Chris Antonik Releases "Trust In Me" From #1 Roots Music Report Canadian Chart Album 'Morningstar'

 

Chris Antonik, whose album, Morningstar, still sits at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report, has released a blues/hip hop hybrid single, “Trust in Me,” something a little different for the chart-topping blues-rock guitarist who has always pushed the boundaries of blues.

 "I wrote this song as a commentary on how toxic, childish, and mean politicians were becoming in the media in the years leading up to the pandemic,” says the Toronto-based musician. “As a single parent, I needed to work extra hard to drown it out and outweigh it with positive behaviour examples for my kids because there was no help from the top.  How we talk to people is important and it's incredible how crazy the world was getting in this respect."

“Trust in Me” features one of the fiercest guitar solos Chris has ever recorded. “Musically, I required this sort of modern, chaotic, industrial-type vehicle to tell my story and to deliver the song's ferocious and intense guitar solo,” he explains. 

The track also includes a beautifully chaotic and mind-bending soprano sax solo by 2022 Maple Blues Award-winner Alison Young. “Sonically, her contribution matches the frustration and confusion of the lyric’s theme, but also has a desert/mystical/Duran Duran ‘Union of the Snake’ vibe,” Chris says.

“Trust In Me” is the fourth single from Morningstar, following August’s release of “Back to the Good”, July’s “Pilgrim,” and June’s “Waves of Stone” (feat. Jarekus Singleton).

All the singles have done phenomenally well on the Roots Music Report, starting with “Waves of Stones,” which landed at No. 1.  Both “Back to Good” and “Pilgrim” also reached No. 1 in Canada on the Roots Music Report’s singles chart.

This kind of reception is nothing new for Chris. Since his nomination for Best New Artist at Canada’s Maple Blues Awards in 2011 based on his debut album, Chris has been delivering innovative and thoughtfully crafted songs that transcend expectations of the genre. His sophomore album, Better for You, was hailed by critics as “the best Canadian blues-rock album of 2013” and “a masterpiece” — with American Blues Scene calling it the “sound of someone taking the blues to a new place.”  His self-produced third studio album, 2017’s Monarch, further expanded the blues’ boundaries into blues-rock, soul and Americana; it was nominated for both Songwriter of the Year and Recording of the Year at the 2018 Maple Blues Awards.

Reviews for his latest album, Morningstar, have been stellar.  All Music Magazine gave it a 10/10, while influential US blues-rock outlet, Rock and Blues Muse, said “Antonik is clearly focused on making music that advances the state of blues/rock and guitar music in general.  He’s got bigger game on his mind and is creating music that will stretch your soul when you hear it. He’s a fully developed artist working on something big. We should all be listening.” 

A few days after its Aug. 5 release, Morningstar charted on the Roots Music Report at No. 4 for radio play in Canada (all genres) and No. 7 in the U.S. (for blues rock). The album also hit No. 1 in Canada on the Roots Music Report, the week of Aug. 13, and No. 20 in the U.S. for blues. 

 

News from JAM 66 RADIO

From today, LIZ CLARKE, TIM HEMME, THE SHRUBS, EXCORDE, ROYZY ROTHSCHILD FT EMILY CALLACHER and many others on JAM 66 Radio. ONLY THE NEWEST.

Many new groups and artists every day on the radio. Every day, the newest in rock, country, folk, blues and jazz music.

Tune in and hear on this blog or through the links on the right column. https://jam-radio.blogspot.com/

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The Blog of JAM 66 Radio, is the blog of the radio that plays rock, country, blues, blues rock, music of route 66 and the newest.

Every day new stories on radio, new posts, new bands, blues, blues-rock , country, folk and rock music are posted on this blog. Also, updated news on the blog in real time.

New Releases of the week.

 

This week we release new music from : BJORN HELGE KURSETH, TODD BARROW, YOU ARE AMONG FRIENDS, THE METAL BYRDS, MARCO DROETTO, CHRISTIAN PETERMANN and others.

The Blog of JAM 66 Radio, is the blog of the radio that plays rock, country, blues, blues rock, music of route 66 and the newest.

Every day new stories on radio, new posts, new bands, blues, blues-rock , country, folk and rock music are posted on this blog. Also, updated news on the blog in real time.

Tune in and hear us on this blog or through the links on the right column. https://jam-radio.blogspot.com/

Also you can hear us on https://bit.ly/3xAefB1 Stream https://bit.ly/3gZ6caI

GOV' MULE, X-EMBASSADORS and other bands from today on JAM 66 Radio

GOV' MULE, X-EMBASSADORS and other bands from today on JAM 66 Radio. Tune in and enjoy the newest rock, country, folk, jazz, blues music. http://route66radio-intro.webpin.com or hear the station on this blog or clicking the links on the right column.

 

 

Sonny Landreth

 

A percussive burst of acoustic resonator guitar pushes the narrator on a journey “between the life I left and the edge of next” in the title cut of guitarist, songwriter and bandleader Sonny Landreth’s 14th album. As the singer feels the wind at his back, a rising bass line intersects Landreth’s vocalizing to stretch the fingerpicked tune into Far Eastern melodicism.

The south Louisiana artist’s groundbreaking work has long mixed familiarity with experimentation, and his latest 10-song collection stretches from hard-edged electric instrumentals to wistful acoustic ballads. The project’s range is the fruit of a renewed collaboration. Producer RS Field – who helmed Landreth’s trio of breakout albums – joined the six-stringer and co-producer Tony Daigle to finish the record.

“His brilliance and creative energy recharged us,” Landreth said of reuniting with Field. Most of the tracks were recorded live at famed Dockside Studios on the Vermilion River south of Lafayette, La. “We came up with new and better ideas, and that’s what you want,” he added. “It couldn’t have gone better.”

A quartet of instrumentals highlights the expressive power of bassist David Ranson, drummer Brian Brignac and multi-talented keyboardist/songwriter Steve Conn. The sultry, slow zydeco pulse of “Lover Dance With Me” features Landreth trading in his signature glass slide for his guitar’s tremolo arm and a rotating Leslie speaker cabinet. “Mule” follows, with its tailgate rhythm bouncing through a his-and-her tale of unrequited love.

“Groovy Goddess” takes the listener into harder-edged jazz-rock territory, showcasing the slide guitar prowess that has twice landed Landreth on the cover of Guitar Player magazine. “Honestly, I think the purest form of music is improvised,” the bandleader says. “When it flows, it’s exhilarating. It just seems to come out of nowhere and connect your heart and soul to your fingertips.” Blacktop Run comes on the heels of Landreth’s Grammy-nominated double album Recorded Live In Lafayette, which features an acoustic disc and an electric disc. The new record brings both sides together without concern for how the layered tracks might be arranged for the bandstand. “Different approaches can influence one another – and for me, that just makes it more musical, more interesting,” Landreth explains.

The first of two Conn compositions follows with a new arrangement built around a guitar tuning Landreth developed but had not yet used in the studio. “Somebody Gotta Make A Move” also features its composer on Wurlitzer electric piano and Hammond B-3 organ. “I could see this one becoming a blues standard,” Landreth says. “That’s the mark of a great song.”

“Beyond Borders” picks up the pace and features Conn in a role originally envisioned for Carlos Santana. Landreth composed the instrumental for From The Reach, his 2008 release featuring guest artists Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, Vince Gill and others. “It’s complex,” Landreth says, “and now seems tailor-made for Steve.” “Don’t Ask Me,” the second Conn cut, delves into existential mysteries with humor via an acoustic, back porch Delta feel. Brignac played cajón, Ranson played ukulele bass, and Conn stretches out on accordion.

“The Wilds of Wonder” is a cinematic tribute to the brave folks working on the front lines of our planet’s environmental crises. And the shape-shifting instrumental “Many Worlds” builds on the previous number’s rich textures to bring the record to its final cut, “Something Grand,” the first Landreth recording in years without a guitar solo. That last tune, he says, “is a song of redemption. And though it’s between two people in a relationship, it also speaks to life’s larger challenges.”

After two Grammy nominations, multiple appearances at Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival and wide-ranging acclaim from fellow players and fans worldwide, Landreth is looking forward to playing the new material live. He’ll continue mixing electric and acoustic settings onstage, with Daigle bringing the sounds and concepts of the recording studio to venue mixing consoles.

“It’s all about telling the story,” Landreth says, “and as long as I can find my way up that path, I’m all in.” As the songwriter’s narrator sings in the title number of Blacktop Run, “A new day is dawning and I have never felt so alive.”

 https://sonnylandreth.com

Jim Byrnes

 

Jim Byrnes was born in St. Louis, Missouri – that’s blues country. He grew up on the city’s north side. One of the neighbourhood bars had Ike and Tina Turner as the house band. As a teenager going to music clubs, he and his buddy were often the only white people in the place. “We never had any problems. We were too naïve and had too much respect for the music and culture – they knew it, they could tell.”

By age thirteen, Jim was singing and playing blues guitar. His first professional gig was in 1964. Over the years, he has had the great good fortune to appear with a virtual who’s who of the blues. From Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker to Taj Mahal and Robert Cray, Jim has been on the blues highway for 45 years.

Byrnes moved to Vancouver, BC in the mid-70s after years of drifting, working odd jobs and playing music. In 1981 he put together a band that became a staple of the local music scene. In 1986 the Jim Byrnes Band played 300 nights.

Jim Byrnes’ fame as an actor has grown immeasurably from his too-numerous-to-mention TV and movie roles, highlights including television’s Wiseguy and Highlander series, and his national variety show The Jim Byrnes Show.

Jim has proven that a serious car accident in 1972 has done anything but hinder him. Despite two swipes with death and some pretty hard knocks, Byrnes has still managed to rack up an enviable string of credits, both on and off-screen.

 

 https://www.jimbyrnes.ca

Gov’t Mule

Influenced by jazz, blues, and rock music, Gov’t Mule blends these styles into their own version of an improvisational power trio. Drummer Matt Abts, singer/guitarist Warren Haynes, and bassist Allen Woody formed the group in 1994, while the latter two were still in the Allman Brothers Band. After three years, the trio decided to dedicate all of their time to Gov’t Mule. After Woody died in August of 2000, Gov’t Mule continued to record and tour with guest bass players.

By the time they formed Gov’t Mule, each of the members brought years of rock ‘n’ roll experience to the recording studio, as well as to the stage. Haynes, a native of Asheville, North Carolina, previously played with David Allen Coe and the Dickey Betts Band. He joined the Allman Brothers Band in 1989 and recorded five albums with the group. He also released a solo album, called Tales of Ordinary Madness, in 1993. Woody was born and raised in the musical city of Nashville, Tennessee. In the mid-1980s, he performed with the Artimus Pyle Band and then joined the Allman Brothers Band, where he met Haynes. Born in Oklahoma, Abts grew used to traveling at a young age, when he and his family moved to various military bases around the world. At the age of 16, Abts settled down in Virginia. He played with groups like Montrose and with Mick Taylor, former guitarist for the Rolling Stones. He met Haynes when they played together in the Dickey Betts Band.

The birth of Gov’t Mule began with a conversation between Haynes and Woody while they were on tour with the Allman Brothers Band in 1994. They started talking about the extinction of the improvisational power trio in music and their interest in bringing it back. Woody decided that all they needed was a drummer to make it happen, and Haynes knew just the person. Haynes told Woody about Abts.

The duo decided to get together with Abts for a jam session in a Los Angeles club after an Allman Brothers show. The chemistry worked immediately. “It was pretty exciting,” Haynes recalled in the band’s biography on the Gov’t Mule official website. “As we played together more and more, we got to thinking that maybe we should put the time and effort into making it a real band.” The group’s name was found during a conversation between Woody and Allman Brothers Band drummer Jai Johanny Johanson. Johanson had used the phrase in the conversation, and Woody liked it so much that he suggested it to Abts and Haynes. “It can mean different things to different people,” Haynes explained in the Gov’t Mule official website biography. “Besides, the name kind of describes us: we’re a slow, hard-working, non-glorious animal.”

With their name in place, the trio headed into the recording studio to produce their debut, Gov’t Mule, which was released on Relativity Records in 1995. 

Site: http://mule.net