Albert Cummings Completes New Recording!

NOTED GUITARIST ALBERT CUMMINGS COMPLETES NEW ALBUM "He attacks his axe with unbridled ferocity and deep soulfulness; his depth and expression are matched only by his terrifying technique and tone." - Guitar One Guitarist Albert Cummings has wrapped recording in Los Angeles on his latest album for Blind Pig Records.  The as-yet-untitled CD by the popular guitar slinger from Massachusetts is scheduled to be released early this summer. The album was produced by Grammy-winner David Z (Buddy Guy, Prince, Jonny Lang, Gov't Mule) at Clear Lake Audio.  Said Z, “Albert Cummings writes, plays and sings the blues like nobody else.  What a blast to watch him jell in the studio with some of the best musicians in Los Angeles.” Standing, l. to r.: Jimmy Vivino, David Z, Mike Finnegan (keyboards), Reggie McBride (bass)  Seated, l. to r.: Tony Braunagel (drums), Albert Cummings One of those musicians was Blind Pig labelmate and leader of The Basic Cable Band on the Conan TV show, Jimmy Vivino.  Jimmy recalled first seeing Albert: “One Wednesday night I saw a flyer that said this guy Albert Cummings was coming on Saturday night to play with Tommy Shannon and George Raines .... If this Texas tornado of a rhythm section was playing, this guy must be the real deal ... So I went to see them.   Of course it was the real deal and undiluted and dripping with Soul and Blues.... Real Blues." "Albert and I became fast friends and have stayed in touch since. That was 5 years ago.   When I found out they were cutting a couple of blocks from my home I called David Z and said "Tell Albert I am there whenever he says!"   And he 'said' and I 'went' and it was great!!” This album marks Albert’s return to the Blind Pig label, which released three highly acclaimed albums by him beginning in 2004.   Billboard called Albert “a blues star who has arrived. Cummings' guitar work is sizzling."   His recordings are consistent Blind Pig best sellers in the digital realm, especially his 2008 live album, Feel So Good, which Music Connection called "one of the best live albums recorded in a long time."   One particular fan favorite has been his medley entitled “Hoochie Coochie Man/Dixie Chicken.” Guitar Edge said of the album, "The blues is best served up live, with an enthusiastic audience and a killin' band, and that's exactly what guitarist Albert Cummings does, driving his audience to frenzy in all the right places," while Blurt called it "the perfect showcase for the fiery guitarist's axe-handling skills and enormous onstage charisma." Cummings sounded very enthused about the new project and the L.A. recording process when he said, "I'm tremendously excited about this CD and the team of people that worked on this project. It was such a pleasure to also work with David Z and Jimmy Vivino and so exciting to share their excitement about the potential this record has."

Ivy Music Company - No Regrets - Albert Cummings - New Release review

I have been listening to No Regrets, the newest release from Albert Cummings (release date August 28, 2012). Since his first release in 1999 (The Long Way) Cummings has been blazing a blues guitar trail and with this release he opens up a little more his inner self and plays a variety of styles. Track one, Glass House is a hard driving blues track along the lines of Don Nix's Goin' Down. Cummings kicks the crap out of it and takes no prisoners. 500 Miles shows more of a country rock flair along the lines of Marshall Tucker but with guitar muscle. Eye To Eye continues along the country rock vein even possibly leaning a little toward Lynyrd Skynyrd. Now when I draw these comparisons, I don't mean that they sound like copies as much as I can hear comparative sounds ...but this is all Cummings. Checkered Flag takes the country influence even a step further with a hot country blues number showing blues roots and country pickin'. She's So Tired is a solid country style ballad right off of the juke box. Cummings uses a modified fat strat with a humbucker in the bridge position and a tele pickup in the neck position getting the twang when needed but able to pull the fat humbucker tone at will. Your Day Will Come, another ballad has some pretty grindy guitar work to compliment his honest vocals. Cry Me A River follows a pattern set by Donovan Leitch, with interesting backing vocals and some really rich guitar tone wailing at request. Drink, Party and Dance is a straight shuffle and possibly my favorite track on the recording. It's not only a nice swing but the guitar work is really strong. Foolin' Me lays down a cool funk line further illustrating the breadth of Cummings interest in different musical styles. There is a particularly hot guitar solo on this track that enters the Hendrixphere. Cummings tracks in a little Mud with Mannish Boy. His vocals on this track show real conviction and he sings it as if it really means something to him. This track really gives Cummings the opportunity to show what he's got on guitar and if you don't already know... here it is! Cummings concludes the 12 track release with Home Town, a heartfelt ballad. Overall this is a very interesting release from a well established guitar slinger. He doesn't appear to have anything to prove but has art that wants to get out. He's done a nice job of letting it flow and topped it off with some terrific guitar riffs along the way.
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I've Got Feelings Too - Albert Cummings-Tommy Shannon-George Rains

Breaking every cliché associated with the blues while producing some of the most powerful music of the 21st century comes as natural to Albert Cummings as swinging a hammer while constructing one of his award-winning custom built homes. The Massachusetts native learned the requisite three chords on the guitar from his father, but then switched to playing banjo at age 12 and became a fan of bluegrass music. Like everything he tackles, he threw himself headlong into the pursuit, going to festivals and winning several picking contests in high school. Before graduating he heard the early recordings of Stevie Ray Vaughan, however, and was floored by the virtuosity. While in college in 1987 he saw Vaughan perform and he returned to the guitar with a new outlook and resolve. He had another tradition to live up to first, however, and he studied the building trade in order to follow his family into the home building business. Not until he was 27, an age when other musicians were either already established or had long ago put their dream aside for the realities of life, did Albert finally decide to go for it.

An intense period of wood shedding resulted Albert sharing a bill with Double Trouble, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section. So taken with Albert’s fire and passion were bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton that they volunteered to play on and produce his debut recording. In 2003 the aptly-titled From the Heart (Under the Radar), with the awesome power of a Nor’easter and the soul of a natural born artist. No less a giant of the blues than B.B. King, who Cummings acknowledged with a funky version of ‘Rock Me, Baby,’ dubbed Cummings ‘a great guitarist.’ In an era of cowboy-hatted poseurs, Cumming delivered the goods straight from the heart and shoulder with a wallop generated by his talent rather than his wardrobe.

A year later Double Trouble joined Cummings again as he signed with Blind Pig Records to create True to Yourself. This time they brought in legendary producer Jim Gaines to control the sessions. The all-original release further showcased Albert’s rapidly developing songwriting chops and deeply emotional vocals as well as stunning guitar pyrotechnics that put the metallurgical properties of his strings to the test. Tours and shows with blues legends B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy and others brought his music to an audience grateful for the opportunity to be rocked hard by a man possessed to play every song like his life depended on it.

Working Man (Blind Pig), Albert’s summer of 2006 blockbuster release, is the culmination to date of a guitar hero’s career just taking off. A punchy, stomping cover of Merle Haggard’s blue collar standard ‘Working Man Blues’ brings it all home for the master builder and musician. The swinging Texas blues of ‘Please,’ the instant barroom boogie classic ‘Party Right Here,’ the snaky slow drag ‘Rumors’ and the rousing rocker ‘Feeling End’ show variety well beyond the typical slow blues and shuffles of so much contemporary music. The deeply emotive ballad ‘Last Dance’ that closes the disc is so evocative that a Hollywood movie could be written around it.

Albert Cummings is a man of his times and the man for the times. As he has done with his innovative homes, he has taken tradition and built his own musical edifice that expresses his thoughts and dreams. It is a vision that alternately excites and soothes while also clearly providing a glimpse of his unlimited future. The best is yet to come.
If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”