Longtime Fabulous Thunderbirds frontman Kim Wilson has announced a new solo album, Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1, which is set for an October 20 release via Severn Records.
Wilson has gone back to the basics—not to mention old-school Chicago blues—for the new disc, which features guitar work by Big Jon Atkinson, Bob Welsh, Billy Flynn and Nathan James. The album was recorded in California and produced by Wilson.
“I want to tell all of the real blues fans out there what a labor of love this project has been,” Wilson says in the liner notes. “I’ve been recording many, many tracks for a couple of years now and time has just flown by. A couple of the greatest musicians that ever lived, Richard Innes and Barrelhouse Chuck, have passed away during the process of making this CD. One of their dreams was to see this stuff come out.
“So here it is, the first of many to come. This kind of music is very easy and pleasurable for me to perform. I like to surround myself with musicians who like to ‘fly by the seat of their pants.’ People like Richard and Barrel, Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson, Marty Dodson, Nathan James, Larry Taylor, Malachi Johnson and all of the other fantastic blues musicians who are on this CD. I desired to record songs I have always wanted to do. However, I have to put my own twist on everything.”
The track list includes a few Wilson originals that fit in nicely with deep-blues compositions by Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Jimmy Rogers and Jimmy Reed, plus guitar legends Elmore James, John Lee Hooker and Magic Sam.
Check out the album's track list—and listen to "Same Old Blues"—below. The crew featured on "Same Old Blues" is as follows: Kim Wilson (vocals/harmonica), Billy Flynn (guitar), Barrelhouse Chuck (piano), Larry Taylor (bass), Richard Innes (drums), Jonny Viau (horns).
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Kim Wilson, Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 Track Listing 1. Bonus Boogie 2. No Love in My Heart 3. Ninety Nine 4. Worried Life Blues 5. You Upset My Mind 6. Teenage Beat 7. Same Old Blues 8. Searched All Over 9. From the Bottom 10. Look Whatcha Done 11. Blue and Lonesome 12. Sho Nuf I Do 13. Learn to Treat Me Right 14. Edgier 15. Mean Old Frisco 16. You’re the One
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
