JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR SPRINKLES WHITE SUGAR ON HER BLUES-DRENCHED DEBUT CD FOR RUF RECORDS, OUT MAY 12
EXCITING YOUNG BRITISH DISCOVERY COMBINES INCENDIARY GUITAR PLAYING AND SOULFUL VOICE IN BLUES POWER TRIO SOUND
ATLANTA, GA – Ruf Records announces the signing of one of the most exciting blues discoveries in many years, British-based singer/guitarist Joanne Shaw Taylor, and the May 12 release of her debut CD for the label, White Sugar. The new CD was produced and mixed by acclaimed producer Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana, Luther Allison, Jonny Lang) and recorded at Bessie Blue Studios in the Western Tennessee town of Counce, near the Tennessee River. Backing Joanne Shaw Taylor on White Sugar are experienced Memphis session players Steve Potts on drums and Dave Smith on bass.
Birmingham, UK-based Joanne Shaw Taylor was discovered at the age 16 by Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics, who remarked on hearing her for the first time: “I have played with all sorts of blues musicians all over the world and last year I heard something I thought I would never hear – a British white girl playing blues guitar so deep and passionately it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end!” Stewart was so impressed he asked Taylor to join his supergroup, D.U.P., to tour Europe in 2002.
Now 23 years old, Taylor has continued to refine her skills as both a singer and guitar player, and the proof of the pudding is in her dynamic new CD, which combines the power of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix with the down-home blues of the Mississippi Delta. The 10 tracks on White Sugar clearly show an artist in total command of her instrument as a force to color both the bold and quiet moments of the songs.
“Working with these guys was totally easy,” says Taylor about the sessions. “I knew of them because of their work on the Luther Allison and Jonny Lang albums. They didn’t even know the songs until shortly before we started tracking and it was fantastic. They are amazing guys to work with.”
Already a rising star in Great Britain, Joanne Shaw Taylor has been singled out for massive praise from the media. “Joanne IS the new face of the blues,” proclaimed respected UK magazine Blues Matters. “She plays with more attitude and flare than most; massive potential here – inspiring,” said Guitarist magazine. And Blue Print Magazine summed it up by stating, “Catch her live if you can; then you can say: ‘I was there at the beginning’!”
While still a young schoolgirl, Taylor was captivated by the rough side of the blues as evidenced from artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins and Jimi Hendrix. “As soon as I heard SRV and Albert Collins, I knew pretty much that I wanted to do that full stop,” Taylor says. “That was the lifestyle route that I was going to go down. It was never a hobby. I was always very serious and dedicated to it.”
Listeners can hear for themselves on Joanne Shaw Taylor’s stunning debut album,
White Sugar, which she’ll support with considerable U.S. tour dates, including many with Candye Kane.
For more information on the artist, visit www.joanneshawtaylor.com or www.myspace.com/joanneshowtaylor .
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Thursday, April 23, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
APPLESEED RECORDINGS SIGNS JESSE WINCHESTER
APPLESEED RECORDINGS SIGNS JESSE WINCHESTER & WILL RELEASE HIS FIRST STUDIO CD IN 10 YEARS, LOVE FILLING STATION, ON APRIL 21
WEST CHESTER, PA – Appleseed Recordings has announced the signing of acclaimed singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester, and an April 21 release date for his label debut CD, Love Filling Station, his first studio album in 10 years.
A prolific composer, Winchester is noted for his songs about love lost and found, small town life and vivid characterizations told with the literary perspective of a native southerner. His tunes have been embraced by a wide variety of artists who have recorded his works for almost four decades, including Jimmy Buffet and Tom Rush (“Biloxi”), The Everly Brothers and Patti Page (“Brand New Tennessee Waltz”), Tim Hardin (“Yankee Lady”), Elvis Costello and Alex Taylor (“Payday”), Nicolette Larson (“Rhumba Girl”) and The Weather Girls (“Well-a-Wiggy”), as well as Reba McIntyre and Wynonna Judd.
On Love Filling Station, Jesse Winchester wraps his warm high-lonesome tenor around nine original songs and three covers, including the plaintive Ben E. King classic, “Stand By Me,” the testifying gospel of “Far Side Bank of Jordan” and the old-school country of “Loose Talk,” which features a sterling duet with Jesse and singer Claire Lynch, whose voice recalls a cross between Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.
As always, Winchester’s original tunes focus on relationships and the very personal, yet universal themes of loving and longing bathed in down-home perspectives and attitudes, whether it’s the lovestruck wonderment of “O What a Thrill” (already covered by The Mavericks), the wry wit of “It’s a Shame About Him,” or the funky, rocky, gospel-tinged humor/desire of “Wear Me Out,” which features bluegrass great Jerry Douglas on lap steel guitar.
Produced by Bil VornDick and Jesse Winchester and recorded at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville, Love Filling Station also features a core band of Russ Barenberg on guitar and mandolin, Mark Fain on bass, Andy Leftwich on fiddle and Bob Mater on drums. The recording itself has such a warm, organic sound that hearing it brings the listener inside the studio surrounded by the musicians and Jesse Winchester, as if they were playing a house concert just for you.
A recipient of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers (ASCAP), Jesse Winchester and his music have always been informed by his upbringing in Memphis, whose sights, sounds and characters have flavored his songs from the very beginning. A self-imposed exile to Canada in 1967 during the Vietnam War years eventually brought him in touch with The Band’s Robbie Robertson, who produced his self-titled debut album, which included Levon Helm on drums and mandolin and was engineered by Todd Rundgren. After releasing seven albums between 1970 and 1981, Jesse took a long break and returned to record in 1988 with Humour Me, followed by another long break until the appropriately titled Gentleman of Leisure was released in 1999. In 2002, Jesse and his new wife relocated back the States and settled in Virginia. Even during his breaks from recording, he continued an active touring schedule, as he has throughout most of his career.
WEST CHESTER, PA – Appleseed Recordings has announced the signing of acclaimed singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester, and an April 21 release date for his label debut CD, Love Filling Station, his first studio album in 10 years.
A prolific composer, Winchester is noted for his songs about love lost and found, small town life and vivid characterizations told with the literary perspective of a native southerner. His tunes have been embraced by a wide variety of artists who have recorded his works for almost four decades, including Jimmy Buffet and Tom Rush (“Biloxi”), The Everly Brothers and Patti Page (“Brand New Tennessee Waltz”), Tim Hardin (“Yankee Lady”), Elvis Costello and Alex Taylor (“Payday”), Nicolette Larson (“Rhumba Girl”) and The Weather Girls (“Well-a-Wiggy”), as well as Reba McIntyre and Wynonna Judd.
On Love Filling Station, Jesse Winchester wraps his warm high-lonesome tenor around nine original songs and three covers, including the plaintive Ben E. King classic, “Stand By Me,” the testifying gospel of “Far Side Bank of Jordan” and the old-school country of “Loose Talk,” which features a sterling duet with Jesse and singer Claire Lynch, whose voice recalls a cross between Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.
As always, Winchester’s original tunes focus on relationships and the very personal, yet universal themes of loving and longing bathed in down-home perspectives and attitudes, whether it’s the lovestruck wonderment of “O What a Thrill” (already covered by The Mavericks), the wry wit of “It’s a Shame About Him,” or the funky, rocky, gospel-tinged humor/desire of “Wear Me Out,” which features bluegrass great Jerry Douglas on lap steel guitar.
Produced by Bil VornDick and Jesse Winchester and recorded at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville, Love Filling Station also features a core band of Russ Barenberg on guitar and mandolin, Mark Fain on bass, Andy Leftwich on fiddle and Bob Mater on drums. The recording itself has such a warm, organic sound that hearing it brings the listener inside the studio surrounded by the musicians and Jesse Winchester, as if they were playing a house concert just for you.
A recipient of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers (ASCAP), Jesse Winchester and his music have always been informed by his upbringing in Memphis, whose sights, sounds and characters have flavored his songs from the very beginning. A self-imposed exile to Canada in 1967 during the Vietnam War years eventually brought him in touch with The Band’s Robbie Robertson, who produced his self-titled debut album, which included Levon Helm on drums and mandolin and was engineered by Todd Rundgren. After releasing seven albums between 1970 and 1981, Jesse took a long break and returned to record in 1988 with Humour Me, followed by another long break until the appropriately titled Gentleman of Leisure was released in 1999. In 2002, Jesse and his new wife relocated back the States and settled in Virginia. Even during his breaks from recording, he continued an active touring schedule, as he has throughout most of his career.
APPLESEED RECORDINGS SIGNS JESSE WINCHESTER
APPLESEED RECORDINGS SIGNS JESSE WINCHESTER & WILL RELEASE HIS FIRST STUDIO CD IN 10 YEARS, LOVE FILLING STATION, ON APRIL 21
WEST CHESTER, PA – Appleseed Recordings has announced the signing of acclaimed singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester, and an April 21 release date for his label debut CD, Love Filling Station, his first studio album in 10 years.
A prolific composer, Winchester is noted for his songs about love lost and found, small town life and vivid characterizations told with the literary perspective of a native southerner. His tunes have been embraced by a wide variety of artists who have recorded his works for almost four decades, including Jimmy Buffet and Tom Rush (“Biloxi”), The Everly Brothers and Patti Page (“Brand New Tennessee Waltz”), Tim Hardin (“Yankee Lady”), Elvis Costello and Alex Taylor (“Payday”), Nicolette Larson (“Rhumba Girl”) and The Weather Girls (“Well-a-Wiggy”), as well as Reba McIntyre and Wynonna Judd.
On Love Filling Station, Jesse Winchester wraps his warm high-lonesome tenor around nine original songs and three covers, including the plaintive Ben E. King classic, “Stand By Me,” the testifying gospel of “Far Side Bank of Jordan” and the old-school country of “Loose Talk,” which features a sterling duet with Jesse and singer Claire Lynch, whose voice recalls a cross between Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.
As always, Winchester’s original tunes focus on relationships and the very personal, yet universal themes of loving and longing bathed in down-home perspectives and attitudes, whether it’s the lovestruck wonderment of “O What a Thrill” (already covered by The Mavericks), the wry wit of “It’s a Shame About Him,” or the funky, rocky, gospel-tinged humor/desire of “Wear Me Out,” which features bluegrass great Jerry Douglas on lap steel guitar.
Produced by Bil VornDick and Jesse Winchester and recorded at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville, Love Filling Station also features a core band of Russ Barenberg on guitar and mandolin, Mark Fain on bass, Andy Leftwich on fiddle and Bob Mater on drums. The recording itself has such a warm, organic sound that hearing it brings the listener inside the studio surrounded by the musicians and Jesse Winchester, as if they were playing a house concert just for you.
A recipient of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers (ASCAP), Jesse Winchester and his music have always been informed by his upbringing in Memphis, whose sights, sounds and characters have flavored his songs from the very beginning. A self-imposed exile to Canada in 1967 during the Vietnam War years eventually brought him in touch with The Band’s Robbie Robertson, who produced his self-titled debut album, which included Levon Helm on drums and mandolin and was engineered by Todd Rundgren. After releasing seven albums between 1970 and 1981, Jesse took a long break and returned to record in 1988 with Humour Me, followed by another long break until the appropriately titled Gentleman of Leisure was released in 1999. In 2002, Jesse and his new wife relocated back the States and settled in Virginia. Even during his breaks from recording, he continued an active touring schedule, as he has throughout most of his career.
WEST CHESTER, PA – Appleseed Recordings has announced the signing of acclaimed singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester, and an April 21 release date for his label debut CD, Love Filling Station, his first studio album in 10 years.
A prolific composer, Winchester is noted for his songs about love lost and found, small town life and vivid characterizations told with the literary perspective of a native southerner. His tunes have been embraced by a wide variety of artists who have recorded his works for almost four decades, including Jimmy Buffet and Tom Rush (“Biloxi”), The Everly Brothers and Patti Page (“Brand New Tennessee Waltz”), Tim Hardin (“Yankee Lady”), Elvis Costello and Alex Taylor (“Payday”), Nicolette Larson (“Rhumba Girl”) and The Weather Girls (“Well-a-Wiggy”), as well as Reba McIntyre and Wynonna Judd.
On Love Filling Station, Jesse Winchester wraps his warm high-lonesome tenor around nine original songs and three covers, including the plaintive Ben E. King classic, “Stand By Me,” the testifying gospel of “Far Side Bank of Jordan” and the old-school country of “Loose Talk,” which features a sterling duet with Jesse and singer Claire Lynch, whose voice recalls a cross between Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.
As always, Winchester’s original tunes focus on relationships and the very personal, yet universal themes of loving and longing bathed in down-home perspectives and attitudes, whether it’s the lovestruck wonderment of “O What a Thrill” (already covered by The Mavericks), the wry wit of “It’s a Shame About Him,” or the funky, rocky, gospel-tinged humor/desire of “Wear Me Out,” which features bluegrass great Jerry Douglas on lap steel guitar.
Produced by Bil VornDick and Jesse Winchester and recorded at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville, Love Filling Station also features a core band of Russ Barenberg on guitar and mandolin, Mark Fain on bass, Andy Leftwich on fiddle and Bob Mater on drums. The recording itself has such a warm, organic sound that hearing it brings the listener inside the studio surrounded by the musicians and Jesse Winchester, as if they were playing a house concert just for you.
A recipient of the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers (ASCAP), Jesse Winchester and his music have always been informed by his upbringing in Memphis, whose sights, sounds and characters have flavored his songs from the very beginning. A self-imposed exile to Canada in 1967 during the Vietnam War years eventually brought him in touch with The Band’s Robbie Robertson, who produced his self-titled debut album, which included Levon Helm on drums and mandolin and was engineered by Todd Rundgren. After releasing seven albums between 1970 and 1981, Jesse took a long break and returned to record in 1988 with Humour Me, followed by another long break until the appropriately titled Gentleman of Leisure was released in 1999. In 2002, Jesse and his new wife relocated back the States and settled in Virginia. Even during his breaks from recording, he continued an active touring schedule, as he has throughout most of his career.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
TOO SLIM AND THE TAILDRAGGERS ARE OUT TO FREE YOUR MIND ON NEW CD, DUE MARCH 17 FROM UNDERWORLD RECORDS
SEATTLE, WA – Underworld Records announces a March 17 release date for Free Your Mind, the new CD from Seattle-based Too Slim and the Taildraggers, with national distribution by Burnside Distribution. Free Your Mind was produced by Todd Smallwood and Timothy Langford and – as its title implies – showcases an impressive musical expansion from the band, which consists of Tim Langford (AKA Too Slim) on guitar and vocals, Dave Nordstrom on bass and Rudy Simone on drums.
The new CD takes the group’s blues-based music to new heights, adding rock and Americana influences that make the disc a joyous listen. All of its 11 songs were written by Tim Langford and demonstrate his growth as a songwriter and observer of the human condition. The CD’s opening track, “When You Love Somebody,” marries the heartland rock of John Cougar Mellencamp with the southern rock influences of Lynyrd Skynyrd for a rousing breath of fresh air; while the second track, “Last Train,” is a slice-of-life song inspired by its author reading the crazy stories in the daily paper.
ON the rest of Free Your Mind, the band stretches its musical muscles, with tough, sinewy blasts of Langford’s crunchy guitar work and soulful vocals layered over a rhythmic framework of Dave Nordstrom powerful bass and Rudy Simone’s kicking drums. With songs such as “Devil in a Doublewide,” “Been through Hell,” “Testament” and the anthemic title track, Too Slim and the Taildraggers take many twists and turns, but ultimately arrive at a journey well-worth taking. Langford’s insightful songwriting owes a debt to Tom Petty on many of the songs, especially on “Bottle It Up” and “Throw Me a Rope,” but remains true to his own muse. The album closes with the powerful gospel-influenced ballad, “The Light,” which also features a strong guest vocal appearance by Lauren Evans and some beautifully evocative guitar work by Tim Langford, whose tones on both electric guitar and slide throughout the CD stake his claim as a major guitarist on the rise.
The band’s last CD, The Fortune Teller, reached #9 on the Billboard magazine Top Blues Albums sales chart in 2007 and 2008 and was also nominated for “Best Contemporary Blues Album” at last year’s Blues Blast Music Awards in Chicago. The band’s also been voted “Best Regional Act” 11 times by the Cascade Blues Association, the largest organization of its kind in the US, and has won many group and solo awards from a number of other organizations and magazine readers’ polls.
Too Slim and the Taildraggers have headlined theaters, festivals and showcase clubs around the country and have shared the stage with such diverse talents as Bo Diddley, Johnny Lang, Robert Cray, .38 Special, Jeff Healey, Los Lobos, Delbert McClinton, Blues Traveler and Junior Brown, among others.
Too Slim and the Taildraggers will tour extensively in support of Free Your Mind, with booking and management by Nancy Langford of The 313 Agency (206-340-2622 / info@the313agency.com). For more information on the band, visit www.tooslim.org or www.underworldindierecords.com.
To access a hi-res color jpg of Too Slim and the Taildraggers (photo credit: Lisa Martin), please click on this link: Too Slim Photo
In addition to his work in the band, Tim Langford and his wife Nancy are also the owners of “Essie’s South American Style Sauce,” a marinade described as part barbecue, part teriyaki and part Cajun that was initially developed by Nancy’s mother in the mid-1960s at a restaurant/club the family owned in North Dakota. Essie’s Sauce can be used on poultry, seafood, beef and pork and has been described by one magazine food editor as “the best sauce I’ve ever tasted.” The sauce is distributed regionally around the US and is also available by mail order. For more information, visit www.essiessauce.com.
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The new CD takes the group’s blues-based music to new heights, adding rock and Americana influences that make the disc a joyous listen. All of its 11 songs were written by Tim Langford and demonstrate his growth as a songwriter and observer of the human condition. The CD’s opening track, “When You Love Somebody,” marries the heartland rock of John Cougar Mellencamp with the southern rock influences of Lynyrd Skynyrd for a rousing breath of fresh air; while the second track, “Last Train,” is a slice-of-life song inspired by its author reading the crazy stories in the daily paper.
ON the rest of Free Your Mind, the band stretches its musical muscles, with tough, sinewy blasts of Langford’s crunchy guitar work and soulful vocals layered over a rhythmic framework of Dave Nordstrom powerful bass and Rudy Simone’s kicking drums. With songs such as “Devil in a Doublewide,” “Been through Hell,” “Testament” and the anthemic title track, Too Slim and the Taildraggers take many twists and turns, but ultimately arrive at a journey well-worth taking. Langford’s insightful songwriting owes a debt to Tom Petty on many of the songs, especially on “Bottle It Up” and “Throw Me a Rope,” but remains true to his own muse. The album closes with the powerful gospel-influenced ballad, “The Light,” which also features a strong guest vocal appearance by Lauren Evans and some beautifully evocative guitar work by Tim Langford, whose tones on both electric guitar and slide throughout the CD stake his claim as a major guitarist on the rise.
The band’s last CD, The Fortune Teller, reached #9 on the Billboard magazine Top Blues Albums sales chart in 2007 and 2008 and was also nominated for “Best Contemporary Blues Album” at last year’s Blues Blast Music Awards in Chicago. The band’s also been voted “Best Regional Act” 11 times by the Cascade Blues Association, the largest organization of its kind in the US, and has won many group and solo awards from a number of other organizations and magazine readers’ polls.
Too Slim and the Taildraggers have headlined theaters, festivals and showcase clubs around the country and have shared the stage with such diverse talents as Bo Diddley, Johnny Lang, Robert Cray, .38 Special, Jeff Healey, Los Lobos, Delbert McClinton, Blues Traveler and Junior Brown, among others.
Too Slim and the Taildraggers will tour extensively in support of Free Your Mind, with booking and management by Nancy Langford of The 313 Agency (206-340-2622 / info@the313agency.com). For more information on the band, visit www.tooslim.org or www.underworldindierecords.com.
To access a hi-res color jpg of Too Slim and the Taildraggers (photo credit: Lisa Martin), please click on this link: Too Slim Photo
In addition to his work in the band, Tim Langford and his wife Nancy are also the owners of “Essie’s South American Style Sauce,” a marinade described as part barbecue, part teriyaki and part Cajun that was initially developed by Nancy’s mother in the mid-1960s at a restaurant/club the family owned in North Dakota. Essie’s Sauce can be used on poultry, seafood, beef and pork and has been described by one magazine food editor as “the best sauce I’ve ever tasted.” The sauce is distributed regionally around the US and is also available by mail order. For more information, visit www.essiessauce.com.
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