Jamie Holka is one of the busiest entertainers in New York state that many know little about. He stages well over two hundred performances annually, the majority of which are in upstate New York.
Today, he and Segno Records begin a campaign to significantly alter his global footprint with the lead release from his upcoming studio album titled “The Gathering”. The Holka-Rondinelli debut studio album will be released on June 6th, 2025.
Watch the video for the new single “Just Like That” below.
Holka joined Captain Beyond in 2017, and toured as the band’s guitarist for several years. However, his outreach to drummer Bobby Rondinelli (Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Rainbow, Quiet Riot) was the true catalyst that brings his career front and center circa 2025.
It started out as an idea of Holka’s to locate an old school drummer. Colin Hart, the key crew member who was with Ritchie Blackmore for years, connected the two of them. Holka recalls: “I asked at first if he’d record a tune with me. Technology enabled us to collaborate, which led to our exploring Rondinelli producing in earnest. My partner Stephen Dillon committed the resources to begin collaborating, and with my being from Niagara Falls, and Bobby on Long Island, we were able to get together in the studio. It was easy from the start, and unfolded in a manner that was yielding exactly what we set out to accomplish. It felt prolific and great. It then turned in to a parade of folks I could have never imagined would make contributions to these recordings. Bobby really came through in opening those doors and bringing this cast of characters in to the fold”.
Rondinelli and Holka began a partnership at first to cut one new recording in the studio. The guitarist and his business partner Dillon of Segno Records, together with the projects Associate Executive Producer, Chris MacKenzie, green lit the interest to capture a complete album of new repertoire. Rondinelli’s vast network of friends and historic players that include Billy Sheehan, Don Airey, Jimmy Haslip, Danny Miranda, Kenny Aaronson, Mark Rivera, Mark Wood, and others on board to contribute performances.
Holka shares: “I really wanted to create a setting where each musician had free reign tied to how they performed. Bringing all of that experience in to the fold, the approach of giving them the freedom to play as they saw fit could not have worked better. It feels real, and that was my true intent”. He continues: “It was very spontaneous when we were tracking. A lot of the execution happened on the spot. Some songs were written completely in the studio, harkening back to a similar setting to what many of these players were accustomed to when performing as session musicians in the Seventies and Eighties”.
Holka went broad with his approach, not wanting to spoon feed what he was after too specifically. His interest of each player feeling good about the end result triggered each capturing their strongest performances. While Holka has released over a half dozen albums as an independent artist, these players organically played from the acumen and experience culled from hundreds if not thousands of sessions in their collective pasts.
Holka reflects: “Over the course of my entire career, I’ve been so solo driven. Whether writing or performing. Bobby, as the Producer of this album, pulled me back to focus on the approach of what I aimed to create. Not to be so eclectic with this one. For the future, I am sure this is something that I’ll continue to have in focus. I hope I come across as an original, if that’s even possible in this day and age. It’s hard to do because your influences always come out. I hope that’s not lost to those that encounter this repertoire. It’s usually a scenario where the player is highly derivative and this record is a crowning moment in capturing who I am as a player today”.
Holka continues: “I got to play with Bobby and that was big for me. I’ve been a fan of his since I was 14. While the modern drummers are phenomenal, there is something about the players from the old school. I hope this album comes across something that could have been released in the Seventies. More from the old school approach of everyone’s playing. No frills. Great playing. Not too much technology”.
With “Just Like That”, It is the lightest tune we recorded. The more I thought about it, the happier I was tied to the melody. It’s a tip of the hat to Stevie Wonder. It dropped in to my fingers and plays naturally in to the hook. Kenny Aaronson went Motown on the track with his bass line. It feels like the perfect introduction. Not coming out of the gate too in listener’s faces and potentially leave an initial impression on anyone who encounters the track. It is accessible and I do believe it has the potential to be enjoyed by a large audience that’s not too niche”.
The music video was produced and directed by Norwood Cheek. The operating mantra of approaching each endeavor with the entry point of ‘let it happen’ yielded the desired result of feeling organic and real in a pure sense. Holka offers: “Like Norwood who approached this initiative with an openness to capture the essence of this collaboration, all of these amazing players each placed their own stamp on what is now in existence for anyone who listens or watches to enjoy”.
Pre-order “The Gathering” here.
Tracklist:
01. Fusion Confusion
02. Confession Session
03. The Gathering
04. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
05. Magnum Opus
06. Sidewinder
07. Tasty Waves
08. Jobim A Go-Go
09. Just Like That
10. Get In Fast
Weblinks:
www.facebook.com/Jamie-Holka
www.instagram.com/jamieholka
