgic “Take Me Back to Chicago” will bring chill bumps and a smile to longtime fans, while his singing on the Blood, Sweat & Tears classic “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know” catapults Al Kooper’s original to new heights.

The album’s vocal high point, however, belongs to the eternal Bill Champlin, whose masterful performance transforms the moving and cathartic “Full Circle” into the album’s centerpiece. It builds on the power ballad ’80s sound of Chicago, just call it pure US Westcoast AOR.

California Transit Authority’s “Sacred Ground” is a wonderful piece of music, that not only connects the dots back to Seraphine’s time in the legendary Chicago, it also shows yet again how their classic sound can be updated for a new generation.

Each individual track on “Sacred Ground” carves out its own space, but the overall theme – of self-realization, circles unbroken and musical rebirth – lives and breathes in all these extraordinary songs.

For everyone involved, the making of “Sacred Ground” obviously was a full-on labor of love, for us, the listeners, a real pleasure to the ears.

Strongly Recommended.

Danny Seraphine – drums, percussion

Mark Bonilla – guitar

Will Champlin – vocals

Bill Champlin – vocals

Larry Braggs – vocals

Wes Quave – vocals

Eric Redd – vocals

Peter Fish – keyboards

Edward Roth – keyboards

Mick Mahan, Travis Davis – bass

Luis Conte – percussion

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www.ctatheband.com/magento/index.php/cd