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I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!


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Showing posts with label Walter Trout. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Walter Trout. Show all posts

Monday, May 13, 2024

Gulf Coast Records artist: Chris BadNews Barnes - BadNews Travels Fast - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, BadNews Travels Fast, from Chris BadNews Barnes and it's solid set of rock and blues rock. Opening with radio style rocker, and title track, BadNews Travels Fast, BadNews Barns on lead vocal leads the way with a tight guitar lead by Kenny Greenberg, driving bass lines by Tommy MacDonald, and Tom Hambridge snapping tight on drums. Ace harmonica player, Jimmy Hall who led his own band, Wet Willie and worked quite a bit with the honorable Jeff Beck really makes a nice contribution here. Excellent opener. True Blues is a cool, upbeat blues track along the lines of Thrill Is Gone. Not sure most would pick up on it, but it really does have some searing guitar riffs by Walter Trout. Driving rocker, BluesBaller Baby calls on Mike Rojas on keys to do the heavy lifting with Barnes on this one and he really does a fine job. Kenny Greenberg rips hot guitar solo on this one and Max Abrams sails on sax making it a definite hot spot in the release. Wrapping the release is cool rocker, Mushrooms Make Me A Fun Guy with it's spoken vocal lines and rock stroking guitar rhythm. Rojas uses electric piano to carry the counter melody and MacDonald and Hambridge hold the bottom tight. This is a fun release. 


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Thursday, December 8, 2022

Provogue Records artist: Walter Trout - Ride - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Ride, from Walter Trout, and it's a solid rocker with solid blues roots. Opening with Ghosts, a solid blues rocker, Trout on harmonica, guitar and vocal sets a heavy tempo, beefed up by Teddy Andreadis on Hammond organ, Michael Leasure on drums and Jamie Hunting on bass. This is a heavy footed, lumbering track and Trout lays out a searing guitar solo giving the release a great start. So Many Sad Goodbyes is another solid rocker with nicely overdriven guitar tone and Trout's featured vocals with Eric Corne singing in tandum. Reinforcement by Andreadis on Hammond gives the track a rich sound and the strong snare work of Leasure paves the way for another of Trout's slicing guitar solos. The strongest blues number on the release is Waiting For The Dawn with Trout leading the way, playing melodic lead on guitar. Folding his vocals nicely into the mix, warmed by the undertone of Andreadis' Hammond, this track is all about Trout's ability to squeeze his unique blues out of his strat and he certainly can do that. Very nice. One of my favorite tracks on the release is Better Days Ahead with Trout really laying his guitar open and letting the blues fly. With Andreadis on organ, the thump of Hunting on bass and powerful drumming by Leasure, Trout wailing the lyrics and his guitar showing full emotion. Excellent! Another cool track is snappy rocker, Leave It All Behind, with Trout feeding rockabilly style riffs, Anthony Grisham on rhythm guitar, rolling Wurlitzer work by Andreadis, and strong horn support by Aaron Liddard on sax. Wrapping the release is radio style track, Destiny, with Trout showing his softest vocals, backed by Corne, and warm guitar riffs, blended with Andreadis on Fender Rhodes and Hammond, Leasure on drums and Hunting on bass. Solid closer for another solid release by Trout. 


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Monday, July 27, 2020

Shining Stone Records artist: Anthony Geraci - Daydreams In Blue - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Daydreams In Blue, from Anthony Geraci and it's a solid release with a who's who of players. Opening with shuffle, Love Changes Everything, the line up is Dennis Brennan on lead vocal with Anthony Geraci on piano, Monster Mike Welch on lead guitar, Michael Mudcat Ward on bass, Jeff Armstrong on drums, and with Scott Arruda on trumpet and Mark Early on sax. I really like Welch's approach on guitar with excellent phrasing and tone. Very cool. Walter Trout sits in on No One Hears My Prayers and lays in some of the smoking best guitar riffs I've heard in a while over full horns and tight piano riffs. Brennan and Geraci play a smart piano duet on Mister, a smooth shuffle with Brenan on lead vocal and harmonica and Geraci on piano. With cool piano rolls and extended lead lines, this track has a nice groove. Swing track, Tutti Frutti Booty has a great beat and rowdy vocals by Geraci. Geraci really kicks out the stops on this one and Troy Gonyea's guitar work really is tops working it hard with a horn compliment. Classic track, Jelly, Jelly has some of Brennan's best vocals on the track and with a more poised approach, gives Geraci a nice option to play clean articulate riffs. Welch is back on this one and his signature vibrato and overall styling is terrific. Wrapping the release is Ode To Todd, Ella and Mike Ledbetter, a piano focused jazz instrumental. A smart closer for a real nice release. 


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Thursday, February 27, 2020

Hipsterdumpster Records artist: Matty T Wall - Transpacific Blues Vol. 1 - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Transpacific Blues Vol. 1, from Matty T Wall and it's quite entertaining. Opening with John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom, Matty T Wall picks up Hookers classic and moves it forward. With toasty guitar riffs, solid vocals, the firm brush work of Ric Whittle on drums and Stephen Walker on bass, and the addition of great slide work of Dave Hole, this is a real cool opener. Hi Heel Sneakers gets a cool, funky treatment, with terrific lead by Wall and Eric Gales. Very nice. On Albert Collins' Quicksand, Kid Ramos steps up with Walls on lead guitar and with a rolling pace, quick shuffle keeps you bopping in your seat. Excellent! T Bone Walker's Stormy Monday take a different turn altogether with a great slow pace but with a different (than the original) melody. This adds tension and with hard grabbed, stinging, guitar riffs Wall keeps you plastered to your seat and listening close. Very cool. Kirk Fletcher sits in on Albert King's Born Under A Bad Sign and again, Wall uses the melody loosely with cues to the original track, especially Walkers spot on bass lines. This freedom to let it all hang out gives the track a definite freshness. Wrapping the release is Robert Johnson's Crossroads, turned rock classic by The Cream and now reworked with a military like drum beat and a Hill Country feel. I like this release. Not only does it have a all-star cast of guitar slingers, it's got a different story to tell. Very cool. 

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Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Ruf Records artist: Mike Zito & Friends - Rock 'N' Roll - A Tribute to Chuck Berry - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Rock 'N' Roll - A Tribute to Chuck Berry, by Mike Zito and this disc is loaded. Opening with St. Louis Blues and Charlie Berry II, Mike Zito handles guitar and lead vocals, backed by Matthew Johnson on drums, Terry Dry bass and Lewis Stephens on keys. Joanna Conner joins on Rock and Roll Music and there is just no match for that dynamo on slide guitar. Powerhouse player, Walter Trout steps in on Johnny B Goode, a long time favorite of blues and rock players alike. Trout's fluid, high intensity attack is well suited for this classic. Very nice. On Wee Wee Hours, master showman, Joe Bonamassa is featured and he lays out a full tour of the fretboard hitting about every fret on every string, making it seem totally effortless and with great feel. Clocking in at almost 5 and a half minutes, Bonamassa gives you the grand tour. Smoking. Robben Ford takes more of a country flavored approach to You Never Can Tell, contrasting nicely with earlier gun slingers. His poise and music sensibility adds nicely to the overall mix. Simplicity is the word on Luther Dickinson's approach on Too Much Monkey Business. A great rocker with vocal duet and straight up Berry riffs, this track is great. Shared lead vocal with Ally Venable gives School Days a unique perspective and holding tight to the rhythm as Venable and Zito jam is just a bit different. I like Kirk Fletcher's understated guitar work on Brown Eyed Handsome Man, tight and flavorful with soul. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Chuck Berry's classic ditty, My Ding A Ling that is tackled by Kid Andersen who tackles it with all seriousness. Vocals are playful but solid and guitar work full of stylized bens. Super closer. 

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Monday, March 25, 2019

Provogue artist: Walter Trout - Survivor Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Survivor Blues, from Walter Trout and it's his most mature and cohesive release to date. Opening with powerful slow blues number, Me, My Guitar and the Blues Trout is back locked and loaded. I love his command of the volume swell, using it like an old master, making his guitar cry like a baby and his prasing is magical. With Michael Leasure on drums, Johnny Griparic on bass and Skip Edwards on keys, this is a terrific opener. On Woman Don't Lie, it's a slink funky beat that gives this track traction.Trading lead vocal with Sugaray Rayford and adding Teddy Andreadis on Wurlitzer really sets this one up or a guitar slam and Trout is all over it. Gone are the days of cramming every note into one measure and real feel and biting riffs carry this track high. Shuffle track, Please Love Me has great feel and tension with relaxed riffs with excellent punctuation work on a heavily pumped up BB King like style. Red Sun is a drum driven blues rocker with excellent bass lines by Griparic and relentless guitar soloing by Trout. very strong. Elmore James' Something Inside Of Me is one of my favorite tracks on the release with both sensuous blues attack and explosive note full barrages giving the track really nice dynamics. Very nice. Otis Rush's It Takes Time has super pace and allows Trout space to lay down some really nice solo lines. There's no question that he's laying it all out here. Robbie Krieger (The Doors) is featured on slide on Mississippi Fred McDowell's Goin' Down To The River and lays down smooth, mellow and cohesive blues riffs. Very nice. Wrapping the release is J.B. Lenoir's God's Word and Trout sings the words like he wrote them. Sounding very personal and focused while singing the lyrics he puts his shoulder into the guitar solo, driving hard and soaring with reckless abandon. Excellent closer for a very strong release. 

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Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Blues Guitar Superstar Walter Trout Headlines Blue Star Denver 8 Benefit Concert, Silent Auction, & Gear Drive





BLUES GUITAR SUPERSTAR WALTER TROUT HEADLINES BLUE STAR DENVER 8 BENEFIT CONCERT, SILENT AUCTION AND  GEAR DRIVE

 Saturday, March 23 - TURNHALLE BALLROOM AT THE TIVOLI - 6:00PM

Hosted By Blue Star Connection in Conjunction w/ Grand County Blues Society



    (DENVER, CO) - Blues guitar superstar Walter Trout headlines Blue Star Denver 8, a Benefit Concert, Silent Auction, and Gear Drive, Saturday, March 23, at Turnhalle Ballroom at The Tivoli, located at Metropolitan State University of Denver, 900 Auraria Parkway. Doors open 5:30pm, showtime is 6:00PM. Tickets: $25.00 (General Admission), $35.00 (Reserved), $69. (VIP); $750.00 (VIP Premier Table). Info: (303) 726-6111 or visit www.bluestarconnection.org.  Also performing: Honey Island Swamp Band, B To The Sixth, and Special Guest, Kate Moss.

  Net proceeds benefit Blue Star Connection, to help carry out their mission of providing access and ownership of musical instruments for children and young adults with cancer and other serious life challenges. To date, BSC has reached over  eight-hundred kids and has donated musical gear to sixty-five Children's Hospitals and Music Therapy Programs as well as several other community programs. This is the largest yearly Blue Star Connection fundraiser with the largest "music related" Silent Auction in the state of Colorado.

                      About The Performers at Blue Star Denver 8

  Walter Trout and Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group have just released Trout's newest album, Survivor’s Blues. The track-listing of Survivor Blues is a window into the 67-year-old’s fast-moving back-story, chronicling a five-decade career whose one constant is his deep love of the Blues. Trout is no ordinary artist and this is no ordinary covers album. "I didn’t want to do ‘Stormy Monday’ or ‘Messin’ With The Kid.’ I didn’t want to do the Blues greatest hits. I wanted to do old, obscure songs that have hardly been covered. And that’s how Survivor Blues started,” explains Trout. Over the course of the last several decades, Walter Trout has been a prolific artist.  He’s regularly released offerings from the studio, so this moment of offering a covers album is somewhat of a curve-ball.  Trout was voted #6 in a  memorable BBC Radio Poll of the 20 Best Guitarists Of All Time, alongside such greats as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Gary Moore. His 2017 all-star release, We’re All In This Together, shows no sign of burning out and continues to receive accolades and sales on a global basis, alongside four awards for Blues Rock Album Of The Year.  In 2018, Trout's release "We're All In It Together" won the Blues Foundation's Blues Music Award for Rock Blues Album.

   When it comes to Honey Island Swamp Band, think The Band’s Big Pink album and add a splash of hot sauce with Willin’ by Little Feat – this group of New Orleans vagabonds nails it. From the pristine waters of the Honey Island Swamp, to the vibrant streets of New Orleans, to the hazy corner of Haight-Asbury in San Francisco, this band has endured devastation, relocation, and revitalization. “Their all-encompassing sound of blues, roots, country, and soul has been described as “Bayou Americana," writes respected publication, NO DEPRESSION. Ruf Records artist Honey Island Swamp Band takes the hammer to the nail with the help of producer Luther Dickinson on their latest release, Demolition Day. On Demolition Day, the Honey Island Swamp Band breaks these boundaries to deliver a sound so relevant and honest that even in the darkest of days – like the violent storm that brought this group of musicians together – Demolition Day still shines brightly.
 
   Kate Moss has enjoyed playing guitar since her teens, but it wasn’t until she met Buddy Guy at the age of 21 that she realized what genre of music commanded her focus: The Blues. Exploring Buddy's music and that of his contemporaries, she fell in love with the sound and the heartfelt, improvisational nature of the Blues. Over the years, Kate has been honored to share the stage with not only Buddy on several occasions, but other top performers in the biz, like her husband Nick Moss, Jimmy Vivino, Tommy Castro, Jimmy Johnson, Walter Trout, Eddie Shaw, Curtis Salgado, Ana Popovic, Smokin’ Joe Kubek, Lurrie Bell, and Mud Morganfield, among many others.

   B to the 6th represented the Grand County Blues Society in the International Blues Challenge Youth Showcase in Memphis, TN this past January. This six-piece band from Colorado Springs is bringing their fun funky blues in their debut with Blue Star Connection!

                               About Grand County Blues Society
   
  We have not lost our way but rather tried to lead the way. With innovation, tremendous volunteer effort and creativity, we have managed to stay ambitious and dedicated to the love and excitement of live blues. We have produced fifteen festivals in Grand County and we have presented well over two-hundred shows along the way.

  We have taken Blues in the Schools to every school in Grand County and given Blues History to kids that started with us in the first grade to become seniors in college. We have been involved in all our libraries, creating a musical choice, from CD's to DVDs to actual instruments that can be taken home just like a book. We named it “Check out the Music.” We have looked after the kids wherever and whenever we have found them.

  We are an all-volunteer board and we have remained strong with the help of our friends and the businesses that continue to support our mission of bringing national touring acts to our valley. We hope you will get to know us and join us as we move forward supporting the Blues.

     Blue Star Denver 8 Artist Interview & Media Show Passes Available.
 
                                          


  










 

 

                                                            

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Forty Below Records artist: Eric Corne - Happy Songs for the Apocalypse - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release (4/20/18), Happy Songs for the Apocalypse, by Eric Corne and I really like it. Opening with Mad World, a British feeling folk tune with contemporary sensibility, it is acoustic and ethereal featuring Corne on vocal, acoustic and electric guitar, Eamon Ryland  on pedal steel and Sasha Smith onWurlizter, Ian Walker on bass, David Ralicke on horns and Andrew Crosby on drums. Ridin' With Lady Luck is a simple Neil Young like rocker featuring Walter Trout on lead guitar, Corne on lead vocal and harp. One of the strongest radio tracks on the release is Locomotion with it's seductive rhythm, full horn work of Ralicke, tight drums by Blair Sinta and cool slide work by Eamon Ryland . Solid ballad, History Repeats, has a real nice symmetry. It puts me in mind of some of the strong tracks written by the band in the 70's with Skip Edwards on particularly nice pedal steel and keys, Ted Russell Kamp on bass and Matt Tecu on drums. Ashen Heart is one of my favorite tracks on the release with a strong melody some of my favorite vocals on the release. Corne, who sings, whistles and plays acoustic guitar on the track shows influence of Harry Nilsson...a strong compliment. Wrapping the release is Sing, Little Darlin' Sing, a solid track featuring Corne accompanying himself on Ukelele. This is a really understated release but one that has a memorable feel. Check it out!



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Monday, October 30, 2017

Rip Cat Records artist: Alastair Greene - Dream Train - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Dream Train, from Alastair Greene and it's a smokin' rocker. Opening with title track, Dream Train, Greene on lead vocal and guitar, joined by Jim Rankin on bass and Austin Beede on drums really hit the road hard including fiery slide work by Greene. Big Bad Wolf is a great boogie rocker with grinding guitar rhythm and slashing solos. Excellent! Billy Gibbons penned, Nome Zayne  has a heavy bottom and cool pinched guitar harmonics. One of my favorite tracks on the release is blues ballad, Another Lie, featuring features Walter Trout on guitar and Mike Finnigan on organ and some of the best Greene guitar riffs on tape in a while. Excellent! Acoustic instrumental, Song For Rufus, shows Greene's guitar virtuosity with serious intent. An exceptional piece of recording and playing. Dare Devil is a cool 12 bar number with a nice solo from Dennis Gruenling on harp, Mike Finnigan on organ and of course Greene on guitar for one of the most balanced tracks on the release. Blues guitar super star, Debbie Davies joins Greene on funky rocker Grateful Swagger with both artists really ripping some great riffs. Tight bottom instrumental... very cool! A beautiful instrumental tune, Iowa shows colors of electric guitar in lead soloing over tom tom. This is a very nice presentation and a nice showcase for sensitivity and guitar craft. Thick power rocker, Down To Memphis,  adds super guitarist Mike Zito with a lot of girth. Very nice. Wrapping the release is jazz fused, Lucky 13, with snappy drums, a driving beat and fluid guitar runs. This is a great track to wrap a really solid release.



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Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Supersonic Blues Machine Return with CALIFORNISOUL on October 20 - Featuring Special Guests Billy Gibbons, Steve Lukather, Eric Gales, Walter Trout and Robben Ford


SUPERSONIC BLUES MACHINE ANNOUNCE THE GLOBAL RELEASE OF 
CALIFORNISOUL ON OCTOBER 20 VIA MASCOT LABEL GROUP / PROVOGUE

ALL-STAR CAST INCLUDES BILLY GIBBONS, STEVE LUKATHER, ERIC GALES,
WALTER TROUT AND ROBBEN FORD

Los Angeles, CA – Supersonic Blues Machine, featuring Fabrizio Grossi (bass / producer), Lance Lopez (guitar / vocals) and Kenny Aronoff (drums) has announced the global release of CALIFORNISOUL! On October 20 via Mascot Label Group / Provogue Records.  The title, available on CD, double vinyl, download and streaming, presents the sound the band spent much of 2017 sharing with audiences from Texas to Holland and India to St. Petersburg, Russia, picking up right where the they left off on their well-received debut record, West of Flushing, South of Frisco. Grossi shares, ““CALIFORNISOUL! That’s exactly what it is. It’s the missing soundtrack to a summertime drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 1971!”

Recorded at Fab’s Lab in North Hollywood, California, the repertoire is all about great songs.  “Cry” is a soul searching, simmering piece of poetry and Lance Lopez preaches it in the most righteous way. “I Am Done Missing You” is another number that reaches down deep with a message that will resonate with both spurned lovers and those who have left their bad habits and ways in the past. Californisoul is a study and celebration of the human condition, and “This Is Love” could be the lovechild of Bob Marley and War with some stinging guitar action spread on top. We’re living in times in which it’s hard to keep on keeping on, and it’s easy to fall prey to habits, vices, and distractions - “Elevate” takes a close look at the “high” life, and how one must raise above the temptations and tribulations if the music is to be made.

Fabrizio Grossi talks about a soundtrack for an imaginary road trip up the California coastline in the heady, halcyon days of the early 70s, and that really captures the vibe and mojo that is Californisoul. The songs Grossi has written for this album are as top notch as they are diverse. This machine covers a lot of ground. As the ever-tighter core of Lopez, Grossi, and Aronoff comes together with the elite of the modern-day blues rock community, this is much closer to Woodstock and Watkins Glen than it is to a cut and paste A-list vanity session. This is about friendship, the brotherhood of the blues, and bringing the blues up to this moment in time.

Lance Lopez is once again at the front and center.  His guitar work is as hot and gritty as anything ever cooked up down in Texas, and his singing evokes memories of the great soul, blues, and rock vocalists. You’ll hear the influence and heritage of Bobby “Blue” Bland, the funk of Sly Stone, and the world-weary rumination of the late, great Gregg Allman, but Lopez never really sounds like anything but himself. Kenny Aronoff is truly one of the most in-demand drummers on the planet, and his work on the album is one of the ingredients that make the record so special. Aronoff has also brought along his substantial arranging and compositional skills to great effect.   Whether performing with John Fogerty, BoDeans, Sir Paul McCartney, John Cougar Mellencamp, The Smashing Pumpkins or Supersonic Blues Machine, he is simply one of the best players on the planet.

Guests on the album include Billy Gibbons, who returns with pen and guitar (“Broken Heart”), Steve Lukather (Toto / Ringo’s All-Starr Band) throws down some stunning licks (“Hard Times”), Eric Gales is back in the fold (“Elevate”), Robben Ford brings his bag of soulfully sophisticated chops (“Somebody’s Fool”), Walter Trout brings some silky slow blues (“What’s Wrong”), and the party is rounded out with Alessandro Alessandroni Jr. on keyboards, Serge Simic (co-writer and background vocals on “Love” and “Hard Times”), and Andrea and Francis Benitez Grossi (background vocals). You may come for the stars, but you’ll stay for the whole show.

Fabrizio Grossi adds, “Lots of people have been saying to me ‘why does Supersonic Blues Machine always bring guests around? You guys can stand your own ground’, and there are three answers to that – first, we’re all super friends and we're having a blast; second, most of them don't give lessons and for us it's only way to learn their secret "ways"; and thirdly, because the inspiration and the challenge they bring to the table!”  Supersonic Blues Machine is truly a family as well as a band, and these guests don’t mail it in, they stay for dinner. The community aspect is very real, and one of the band’s great treasures.


The complete track listing features: “I Am Done Missing You,” “Somebody’s Fool” (featuring Robben Ford). “Love,” “Broken Heart” (featuring Billy Gibbons), “Bad Boys,” “Elevate” (featuring Eric Gales), “The One,” “Hard Times” (featuring Steve Lukather), “Cry.” “The Stranger,” “What’s Wrong” (featuring Walter Trout), “Thank You,” “This Is Love.”

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Walter Trout Announces Release Of We're All In This Together On August 25 - Tour Starts This Week




WALTER TROUT RETURNS WITH BRAND NEW STUDIO ALBUM
TITLED WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER FEATURING 14 FRIENDS
North American Release Date Set For August 25 With Europe To Follow On September 1
Album Trailer: 





Special Guests include John Mayall, Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Sonny
Landreth, Joe Louis Walker, Warren Haynes, Randy Bachman, Charlie Musselwhite, Edgar
Winter, Eric Gales, Mike Zito, Robben Ford, John Nemeth, And His Son Jon Trout

Los Angeles, CA --- Walter Trout is the beating heart of the modern blues rock scene, respected by the old guard, revered by the young guns, and adored by the fans who shake his hand after the show each night. After five decades in the game, Trout is a talismanic figure and part of the glue that bonds the blues community together, at a time when the wider world has never been so divided. He’s also the only artist with the vision, talent and star-studded address book to pull off a project on the scale of We’re All In This Together. “It was quite a piece of work to get this record together,” he admits. “But I guess I have a lot of friends, y’know…?”

Before you even hear a note, We’re All In This Together has your attention. Drafting fourteen A-list stars – including Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, John Mayall and Randy Bachman – and writing an original song for each, Trout has made the most tantalizing album of the year, and found solace after a run of solo albums that chronicled his near-fatal liver disease of 2014. “Now was the right time for this record,” he says. “Battle Scars [2015] was such an intense piece of work, written with tears coming down my face. I needed a break from that, to do something fun and light-hearted. This album was joyous for me.”

Scan the credits of We’re All In This Together and you’ll find nods to every twist and turn of Trout’s electrifying backstory. There’s keys man and long-time friend Skip Edwards, who came up on the same early-’70s New Jersey circuit where Trout cut his teeth as the precocious lead guitarist for Wilmont Mews. There’s organ wizard Deacon Jones, the West Coast bandleader who brought a twenty-something Trout into the orbit of blues titans like John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton. “Deacon sorta discovered me when I moved to LA in the ’70s,” reflects Trout. “So I owe him.”

Trout also welcomes a fistful of compadres from recent all-star project Supersonic Blues Machine, in the form of Warren Haynes, Robben Ford and Eric Gales. Then there’s John Mayall: the ageless British blues-boom godfather who hired a troubled Trout for the Bluesbreakers in 1985 and now blows harp on “Blues For Jimmy T.”  “Am I proud to call myself a former Bluesbreaker?” Trout reflects. “Yeah, of course. What a credential. That is a very exclusive club, and I know that when I’m gone, that’s gonna be one of the big things that they’ll remember me for: that I was a Bluesbreaker for five years.”

Since he struck out alone in 1989, Trout’s solo career has been every bit as celebrated. Touring tirelessly and spitting out classic albums that include 1990’s flag-planting Life In The Jungle, 1998’s breakthrough Walter Trout and 2012’s politically barbed Blues For The Modern Daze, he’s won international acclaim and enjoyed ever-growing sales in a notoriously fickle industry. Years on the road have also brought him tight friendships, as evidenced by 2006’s cameo-fuelled Full Circle album and this year’s unofficial sequel, We’re All In This Together. “The new album was originally gonna be called Full Circle Volume 2,” notes Trout, “but I wanted to make the title a positive statement in this time of madness.” 

In another departure, whereas Full Circle saw each guest visit the studio to track their part, the advance of recording technology in the intervening decade meant Trout’s collaborators on We’re All In This Together were able to supply their contributions from afar. “In the studio, it was the core band of me, Sammy Avila [keys], Mike Leasure [drums] and Johnny Griparic [bass] on every cut, with Eric Corne producing,” he explains, “and then, for most of the tracks, people sent us their parts. But it’s very hard to tell we’re not in the studio together. If you listen to the Warren Haynes track, when we get into that guitar conversation on the end – it sounds like we’re looking each other right in the face, y’know?”

They say you can judge a man by the company he keeps. If that’s the case, then We’re All In This Together is further proof of Walter Trout’s position at the hub of the blues scene. This is the sound of an artist not just getting by with a little help from his friends, but positively thriving, on an album that is sure to light another rocket under his blooming late career. “I’m 66 years old,” considers Trout, “but I feel like I’m in the best years of my life right now. I feel better than I have in years physically. I have more energy. I have a whole different appreciation of being alive, of the world, of my family, of my career. I want life to be exciting and celebratory. I want to dig in. I want to grab life by the balls and not let go, y’know…?”

Track Listing:
“Gonna Hurt Like Hell” featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd
“Ain’t Gpin’ Back” featuring Sonny Landreth
“The Other Side of The Pillow” featuring Charlie Musselwhite
“She Listens To The Blackbird Song” featuring Mike Zito
“Mr. Davis” featuring Robben Ford
“The Sky Is Crying” featuring Warren Haynes
“Somebody Goin’ Down” featuring Eric Gales
“She Steals My Heart Away” featuring Edgar Winter
“Crash And Burn” featuring Joe Louis Walker
“Too Much To Carry” featuring John Nemeth
“Do You Still See Me At All” featuring Jon Trout
“Got Nothin’ Left” featuring Randy Bachman
“Blues For Jimmy T.” Featuring John Mayall
“We’re All In This Together” featuring Joe Bonamassa

Planned appearances include:
6/30     Wichita, KS                                                    The Cotillion
7/01     Kansas City, MO                                            Knucklehead’s
7/02     St. Louis, MO                                                 Old Rock House
7/05     Syracuse, NY                                                  Hotel Syracuse
7/06     Sellersville, PA                                               Sellersville Theatre
7/07     Old Saybrook, CT                                           The Kate
7/08     Fall River, MA                                               Narrows Center for the Arts
7/09     Pawling, NY                                                   Daryl’s House
7/10     Hoboken, NJ                                                   Maxwell’s
7/12     New York, NY                                                B.B. King’s
7/13     Shirley, MA                                                    Bull Run
7/14     Norwalk, CT                                                   Infinity Music Hall
7/15     Derry, NH                                                       Tupelo Music Hall
7/16     Rockland, ME                                                 North Atlantic Blues Festival
7/19     Grand Rapids, MI                                           Blues On The Mall
7/20     Toledo, OH                                                     Club Soda
7/21     Chicago, IL                                                     Legends
7/22     Chicago, IL                                                     Legends
7/23     Milwaukee, WI                                               Shank Hall
7/26     Omaha, NE                                                     Chrome Lounge
7/27     Minneapolis, MN                                            Famous Dave’s
7/28     Fargo, ND                                                       Fargo Blues Fesival
7/29     Arnolds Park, IA                                             Arnolds Park Amusement Park
7/30     Des Moines, IA                                               Lefty’s Live Music
8/05     Mammoth Lakes, CA                                     Bluespalooza
8/06     Deming, WA                                                  Mt Baker R&B Festival
8/16     Annapolis, MD                                               Ram’s Head
8/17     Washington D.C.                                            The Hamilton
8/18     Somers Point, NJ                                            Somers Point Concert Series
8/19     Morristown, NJ                                               Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival
8/20     Lancaster, PA                                                 Long’s Park Concert Series
8/22     Gravenhurst, ON                                             Peter’s Players
8/23     Gravenhurst, ON                                             Peter’s Players
8/25     Trois Rivieres, QC                                          Trois Rivieres En Blues
8/26     Marshfield, MA                                              North River Blues Festival
8/27     Simsbury, CT                                                  2 Left Feet Blues Festival
8/30     Auburn Hills, MI                                            Callahan’s
8/31     Cleveland, OH                                                Beachland Ballroom
9/02     Peoria, IL                                                        Peoria Blues & Heritage Festival
9/07     Las Vegas, NV                                                Big Blues Bender
9/08     Las Vegas, NV                                                Big Blues Bender
October through November – European Dates – Detail posted on www.waltertrout.com