Sun King Rising’s “Signs & Wonders:” Exploring Southern Themes on a Brilliant Sophomore Collection Album Review by Nelly Chavez LA Wire

SUN KING RISING’S “ONE MORE STORY TO TELL” Single Review by Frank Filipetti

Sun King Rising For Your Grammy® Consideration

You are invited to Listen to Signs & Wonders For Your Grammy® Consideration

Music Catagory: Country & Americana Roots

Album of the Year: Sun King Rising – Signs & Wonder

Best Americana Roots Song; No. 6 Magnolia Ave

No. 6 Magnolia Ave Film by Dante Ludovici 

Listen to No. 6 Magnolia Ave
| Amazon Music | Apple Music | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube Music |

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Steve “Ace” Acker for No. 6 Magnolia Ave by Sun King Rising

John Blangero - Piano Vocals

John Blangero – Piano Vocals

SUN KING RISING
John Blangero – Piano, Keys, Lead Vocals, Orchestral Arrangements
George Perilli – Drums on all tracks except 4 and 10
Roger Humphreys – Drums 4
George Elliott – Bass Guitar on all tracks
Willie Ross – Guitar 1 2,3 4.5,8
Steve Schuffert – Guitar 6,7 8 9
Ace Acker – Acoustic Guitar 3
Fred Delu – Electric Piano 4

Background Vocal Arrangements by
Stevee Wellons and Ace Acker
Background Singers:
Stevee Wellons – All tracks but 10
Joy Brown – 1,3,4,5,7,8,
Bernice Wilkerson – 1,3,4,5,7,8
Pete Hewlett – 6,9
Ace – 2,6,9
Raloh Guzzi – Horn Arrangements
Ralph Guzzi, Eric Defade, Kevin McManus – Horn Section
Kennv Blake – Saxophone 4

ADDITIONAL CREDIT
Engineered by David Granati
Recorded at Maplewood Studio, Ambridge, PA
Mixed and Mastered by Brian Foraker
Produced by Ace Acker
Art Direction & Design = Clint English

ABOUT THE ALBUM
Signs & Wonder is the second critically acclaimed album by Sun King Rising, the album features a collection of ten Sun King Rising southern noir stories set to music, with a cast of colorful characters, intrigue, tales of sin and redemption, murder without justice, and love without limits.

“QUOTES”
“Signs & Wonders” is a satisfyingly psyche-cleansing experience.
Dmitry M. Epstein – DMME

He doesn’t need the approval of the establishment to be a star; honestly, he just needs to keep making music like this.
Mark Druery – Indie Shark

“Signs & Wonders” is not just about the music; it’s about the experience – the experience of being taken on a musical journey, of feeling the raw emotions, of witnessing the genius of a true artist. It’s about the journey from the first note to the last, and everything in between.
Michael Stover – Music Crowns

We recommend listening through the album from start to finish to get the perfect experience but don’t worry, it’ll be the best 42 minutes you’ll ever spend. 
Board City

There is greatness within, and anyone who enjoys Americana-style rock cannot afford to miss out on what is a true classic of the genre. Accessible from the very first note, it repays repeated plays as there is just so much breadth and depth within. Music rarely gets better than this. 
Kev Rowland – ReZonatZ

Sun King Rising Online

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Sun King Rising Receives Silver Award for No. 6 Magnolia Avenue Video

We won the Silver Award for our music video, No. 6 Magnolia Avenue, at the International Singer Songwriters Association 2023 ceremony! Thank you very much to all who voted for us and to ISSA. Special kudos to Dante Ludovici who directed the video, and Ace Acker who produced the record. And thanks to my record company, PeacockSunrise Records, and it’s President, Nick Katona, for believing in me.

Oct 28, 2022, Sun King Rising releases the Short Film, No. 6 Magnolia Avenue based on the Hit Single of the same title from his latest album Signs & Wonders produced and directed by Dante Ludovici, No. 6 Magnolia Avenue is a literal film interpretation of the song’s optimistic, uplifting lyric. It is the story of an unknown, down-and-out musician who attains acclaim and stardom after encountering the beautiful “Girl in China Blue” at a bar gig.

Ludovici’s production ably captures all the emotion, pathos, and humor inherent in the recording. Many of the artist’s New Castle, Pennsylvania friends and family form the colorful cast of characters.

Sun King Rising is the musical moniker and alter-ego of John Blangero, who lives in Port Isabel, Texas. By night, Blangero is Sun King Rising. By day, he is a world-renowned genetic research scientist and professor at the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley.

Watch No. 6 Magnolia Here

Meghan Greenwood, a popular Pittsburgh choreographer/dancer, plays his love interest in the film. Ludovici also featured her in his first Sun King Rising film production, “Free Will in China Blue.” She has retained her “girl in China Blue” identity in the second production.

In addition to the mostly local Newcastle cast, Ludovici also utilizes multiple Newcastle and nearby Poland, Ohio locations to significant effect. 

Blangero wrote the song, and producer Ace Acker completed it with a who’s who lineup of Pittsburgh players and singers at David Granati’s Maplewood Studio in Ambridge, PA. Granati engineered Sun King Rising’s first album, Delta Tales. as well.

Listen to Signs & Wonders Here

Sun King Rising Online
Website: https://www.sunkingrising.com
Bandcamp: https://sunkingrising.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunKingRising
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunkingrising
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjlf9aROZ-0EHHqvk9hzng
PSR Profile: https://peacocksunriserecords.com/project/sun-king-rising/

PeacockSunrise Records Online
Website: https://peacocksunriserecords.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeacockSunriseRecords
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peacocksunriserecords/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SunKingRising1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjlf9aROZ-0EHHqvk9hzng

Sun King Rising Shares an Unreleased Demo

I Thought I’d put something up a little different. Here is a rough song demo called Lonely Road that didn’t make the cut for my Delta Tales album back in 2020. It didn’t pass the Ace test! But here is a little glimpse of how the sausage gets made and how sometimes it ends up on the floor!
– Sun King Rising

Discography

Signs & Wonder (2022) CD, Digital & Streaming
Delta Tales Expanded Edition (2021) CD, Digital & Streaming
Delta Tales (2020) CD, Digital & Streaming

Singles

It Must Be Christmas ~ Single (20212) Digital & Streaming
Number. 6 Magnolia Ave ~ Single (2021) Digital & Streaming
Down The Delta Road ~ Single (2021) Digital & Streaming
Free Will In China Blue ~ Single (2021) Digital & Streaming
Milkweed and Thistle ~ Single (2020) Digital& Streaming

Compilations

PROG PRESENTS: Ripples In Time, Before Then Was Now! (2022) Digital Album
Sands of Time: A Music Revolution 2006​/​2021 (2021) Digital Album
A Year In The Revolution (2020) Digital Album

Sun King Rising Online
Website: https://www.sunkingrising.com
Bandcamp: https://sunkingrising.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunKingRising
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunkingrising
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjlf9aROZ-0EHHqvk9hzng
PSR Profile: https://peacocksunriserecords.com/project/sun-king-rising/

PeacockSunrise Records Online
Website: https://peacocksunriserecords.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeacockSunriseRecords
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peacocksunriserecords/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeacockSunriseR 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PeacockSunriseRecords