Mark Rivera, Longtime Billy Joel and Ringo Starr Collaborator, Releases Debut Album on Tuesday
He may not be a household name, but over the last few decades Mark Rivera has toured and recorded with some of the biggest stars in music. Since 1982, the multitalented musician has been the saxophone player in Billy Joel‘s backing group and he also serves as music director of the current edition of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band.
Rivera’s also contributed to well-known recordings by Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, Foreigner and Hall & Oates, but he’d never released an album of his own…until now. Mark’s debut studio effort, Common Bond, hits stores today and it features guest appearances from Starr and Joel, as well as a few other famous artists. The 10-track album features seven songs co-written by Rivera, plus covers of Jimi Hendrix‘s “Spanish Castle Magic” and the 1970 Fleetwood Mac tune “Tell Me All the Things You Do.” In addition to showcasing his saxophone skills, Mark also displays his talents as a singer, flute player, keyboardist, percussionist and guitarist on the record. So why did it take Rivera so long to put out his first solo album?
Listen to the Audio Version of this News Story 
Source: WFJA FM, Sanford, NC
