New Album: JOHN NÉMETH - STRONGER THAN 2020

JOHN NÉMETH - STRONGER THAN

LABEL: NOLA BLUE RECORDS

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 16, 2020

DISTRIBUTION: CPI/ORCHARD

"As I look out at my audiences, I see pure joy and radiance beaming from their faces. Music is such a powerful connection. It's what keeps me going. I live to see your love lights shine.
Thank you for your continued support!" John Németh

Many an artist dreams of making a pilgrimage to the source of their inspiration and to commune with the muse. Idaho born John Németh made that trek moving to Memphis from the West Coast in 2013, entrenching himself in the city’s rich and historic musical scene. The two-time Blues Music Award (BMA) winner and multi-BMA nominee soon fell in with producer Scott Bomar, who leads the Memphis Soul band, The Bo-Keys, and is the owner and operator of the acclaimed Electraphonic Recording studios to create the album of Soul classics “Memphis Grease” in 2014. Németh returned to Electraphonic in December of 2019 with his seasoned road band of young gun players, The Blue Dreamers, featuring 19 year old guitar phenom from Philadelphia, Jon Hay, drummer Danny Banks and Matt Wilson on bass for a rough and rowdy southern swamp roots session resulting in his 10th album, “Stronger Than Strong.” The dozen new tracks feature soaring soul blues tenor and hot blues harp playing that has garnered Németh a loyal fan base and international attention for over twenty years.

Bomar capitalized on the chemistry of Németh’s small combo, capturing the intimate, live off the floor, definitively retro sound. Some very fuzzy tones from Hay’s lead guitar fill the air on the Hill Country two-beat opener ‘Come And Take It’ that works the dynamic spectrum with precision. The Fat Possum influence can be felt hard on the rambling ‘Fountain Of A Man’ with Danny Banks getting a chance to roll out all his formidable chops. Németh is a serious student of history, who is well known for mining the depths of early R&B. He once again rejuvenates a lost gem by setting the 1958 Little Junior Parker B side ‘Sometimes,’ to a slower swamp pop tempo, and tremolo-saturated guitar riffs from Hay help with milking the emotion out of the lyrics. The boys in the band do their best hippy-hippy-shag boogie while Németh pleads for mercy on the rockin’ ‘Throw Me In the Water.’ The straight-ahead shuffle, ‘Chain Breaker,’ is a tasty serving of driving Chicago Blues, with Németh and Hay playing the roles of Wolf and Sumlin to perfection.

Wilson’s sublime bass line brings us into the soul blues commentary ‘Bars,’ on which Németh uses hit razor-sharp wit to examine the troubles we are enduring in the world today with just enough humor to keep us from crying. He continues his mission to spread goodwill on the gospel-fueled ‘I Can See Your Love Light Shine,’ and the dancehall number ‘Deprivin’ A Love.’ He then gets down to business on the slinky ‘Work For Love,’ plying his vocal charms and formidable skills on the blues harp. John pays tribute to another unsung R&B hero with a faithful reading of the ballad ‘Guess Who,’ the biggest hit for singer/songwriter Jesse Belvin, whose life was cut short at 27 years old in 1959. Matthew Wilson also pulls double duty on the track playing guitar and bass. Németh further shows off his love for classic R&B on the swinging doo-wop inspired ‘She’s My Punisher,’ before closing the set with the feel good boogaloo ‘Sweep The Shack’ that playfully utilizes familiar blues music euphemisms from Németh and more strong lead guitar from Hay. “Stronger Than Strong” from John Németh is another fine benchmark in the tireless working blues man’s career.

WEBLINKS

OS: www.JohnNemeth.com