MyJoog Blog: Sam Lewis

Showing posts with label Sam Lewis. Show all posts

Friday, April 17, 2015

Album Review: Sam Lewis - Waiting On You

Last week we posted about a marketing strategy from Nashville based singer-songwriter Sam Lewis for his upcoming release, Waiting On You, on April 21st. Well I've been listening to a preview version and straight up - this album is phenomenal; perhaps my favorite of the year so far. It captures a blues and soulful side of Lewis that I don't remember from his self titled debut album. Now, this isn't a blues album - although the blues piano in Reinventing the Blues is close - just Lewis and many excellent players which include Kenny Vaughan, guitarist Darrell Scott, guitarist Will Kimbrough, pianist Gabe Dixon, and backup vocals from The McCrary Sisters. Seriously, what a supporting cast; plus the album was produced by Oliver Wood, of The Wood Brothers. Talk to Me and 3/4 Time are my favorite tracks, but in reality, there are no sub-standard tracks. Just listen to the pedal steel in Never Again or the orchestration in Texas. Powerful stuff.Pair this gem with Nashville's brewery and live music venue Tennessee Brew Works. Cheers.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Sam Lewis Debuts a Dozen Live Videos on 12 Outlets in 1 Day

In preparation for his upcoming release, Waiting On You, Nashville based singer-songwriter Sam Lewis has released a dozen live videos on 12 different outlets in a single day. Great concept; increases exposure to both the sites and Lewis. Looking forward to the April 21st release date, but in the meantime I'll be surfing. Cheers.

01 - "3/4 Time" - Folk Alley

02 - "Love Me Again" - The Bluegrass Situation

03 - "Waiting On You" - Diffuser

04 - "She's A Friend" - Elmore Magazine

05 - "Things Will Never Be The Same" - Guitar World's Acoustic Nation

06 - "Talk To Me" - Culture Collide

07 - "Reinventing The Blues" - The Boot

08 - "Never Again" - Acoustic Guitar Magazine

09 - "Texas" - Music Times

10 - "Little Time" - PopMatters

11 - "Virginia Avenue" - NKD Magazine

12 - "I'm Coming Home" - Artist Direct

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

2012 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Rolls Out Awesome Lineup

I know many of you (like us) haven't even planned your summer concert itineraries, but get ready for Fall - or September at least when the 2012 Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion rolls out their strongest lineup yet. Tickets range from $40-$60 - depending on when purchased and that gets you three days of listening to this awesome lineup. Bristol has a long music tradition from the Carter Family through the Stanley Brothers to contemporaries such as Ed Snodderly and Roger Rasnake. You can check out our previous coverage of this festival here. And as always, expect great food and beer.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Sam Lewis CD Release Shows This Week

The actual release of Sam Lewis' new self titled CD, Sam Lewis, is not officially until March 13th, but residents of Nashville and Knoxville get a sneak peak at two CD Release Shows this week. The first is today, February 6th at The Basement in Nashville and the second is Friday, February 10th at Barley's Tap Room in Knoxville. Not familiar with Lewis. Then check out his bio below.

Sam Lewis is connecting the dots. Whether crossing genres or state lines, he has pieced together a story people need to hear. His self-titled debut, which releases March 13th, pulls together some of Nashville’s most seasoned musicians, who have helped put the breath into a body of songs that are as straight-forward and captivating as the man who sings them.

Five years of constant writing, performing and touring have become the nexus of Lewis’ self-titled debut. Along with co-producer Matt Urmy, Sam has woven ten songs into a conversation, between himself, the band, and his listeners. Urmy, himself an accomplished singer/songwriter, assembled a group made up of Nashville’s top session and touring players, including guitarist Kenny Vaughan, keyboard player Reggie Bradley Smith, Derek Mixon on drums and bass player Dave Jacques. “It was amazing”, says Lewis, “because I had never played these songs with anybody before, and especially with those type of guys: professional, but also really seasoned musicianship.” Making a surprise appearance on the album is soul chanteuse Jonell Mosser, providing backing vocals on “I’m A River”.

Kicking off with the thick groove of “The Cross I Wear”, every track strikes a balance between light and dark, from the push/pull of Smith and Vaughan, to the way Lewis’ voice melts over the top of the band. “I just fell in love with his music; his delivery and his whole thing,” says Vaughan. “I thought, 'Man, this guy has really got it going on', which is very unusual for hardened, grim professionals like us to be impressed by somebody like that. It's one-in-a-million. It hardly ever happens.”

The combination of Mosser’s and Lewis’ vocals bring "I'm a River" to an almost spiritual level. Every word on the album is a product of Lewis’ careful attention to detail, whether it be the fictional “Bluesday Night” or the autobiographical “Southern Greek Tragedy”. According to Steve Wildsmith, of The Daily Times, Lewis’ writing “conveys the weight of a heavy heart with well-turned phrases and searing images usually reserved for such luminaries as John Prine” that “sets him down a path well worn by contemporaries like Guy Clark and John Hiatt.” He is able to tell the story with only the necessary lyrics, leaving the rest to nuance, and the listeners own discretion.

Recording began in March of 2010, at Eric Fritsch’s Eastwood Studio, in Nashville, TN, with a final day of tracking scheduled for January of 2011. Once complete, it was put into the hands of two-time Grammy nominee engineer Brandon Bell, who mixed everything together. Following a December 2011 appearance on Nashville’s Music City Roots, Craig Havighurst noted, “Beyond the honeyed voice and sparking band (guitar hero Kenny Vaughan included), Sam stood out for his songs, which had that been-here-forever quality. It’s no wonder this guy’s generating buzz... He sings a little like Van Morrison, making it Americana with a groovy twist. Welcome to Nashville. More of this please.”

Music was one of the few constants in Sam’s life. His family never stayed anywhere for long, which meant that friendships were forged between himself and the music he absorbed, from Roy Orbison to Van Morrison to Willie Nelson. The influence of Ray Charles can be felt from the first note to the last beat, making Sam’s debut a complimentary companion to Charles’ own, two-volume Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. Leaving home as soon as the opportunity arrived, Sam landed in Knoxville, and later Nashville.

Sam has spent hours, in fact years, collecting and arranging the relationships and experiences he has forged. To the average person, they seem like an amalgamation of time and happenstance, but to him, they are the moral of the story. “I never once felt, in this whole process that someone just kind of pointed. No one took me by the hand, but almost every single one of these connections were very personal. I was introduced to these people that helped make this record. These are gonna be people that I’m going to know the rest of my life.” Lewis has drawn us a clear picture of where he’s going, and thankfully, he has invited us along for the ride. ~ Bio written by Samantha Harlow.