"TAXI" A leader in the music industry: "Excellent! Effectively evocative. The melodies are beautiful and the accompaniment is quite tasteful."

The News Journal-2002 " Cross-breed the guitar music of such Windham Hill mellow fellows as Will Ackerman and Alex DeGrassi with such rock guitar instrumentalists as Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, and you have an idea of the soundscapes on "Anno Domini" the new AcoustiCon CD."

Billboard Magazine: "with Brad Sayre developing his own powerful and fluid style that demonstrates anew, there will always be room for the guitar virtuoso."

Backstage Pass Magazine" AcoustiCon is hypnotingly drawing in audiences. The smooth flow and solid groove of AcoustiCon weaves a tapestry of dreamy original music only possible from David Simmons and Brad Sayre."

The News Journal-2001: "The New Smyrna Beach duo known as AcoustiCon titled one of their songs "Seeing is Believing.""Hearing is Believing would have been better to describe the improbable feat the two musicians, Brad Sayre and David Simmons, accomplish on their sterling CD, "Journey to Damascus." That feat? With Sayre on guitar and Simmons on acoustic bass, the duo takes the mellow vibe of the Windham Hill label and juices them with edgy, jazzy rock. The tantalizing result: music that's at once mellow yet spry, more spirited than fern-bar yuppie jazz, yet more fluid, organic and hypnotic than some thud rocker's power ballads. AcoustiCon spices their CD with a laid back, Allman Brothers style song "Southern," a gentle Middle Eastern vibe on "Zaria," and Sayre's clarinet playing on several ballads, including "Summers's Past." Both musicians also play keyboards and drums."

Images-A Festival of the Arts: "Sophisticated and talented. A wonderful blend of instrumental compositions with innuendoes of jazz and rock. A welcomed contribution to the art festival and to our community."

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Article from Backstage Pass Magazine;

by John Ringo

AcoustiCon In a time when, according to Down Beat Magazine, the "Jazz industry is screaming for help with sliding record sales, a crumbling distribution for independent labels, limited touring opportunities and lack of media exposure" AcoustiCon is hypnotically drawing in audiences. Their latest CD, a mixture of jazz and rock, is in high demand. A myriad of emotions flow. I feel spiritual and enhanced as I listen to "Anno Domini" (In the year of the Lord) recorded entirely with acoustic guitar and bass.

"The Willow" - smooth and flowing almost harp like with warm and thoughtful notes streaming to one central motif - had me picturing the wind blowing through willow trees that grow in my grandparents backyard. "Come and Go" is spirited and reminds me of a Joe Satriani tune from his Surfing with the Alien CD, entitled "Always with me, Always with you". The sound quality of "Anno Domini" rich and resonant, was recorded at White Light Studios in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

The smooth flow and solid groove weaves a tapestry of dreamy original music only possible from Brad Sayre and David Simmons who have playing together for eight years. Brad plays guitar, clarinet, keyboards, percussion and a synth wind instrument called a wx-5 while David plays bass guitar, nylon string guitar, keyboards and percussion. The rhythm and the melody create a sound so evenly yoked it compels me to close my eyes and let the music envelop me.

If you take home AcoustiCon's CD, you can enjoy the tremendous work by the accomplished fine art photographer Barbara Simmons, whose artwork gives the CD a dreamlike beauty reflective of the music within.

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Proggnosis Magazine
Progressive Rock & Fusion
Published on: 18 Feb 2004

With a rare and beautiful sense of melody, this duo offers a guitar oriented musical journey filled in well thought, highly enjoyable landscapes, where calm but powerful orchestrations accompany the emphasized guitar soloing (reminding me of The Shadows most inspired guitar solos, only better achieved and within much more brilliant atmospheres).

The music here is contemplative, introspective and, in the end, the perfect soundtrack for those moments when you need to find your inner peace or simply chill out after a hard days work.

The perfect communion between Classic music, easy listening jazz, acoustic prog and ballad rock is what you will find in Anno Domini.

Not willing to enter complex, inventive or experimental venues, this is music as pure as falling snow, with a candid aura that impregnates the listener with a comfortable feeling of cozyness and calmness.

The right album to listen while driving through flourishing spring fields, or while sitting by the widow as rain falls outside.

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Area abuzz with musical talent

By PAUL MARSEGLIA
Correspondent
Last update: January 24, 2005

MAKING IT BIG

Brad Sayre and David Simmons, aka AcoustiCon, have recently gained national attention with their music, video productions produced with photography by fine arts photographer Barbara Simmons, live digital projection performances and the scores written for a variety of movies and films.

AcoustiCon was formed in 2000 when Sayre, fresh off a worldwide musical tour, joined forces with Simmons in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The duo spent their idle time making music and writing songs. This became the foundation of AcoustiCon.

Sayre, a guitar virtuoso, left home immediately after high school to pursue his musical dream. Performing as lead guitarist and vocalist for Dr. Hook, Melanie, Danny Joe Brown, MTV Messenger and SLAB, he toured 14 countries playing countless venues from clubs to gigantic outdoor concerts.

Simmons began his musical training with classical guitar lessons, which led to his approach to the bass guitar, which includes the aggressive heavy use of open finger style picking of complex chord structures for which he has become well known.

Traveling and touring for years with various bands, Simmons has found his true calling with AcoustiCon.

"This music is from the heart, it enables me to express myself without boundaries. The way music was meant to be."

AcoustiCon previously released two music CDs. A third one, produced in collaboration with GaWaNi Pony Boy, a horse behaviorist and author, will be released in early March.

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Excerpt from a review in Native Peoples Magazine

By J. Poet
Correspondent
Sept/Oct 2006 Issue

THE RIDE HAS JUST BEGUN

Two years ago, Pony Boy met multi-instrumentalists David Simmons and Brad Sayre. "Their music left me speechless," Pony Boy says. "I asked them to create modern Native music for the soundtracks of my DVD's and TV shows, but when we started working together, the project took on a life of its own."

The result of the collaboration, AcoustiCon-GaWaNi Pony Boy, is a blend of traditional Native music, pop and jazz. Simmons and Sayre play acoustic instruments, but their studio expertise gives the music an enormous larger than life sound. "Ponca." a war song from the Ponca Nation honoring warriors fallen in battle, and "Red Earth," a tribute to the annual Indian cultural celebration of the same name, are powerful modern rock tunes. "The Player," an instrumental piece, is a showcase for Simmons and Sayre, with Sayre's guitar mimicking the sound of a Native flute. The album has a sweeping cinematic feel with complex multi-layered arrangements and Pony Boy's fervent vocals.

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An article by Hal Rimsley

AcoustiCon Combines Music and Art

The musical group AcoustiCon, has successfully fused the two powerful arts of music and photography into one wonderful package with their highly acclaimed sophomore CD, "Anno Domini".

This follow up to the group's debut CD, "Journey to Damascus", in which AcoustiCon became known for powerful melodies and soaring instrumental themes, follows with more of what their fans have come to expect.

On "Anno Domini", AcoustiCon teamed up with fine art photographer Barbara Simmons, who adds her magical touch and a dream like feel to the CD with her hand colored black and white and infrared photographs.

"When I look at these photographs, I feel the photographer has captured a fleeting moment that would have otherwise gotten away" said Karen Cunningham, an artistic illustrator. " I gaze at the photo's and feel there is a history in each one that is crying to be noticed. Her art brings a sense of beauty and meditation into out turbulent world".

Brad Sayre and David Simmons who comprise the musical side of this union of arts, say that it is very fulfilling working with Barbara..."She brings vision to our music and it is a great feeling when all our efforts are accepted and enjoyed by so many people".