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On his debut record, 'Hard Times and a Woman', guitarist and songwriter Justin Golden showcases the full breadth of the genre and its downstream influences, everything from traditional Piedmont blues to indie rock and beyond.
Blues isn't just twelve bars and a sad story. Golden was raised on the Virginia coast and is steeped in the distinctive regional Piedmont blues of the central part of the state. But his listening habits are wide and the new record is equal parts Taj Mahal and Hiss Golden Messenger, some Blind Boy Fuller and some Bon Iver. Working in the vibrant Richmond, VA scene, producer Chip Hale helped craft lush arrangements around Golden's classic Americana songwriting sensibilities. Fuzzed out guitar, keys, and harmonica meld with his deft fingerpicking and laid-back grooves. Across twelve tracks, Golden lays out a caution: be wary when things start going too well. The lyrics of 'Hard Times and a Woman' reference winning (and then losing) it all, heartbreak, and being Black in America. In between the heavier subject matter there are a few romantic detours that don't end in sorrow, like "Must Be Honey" and "Lightning When She Smiles." On his sparkling debut Justin Golden arrives fully formed as a guitarist and a songwriter. Sure he has deep blues bonafides but what stands out is how effortlessly he weaves together his influences into a tapestry as diverse as the country.
“The Call” is the third studio album by Steven Troch, and it stands with one foot in the 20th century and the other in the present. Blues is still an important part, but instead of relying on the tried and tested recipe it is liberally sprinkled with other ingredients. Time and again the listener is surprised by changes in timbre, tonality and tempo. The album’s songs are chimeras and half truths waiting for a chance to be told.
A guitar does an assertive shuffle while an expressive harmonica spits fire. The rhythm section has just the right chemistry, and the grooves roll along as reliably as an old Volvo. Troch steers clear of the major themes in his lyrics and sings laconically about everyday stresses and strains to do with adversity, love, bar room philosophy and personal misfortune. The recurring motif in “The Call” is craftsmanship and the joy of playing. Come on! Listen to his call and take a break from the everyday woes.
“The Call” was recorded by Pieterjan Coppejans at Robot Studios in Ghent (Eefje De Visser, Lester’s Blues, Tiny Legs Tim). Most of the material was canned live, and it has that sound and feel to it. The free rein that the band members were given adds to the spirit and passion of the music. Subtle contributions by guest musicians Luk Vermeir (piano), Bart Vervaeck (pedal steel) John Halbleib (trumpet) and Luigi De Gaspari (trombone) nestle comfortably in the whole.
The album was mixed in Greaseland Studios (San Jose, USA) by multiple awardwinning producer Kid Andersen. This was the second collaboration with Andersen, who produced Troch’s debut album “Nice ‘n Greasy” in 2016.
Miss Bix proclaims her resilience on Bring It, her second Blue Heart Records release. Continuing in the Hill Country blues tradition along with New Orleans-flavored rhythms, Bixler's sophomore blues album deepens in groove and content. Thirteen insightful, original songs reflect topics from COVID-inspired depression, to racial oppression, nostalgic lost love, new love and the ever-present search for home.
Vaneese Thomas advances a rich musical legacy born of her father, Memphis R&B icon Rufus Thomas, and shared with her siblings Marvell (RIP) and Carla Thomas. Embracing her birthright as an African American female, Thomas explores her roots both musically and contextually with this powerful new collection. ‘Fight the Good Fight’ is an exquisite musical expression of pain and despair mixed with unwavering resolve, resilience and optimism.
VizzTone proudly presents THE NIGHTHAWKS, Washington DC’s legendary road warriors of blues and roots music, as they celebrate their 50th Anniversary with a brand new album –
THE NIGHTHAWKS – ESTABLISHED 1972
Produced by the Nighthawks and longtime compadre David Earl, they took advantage of the pandemic slowdown to hunker down in Earl’s Severn Sound Studios in Annapolis, Maryland and cranked out fourteen new tracks in the great Nighthawks tradition – rockin’, heartfelt material unbound by any genre other than the widest range of American roots music.
On this landmark anniversary, founder, lead singer and harpmaster Mark Wenner is still at the helm, while drummer Mark Stutso, guitarist Don Hovey and bassist Paul Pisciotta all share vocals and songwriting, making this lineup one of the strongest ever. Decades of gigs and countless rabid fans have earned then the name “The Best Bar Band In The World”.
This anniversary album celebrates the legendary NIGHTHAWKS, still going strong.
Ronnie Earl, a four-time Blues Music Award winner as “Guitar Player of the Year,” follows up the critical and commercial success of his last album, Rise Up, with Mercy Me, a new set of wondrous music with his long-time band, The Broadcasters, on April 15 via Stony Plain Records. Mercy Me will also be released later this summer on vinyl LP.
Mercy Me is Earl’s 14th album in partnership with Stony Plain and his 28th career album. The 12-song Mercy Me features Dave Limina on piano and Hammond B3, Diane Blue on vocals, Forrest Padgett on drums, Paul Kochanski on electric and upright bass, all backing Earl’s amazingly soulful guitar work. Guest musicians include Anthony Geraci, piano; Mark Earley, baritone sax; Mario Perrett, tenor sax; Peter Ward, guitar; and Tess Ferraiolo, vocals. The album was produced by Ronnie Earl, recorded and mixed by Huck Bennert and mastered at Sound Mirror Studio by Mark Donahue.
“I titled the album Mercy Me as I was thinking about all the things going on in the world,” Ronnie Earl said about his inspiration. “We need to have more mercy for the world, for other people and for ourselves. I love playing the blues, and the session was so enjoyable. The band was focused, and we came together as one.”
Ronnie Earl has a unique, beautiful, easily identifiable tone that comes from within and not from a piece of equipment, such as a pedal, which he has never used. Music critic Jim Hynes has called Ronnie, “The John Coltrane of the Guitar;” B.B. King referred to Ronnie as one of his sons; and writer Ron Weinstock said of Ronnie that he “is a master of tonal dynamics, phrasing, and solo construction. Earl builds solos like smoldering coals in a charcoal grill that bursts into flames when fat drips down.”
The album’s even-dozen tunes include a diverse mix of originals and unique covers of songs from such legends as Muddy Waters, John Coltrane, Dave Mason and Percy Mayfield.
Ronnie offered his take on some of the songs on Mercy Me:
“‘Blow Wind Blow’ is a little guitar tribute to Muddy Waters; My other love is ‘Alabama,’ which is a tribute to John Coltrane. It’s different from his, but sadly the racism he wrote about in 1963 is still going on today. ‘Blues for Ruthie Foster’ is a nice little acoustic tune with my longtime friend Peter Ward. It’s in the vein of a little bit Robert Johnson, a little bit Robert Junior. I had a chance to sit in with Ruthie Foster this past year and she is astonishing. We did ‘Soul Searching,’ an older tune of mine, first recorded in 1988. I wanted to try it with this band. It has some horns on it and it came out nicely – with sparse guitar. ‘Only You Know and I Know’ is a famous tune sung by Bonnie Bramlett. We’ve never done it and Diane Blue is great on everything. Many years ago, Levon Helm was playing at BB Kings in Memphis, and he called both Bonnie Bramlett and me up – and we sat in together. I loved playing with her, and this song is a sweet reminder of that day. ‘(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher’ is one of my wife Donna’s favorite songs. It’s an R&B that Jackie Wilson sang, and I recorded it for Donna.
Diane wrote and named the song, ‘The Sun Shines Brightly.’”
Ronnie Earl, born Ronald Horvath, has led a storied music career beginning with his early years in Boston while studying at Boston University. He graduated with a dual degree in Education and Special Education in 1975. Ronnie would teach for a few years while playing guitar at night before joining and touring with John Nicholas and The Rhythm Rockers, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, Roomful of Blues, and finally with his band, The Broadcasters. Ronnie has shared the stage with B.B. King, Otis Rush, Bobby Blue Bland, Albert Collins, Big Mama Thornton, Etta James, Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers, Jimmie Vaughan, Kim Wilson, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Leonard Bernstein, among many others.
An authorized biography of Ronnie’s life, Beautiful Child, is in progress and includes stories from Ronnie as well as one hundred of his friends and colleagues who have walked alongside him.
“What Ronnie pulls from wood, wire and old Fender amplifiers,” music writer Ted Drozdowski once wrote, “isn’t so much notes as the sound of the human heart beating with you, crying under the world’s weight or acknowledging the inevitability of another sunrise.”
Perhaps being the son of two Holocaust survivors has given Ronnie Earl a keen insight into the human condition, which has manifested itself in his musical delivery. As Ronnie celebrates more than 30-plus years of sobriety, he’s often quietly devoted his time and donated concert proceeds to help people affected by substance abuse. And as someone who once studied to be a special education teacher, he recalls with particular fondness a 10-year period when he volunteered at LifeLinks Inc., a nonprofit in Chelmsford, Mass. that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Quarto Valley Records proudly announces the April 15, 2022, release of ‘Brother Johnny’, a tribute to the legendary blues guitarist created by his brother Edgar Winter. The album is a powerful sonic journey, traveling the course of Johnny’s musical life, impeccably directed, as only his brother Edgar could.
Joining Edgar on the inclusive project is an impressive array of renowned musicians who knew, or were inspired by Johnny, including Joe Bonamassa, Doyle Bramhall II, John McFee, Robben Ford, Billy Gibbons, David Grissom, Taylor Hawkins, Warren Haynes, Steve Lukather, Michael McDonald, Keb Mo, Doug Rappoport, Bobby Rush, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Ringo Starr, Derek Trucks, Waddy Wachtel, Joe Walsh, Phil X and Gregg Bissonette.
The guitar-driven album celebrates the expansive styles Johnny was known for – the 17 tracks were carefully curated by Edgar and producer Ross Hogarth to represent Johnny’s evolution as an artist, honoring his great legacy while also incorporating a personal tribute from brother to brother, and for which Edgar penned two new songs.
The project has been years in the making, Edgar was first approached about it just after his brother passed away on July 16, 2014. Johnny had just played the Cahors Blues Festival in France, which was destined to become his last show. He had traveled to Switzerland where his next show was scheduled, but he passed away in his sleep at the hotel in Zurich before he ever got the chance.
Edgar reflects, “Many people immediately started trying to convince me to do a Johnny Winter tribute album. But I was totally devastated, and the timing just didn’t feel right to me. It wasn’t until after I completed the Rock ‘N’ Blues Fest, a tour we were meant to do together with our respective bands, that the idea of a tribute record started to take form.”
Edgar explains, “I had naturally expected the whole thing to be cancelled. But much to my surprise, the promoters begged me to go on with the tour as planned, asking me to headline. The first night, after playing “Frankenstein”, I closed the show with “Johnny B. Goode”, “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo”, and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, dedicating the end of the set to Johnny.
“I had anticipated the tour to be very emotional, perhaps sad, and possibly difficult, but playing those songs turned out to be a great source of strength and comfort to me. Everyone on the tour was so kind and supportive, getting up to jam, and it became a kind of tradition. There was such an overwhelming outpouring of love and respect for Johnny, I began to realise it was not just business people sensing an opportunity here; it was Johnny’s true, loyal, and devoted fans and our fellow musicians, many of whom are on this record, who wanted to see this happen as well.
Edgar_And_Johnny_Winter
“After the tour, and over the following years as talk of a tribute album continued, my wife Monique, whose intuition I trust more than my own, said, “I think you have to make this album, both for Johnny, for yourself, and for the world. You owe that acknowledgement to your older brother. If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t be where you are today. There’s no need to worry about it. If it’s meant to happen, it will.”
Soon after Edgar met Bruce Quarto, founder, and owner of Quarto Valley Records. It was his boundless enthusiasm and devotion to classic rock, the blues, (and Johnny in particular) that convinced Edgar the time for this tribute album had finally come.
“Quarto Valley Records is honoured to be releasing Edgar’s tribute to his brother Johnny,” said Bruce Quarto. “An album as remarkable in its musicianship as it is in the depth of feeling that comes through in each and every note of each and every song. The superhuman artistry and inspiration you hear in the new interpretations of some of Johnny’s signature songs, like ‘Hootchie Koo’ and ‘Alive and Well,’ are matched only by Edgar’s original and very personal, ‘End of the Line,’ which strikes a very human chord. The album is nothing short of a masterpiece. Enjoy!”
This announcement comes with the release of “Johnny B. Goode,” a perfect fit not only in name but in sentiment, and a song that remained a standard in Johnny’s sets right up to the very end. The opening rips right out of the speakers – that infamous guitar line along with Edgar’s smokin’ piano – followed by roaring vocals from Edgar and Joe Walsh. Joe does the vocal honors on this one, leaving his legendary guitar work for a personal favorite called “Stranger” (featuring Michael McDonald, with Ringo Starr on drums).
The signature guitar is masterfully delivered by fellow Texan David Grissom, who strikes the perfect balance between Chuck Berry’s classic riffs and Johnny’s wild Winter whirlwind of intensity. Edgar blows the house down with a Texas tornado of saxophone accompanied by thunder and lightning from Bob Glaub on bass, Gregg Bissonette on drums, and additional vocals by Phil X.
Edgar writes in his liner notes. “To this day, when I think of Rock ‘n’ Roll, I think of Chuck Berry and “Johnny B. Goode”. It’s not only Johnny’s story, but also every kid’s story who ever picked up a guitar, coming from humble beginnings with the idea of making it big someday. So of course, it has to be on this album.”
Brother Johnny was produced by Edgar Winter and Ross Hogarth. All the basic tracking was done at Capitol Studios. Most of the guest artist performances were recorded at Infinitespin Records, and as the pandemic progressed, were done at various guest artist’s studios. the record was mixed by Ross at his studio The Boogie Motel.
Edgar sums up reminiscing in his notes, “When I was very young, I can still remember thinking … no matter how much time goes by, how old I get, what happens in my life, or how far I end up from home – there is one person in this world I know will always understand what I’ve been through, how I feel. And that person is my brother Johnny. As kids, we were inseparable, much closer than average brothers. Not only did we learn to play music together, but because we were both albino, we shared a unique personal perspective on life different than anyone else’s.
“So much has happened to both of us since then, but one thing will always remain the same … that bond, of brotherhood, of family, of music, and of Love. So, in his name, I dedicate this album. “Brother Johnny”.
Edgar added, “My deepest and most profound thanks to all the great, fantastic, amazing artists for their incredible heartfelt performances. You touched our hearts on behalf of Johnny and the Winter family.”
