When it comes to Soulful Blues, Tad Robinson is at the top of his class. Right now there simply is no better Soul Singer and Writer out there, and his groundbreaking new release, "Back In Style", does more than prove that point.
Lovers of sultry soulful blues need to know about Tad Robinson and the best way to do that is to grab a copy of his latest and greatest new release, "Back in Style".
Tad Robinson knows one of the blues biggest secrets — how to write and arrange great songs, and bring them to life. Like his Severn Records debut “Did You Ever Wonder” three years earlier, his elegant 2007 album “A New Point of View” garnered a Blues Music Award nomination for "Soul Blues Album of the Year." It also triggered Robinson’s third nomination for "Soul Male Artist of the Year." Now, Tad follows up with "Back in Style" the sequel. "I’d describe the new album as very soulful and groove oriented." This album features the Memphis Horns and the "Severn House Band" of Alex Schultz, Steve Gomes, Robb Stupka, Benjie Porecki and Kevin Anker. Severn Records
Info & Reviews
Tad Robinson Will Be Back in Style May 18, 2010
Severn Records announces a May 18 release date for Back in Style, the latest CD from five-time Blues Music Award nominee Tad Robinson, with special guests The Memphis Horns and guitarist extraordinaire Alex Schultz. Severn Records is distributed in the U.S. by City Hall Records.
On his third disc from Severn Records, Tad Robinson puts his stamp on the soul side of today's blues scene with Back in Style. Taking inspiration from the great sounds of Stax and Hi Records, Robinson literally oozes soul with his testifying delivery of the eight originals and two covers on the new CD. From the opening organ swell of the funky lead track, "Rained All Night," through the soul anthem closer, "Get Back To Love," Robinson explodes back on the scene with his authoritative, singular and passionate style. Throughout this collection, Robinson's voice is suffused with varying shades of blue and exhibits the warmth and power that only the most seasoned vocalists on the scene can summon.
Back in Style represents new ground, new challenges and new directions for the music by an artist who continues to grow and influence his peers in the industry. "Rained All Night" is particularly hard hitting and is destined to become a new soul classic. At the same time, Robinson's music pays homage to the traditions and touchstones of the history of soul music and blues. There are echoes of Al Green here; phrasing snatched from Tyrone Davis there; a nod to the mellow grit of Teddy Pendergrass on occasion or, alternately, to the keening sting of Syl Johnson's reedy tenor. But these influences, duly noted, blend into a unique and charismatic vocal style that is pure Tad.
Raised in New York City and now a resident of Indianapolis, Robinson is also joined on the new CD by long-time friend, guitarist Alex Schultz (Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers), whose creative, funky and dynamic playing helps push the groove that Robinson establishes on each of the songs. Others on the sessions include Steve Gomes (Ronnie Earl, John Lee Hooker) on bass, Robb Stupka (Luther Allison, Johnny Lang) on drums, Benjie Porecki (Darrell Nulisch, Roy Gaines) on keyboards, plus Robinson's regular touring keyboard whiz, Kevin Anker. Robinson also adds his bluesy harmonica on two songs, as well.
Another strong point of Tad's albums has been his writing, and Back in Style marks the birth of a strong songwriting team in Robinson and co-producer Steve Gomes. Besides "Rained All Night," the Gomes/Robinson pairing is responsible for the gritty, "Full Attention Blues" and the intimate "Sunday Morning Woman," on which they got support in writing from Kevin Anker.
Robinson's last two CDs from Severn Records, A New Point of View (2007) and Did You Ever Wonder (2004) received five Blues Music Award nominations in the Soul/Blues category, where real-deal singers, not guitar heroes, rule the day. Back in Style will inevitably take Tad Robinson further into the hearts of his fans and connect with new listeners while placing him firmly on the map of the contemporary soul scene. It is a gutsy, fun, danceable, upbeat and soulful disc. With Severn Records' 50th release to date, Tad is back. In Style!
Above Review Courtesy Of http://www.antimusic.com/
Tad Robinson CD Preview By Reverend Keith A. Gordon, About.com Guide to Blues
Wednesday April 14, 2010
Soul-blues vocalist Tad Robinson will release his third Severn Records album, Back In Style, on May 18, 2010. A multiple Blues Music Award nominee, Robinson's soulful vocals evoke memories of the great slabs o' wax released by labels like Stax Records and Hi Records during the 1960s and '70s.
Robinson is joined by a top notch band for Back In Style, including guitarist Alex Schultz, bassist Steve Gomes, drummer Robb Stupka, and keyboardist Benjie Porecki all seasoned blues veterans and talented, in-demand studio pros. Robinson further hones his songwriting skills here, working with Gomes on a handful of songs created in a traditional soul style.
Robinson's first two albums for Severn - 2004's Did You Ever Wonder and 2007's A New Point of View - garnered five Blues Music Award nominations between them. Robinson's early work includes a stint as a singer for Dave Spector and the Bluesbirds, which resulted in the excellent Blueplicity album, as well as a pair of critically-acclaimed albums for Delmark Records. Robinson's gruff soul vocals also appear on the recently-released Al Miller album Wild Cards. If you haven't heard Tad Robinson, you owe it to yourself to check him out - this guy is the real deal!
Review By Graham Clarke
Music fans who long to hear old-school soul music will be pleased to learn that the genre is alive and well and thriving at Severn Records. Among their most recent releases is a pair of great soul/blues sets from Charles Wilson (Troubled Child) and Darryl Nulisch (Just For You). The label’s latest release is from singer/harpman Tad Robinson and fits comfortably into that soul/blues niche as well. Indeed, Back In Style may be Robinson’s best release yet.
Back In Style consists of ten winning tracks, dripping with that vintage soul sound and feel. The opening cut, “Rained All Night,” was penned by bass player Steve Gomes (who co-produced the disc with Robinson and David Earl) and sounds like a long-lost Hi Records track with its percolating Hammond B3 (courtesy of Kevin Anker) and a marvelous horn section that includes Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns.
“You Name It I’ve Had It,” one of two covers on the disc, sounds like an old Sam Cooke track with that great horn section punctuating Robinson’s testimony and the glorious Hammond organ shimmering in the background. “I’m In Good” is one of several excellent Robinson-penned tracks (another being “Get Back to Love,” the album closer). “I’m In Good” is an upbeat tune about a new love, and adds a little bit of funk to the mix.
“Sunday Morning Woman” brings to mind 1970s-era Tyrone Davis, and fans of the Isley Brothers T-Neck days will appreciate “On and On” and “Half Smile.” All that’s missing is Ernie Isley’s laser-beam lead guitar, but the groove holds it together just fine, courtesy of Gomes, Anker, drummer Robb Stupka, and guitarist Alex Schultz. As you might have ascertained, the focus here is on the soul side of blues, but “Full Attention Blues” does move things back to the blues side temporarily.
It’s wonderful to see and hear the classic genre of music enjoying a renaissance. While there are lots of younger artists helping to bring it back, it’s even more rewarding to see veterans of the scene like Tad Robinson getting to take part in the resurgence. Fans of classic soul music of the ’60s and ’70s should be falling all over themselves to get Back In Style.
Tracklist
1. Rained All Night
2. Full Attention Blues
3. You Name It I've Had It
4. On And On
5. I'm In Good
6. Just Out Of My Reach
7. Sunday Morning Woman
8. Half Smile
9. Turn To the Music
10. Get Back To Love
Listen To Some Of Tad's Music At His MySpace Page
About Tad Robinson
The blues has its share of secrets: esoteric tunings, regional styles, rare recordings on long-gone labels like Vocalion and Cleartone. But Tad Robinson knows one of the biggest — how to write and arrange great songs, and bring them to life.
Robinson’s elegant 2007 album A New Point of View is full of perfectly tailored numbers, from Tad’s own Stax-inspired “Take the Long Way Home” to Johnnie Taylor’s “Ain’t That Lovin’ You” — all buoyed by one of the finest contemporary voices in blues and soul, and by all the classic trimmings: lush horns and strings, poignant guitar playing, and Robinson’s own poised, melodic harmonica. “You have to let people know that a song is part of you,” Robinson says, “that you are giving something of yourself to them in a song. And I need to believe in every song I perform.” It’s no wonder A New Point of View continued the Chicago bandleader’s string of accolades and honors dating back to his late ’80s tenure in the Windy City blues-rock outfit Big Shoulders.
Like his 2004 Severn Records debut Did You Ever Wonder?, the disc garnered a Blues Music Award nomination for “Soul Blues Album of the Year.” And it triggered Robinson’s third nomination for “Soul Male Artist of the Year.” Robinson’s been formulating his style — a timeless blend of blues and soul with flourishes of pop — all of his life. Of course, what really brings Robinson’s tunes to life is his voice. “I’ve consciously worked on developing my style of singing since I was a kid,” the 53-year-old vocalist explains. “I pulled my rock and soul influences together and started singing in the school chorus.” At the same time he got his first harmonica from an aunt. His curiosity about the instrument and its potential led him to blues. “I discovered Big Walter Horton, Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells and James Cotton, and it just blew my mind to hear players like that. I started devouring every blues record with harmonica I could get my hands on. Learning the licks became my apprenticeship, and led me to the great guitarists and singers and the rest of the genre.”
That path eventually led Robinson to Chicago, in the mid-’80s. “I wanted to be able to hear the great blues and soul singers in the city — Otis Clay, Junior Wells, Syl Johnson, Tyrone Davis, Denise LaSalle — and be part of that music scene. I immediately started working in the clubs. There was a lot happening in Chicago then, and for two years I led the Wednesday night house band at Rosa’s. We’d play the first set, and the second was an all-star jam where Junior Wells, Sam Lay, Bob Stroger, Louis and Dave Myers… just about everybody at one point or another… would come play.” Tad was also drafted by the members of Big Shoulders to front the band for a year, and he played jazz gigs, where he developed a friendship with Grammy-winning vocalist Kurt Elling. “Kurt was a major influence on me,” says Robinson. Robinson also began singing commercial jingles, which contributed to his improvisational skills. “You never know what’s going to be thrown at you in a session,” he says. “You have to be ready for any style of music.” But the soul-blues man’s most important meeting was with guitarist Dave Specter. He and Robinson formed a musical bond on the bandstand at Rosa’s Lounge, and when Specter signed with Delmark Records he invited Robinson to sing on his debut for the label, 1994’s Blueplicity. That led to Robinson’s own recordings with Delmark, ’94’s One To Infinity and ’98’s Last Go Round. “Signing with Severn was another important step in my evolution as an artist,” Robinson says. “At Delmark, we recorded just like we were playing in a club. We’d just set up like we were on stage and start rolling the tape. But when it’s time to make a new album at Severn I’m able to work with the musicians for about a week before we start to record, and we get to experiment with tempos and arrangements, and alter the song list. It really means that every musician is deep inside the music before we push the ‘record’ button.”
That strategy along with inspired song choices and writing has paid off not only in critical acclaim for Robinson’s Severn releases, but in a larger audience and invitations to play prestigious blues festivals in the U.S. and Europe. Robinson’s just recorded all the tracks for the sequel to A New Point of View. “Basically, I’d describe the new one as more of the same — very soulful and groove oriented, and the focus is squarely on my voice,” he says. “I feel like, musically speaking, this album will help me move on to the next chapter,” he continues. “I’m in a good place creatively right now. I’ve learned to connect with my audience through a collection of songs I’ve developed that I really believe in. That’s important, because blues fans can smell a fraud a mile away. And they know what we’re doing is 100-percent real.”
Above Bio Info Courtesy Severn Records http://www.severnrecords.com/
Tad Robinson Band feat. Alex Schultz - Broken-Hearted Man
