Progressive rock group KANSAS will enter the studio in August to begin work on its new album for a 2020 release. The band's first new studio LP in 16 years, "The Prelude Implicit", arrived in 2016. It followed the 2014 departure of singer Steve Walsh, who had fronted KANSAS for all but a few years of its four-decade-plus existence. KANSAS's new frontman is Ronnie Platt, a former member of the band SHOOTING STAR. The lineup includes two original members, guitarist Richard Williams and drummer Phil Ehart, as well as violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale, bassist Billy Greer (both longtime members of the group), guitarist Zak Rizvi and the band's latest addition, keyboardist Tom Brislin. An internationally acclaimed musician, Brislin has performed and toured with a variety of artists, including YES (appearing on "Symphonic Live"), Meat Loaf, Debbie Harry of BLONDIE, CAMEL, RENAISSANCE and Dennis DeYoung (formerly of STYX). For years, he fronted the band SPIRALING and produced his debut solo album, "Hurry Up And Smell The Roses". Most recently, Tom co-founded the progressive rock group THE SEA WITHIN. Along with guitarist Roine Stolt of THE FLOWER KINGS, bassist Jonas Reingold of the Steve Hackett band, and drum star Marco Minnemann, they released their first album in 2018 on InsideOut Music, joining KANSAS on the label's roster. Tom has also formed GOLD ROTATION, a collective of diverse musicians and songwriters who premiered with a performance at Progstock Festival in 2018. Brislin's first performances with KANSAS will be aboard the Rock Legends cruise in February, followed by a March 1 gig in Baltimore, Maryland at the Modell Lyric where the band will be resuming the "Point Of Know Return" anniversary tour. Photo credit: Emily Butler Photography
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