A nice surprise

After an extended period of Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals obsession of mine, I took an break from the best band on the planet to pursue other musicians. Getting a little deeper with John Butler Trio, revisting Bob Marley, going back to my roots in Hip-Hop, and even sampling some crappy Amy Winehouse (it was $7 figured it couldn't be that bad, it was). I turned my attention back to Harper last night just see what was going on. What did I find you might ask?

Well I found out that in the next few weeks a brand spankin new album is coming out, Lifeline. August 28th is the release date. From reading a recent interview it sounds as though the new one is going to take it back to the good old days. With some sweet jams, raw sound, Ben just belting out the lyrics. Here's some interesting parts to the interview.

"We recorded this album in a week so we had to check our egos and let the music speak and be at the forefront. It almost makes feel like a jazz musician, without those chops. Sorry I got sidetracked, yeah the album sounds this way due to the fact that were road weary, having our chops up and limiting the time we spent in the studio, we said we were going to do it in a week, one and a half to two songs a day and not bring everything plus the kitchen sink onto this record. Plus the sixteen-track analog tape machine really lets that 2-inch tape breath. "

TD: On this record your vocal style has really shifted into that of a soul singer, do you feel that is a result from working with the brilliant Blind Boys Of Alabama? BH: Thank you, I have been so lucky to work with the people I have worked with. The Blind Boys and The Funk Brothers, to share those experiences will defiantly have an effect on you. The Blind Boys kind of handled me with kid gloves, but with the Funk Brothers it was like ok, are going to sing or are you going to sang, so that pushed me in my singing. The guys in the band are so excited about my singing on this record, and I kind of don’t hear it right now, it’s just something I did. I guess it’s too raw for me right now, it’s almost like I don’t even hear it.

And the most amazing part of the interview -
TD: Your album comes out in August; will you be taking it out on the road this summer?
BH: We are going to take a little time off at the end of July, and then we are going to go head on into a full fledged tour, and I want to tour this record in a way that it deserves like intimate venues, like Radio City Music Hall, and I want to focus on this record, the Blind boys stuff never got represented on the road, We did one show at the Apollo, so those two records and songs off of previous records that are in that vain will be the spotlight of the tour.

An intimate small venue tour? Are you freakin kidding me? I can't wait for this. Last time he did a tour like that I saw 4 shows. 2 in a tiny club in Santa Monica called The Temple Bar, 1 in the worst venue ever the Warehouse in Toronto, and an amzing show in Royal Oak, MI that was absolutly off the charts. I think i met Ben and the band all 4 times, actually I did, i even introduced my sister to him, which was super cool. I can't wait for this tour. It's already been discussed with my cousin that trip to see a few concerts is a definite adventure. I'll be looking forward to the release of the new album, and to the concert dates. I'll update as to which shows I'll be attenting. I'm hoping for a Cali trip for 1 or 2 shows or the Radio City Music hall show in New York. I'd love to see a Toronto show at Massie (SP?) Hall or the Opera House, and catch a show in Michigan. Can't freakin wait.