WANDER THIS WORLD - 810

Amazon.com One would think that jumping into the pop-rock marketplace after being branded a blues player might confuse a 17-year-old guitar whiz. No way. Jonny Lang, with the lucid advice of ace producer David Z, understands the role of the blues as solid ground for someone who wants to take flight with intelligent, well-crafted music that has a wide audience. His second album's strengths lie with his gruffly appealing singing voice and his lean, razor-edged guitar phrases. The material is solid, with songs that range stylistically from the ingratiating funk number "I Am" (a hitherto unrecorded David Z and Prince composition), to the it-sure-sounds-like-a-rock-hit "Still Rainin'" (complete with thunderous chords and soulful female backup singers), to a griddle-hot take on the late Chicago blues guitarist Luther Allison's "Cherry Red Wine." All 12 songs are of a piece, tied together by Lang's unassailable musical integrity and his freshness of vision. And R&B master guitarist Steve Cropper is on hand in the Minneapolis recording studio to insure the soulful vibe. --Frank- John Hadley Product description WANDER THIS WORLD is an Enhanced CD, which contains regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Personnel: Jonny Lang (vocals, guitar); Tommy Burroughs (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Jack Holder (guitar, keyboards); Steve Cropper, Kevin Bowe (guitar); Paul Diethelm (dobro); Eric Leeds (saxophone); Bruce McCabe, Ricky Peterson (keyboards); David Smith (bass); Richie Hayward (drums); Bekka Bramlett, Jimmy Davis, William Brown, Jessica Boucher, J.D. Steele, Jevetta Steele, Fred Steele, Billy Steele (background vocals). Recorded at Seedy Underbelly Studios & Oarfin Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Sound Kitchen, Nashville, Tennessee. WANDER THIS WORLD was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Audio Mixer: David Z. . Recording information: Oarfin, Studios, Minneapolis, MN; Seedy Underbelly Studios, Minneapolis, MN; Sound Kitchen, Nashville, TN. When a wave of blues-playing wunderkids (Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Monster Mike Welch) arrived on the scene in the '90s, 16-year-old Jonny Lang was out alongside them with his debut LIE TO ME. On his follow-up, WANDER THIS WORLD, Lang once again teams up with ex-Prince mate David Z for yet another excellent collection of R&B-tinged blues. Not yet old enough to drink, Lang has a voice that rings with the tone of an old soul, particularly on the late Luther Allison's "Cherry Red Wine," the album's only cover. Although this teen shreds impressively on songs such as the scorching "Still Rainin'," he shows an affinity for Memphis soul on "Second Guessing" and "Walking Away" and clavinet-driven funk on both "Before You Hit The Ground" and "I Am." When he's not channeling Otis Redding's spirit or rooting around in Prince's musical neighborhood, Lang's impressive range allows him to update the blues without making it sound readymade for a beer commercial. This results in an ominous title track whose main character's restless spirit is juxtaposed with the salvation flowing from "Leaving T Review Lang indulges in some of the hammiest, way-over-cooked vocal contortions heard since the white-blues revival of the late '60s. -- Entertainment Weekly
ASIN: B00000DBXX
VSKU: 4EKGLF008IAK_ns
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Lang, Jonny
Binding: Audio CD