Gifted with a great set of pipes, Nicholson has long been recognized on the East Coast of Canada as the preeminent blues-rock voice for several well-known groups, including Horse and the Oakley Band. Singer, songwriter, producer, musician, frontman, volunteer and, go-to guy are just a few of the admirable traits bestowed upon Wayne. Crisscrossing Canada more than a few times along the way, he left his mark wherever he played and impressed many with his command, humour, and infectious stage presence.
ow, Nicholson getting set to release his seventh solo album, Ginhouse on September 22nd, starting with the single and lyric video for "Shuckin' Corn With Muddy Waters."
"I am very happy and very excited to be releasing the first single from my new album Gin House. I wrote the lyrics from a dream I had about Muddy Waters, shuckin' corn and playing the blues", says Nicholson. " I showed the verses to my producer, friend, and incredible guitarist Tony D and he came up with the perfect music and feel."
Co-written and produced by Tony D (MonkeyJunk, The Tony D Band), "Shuckin' Corn With Muddy Waters" is a fun & bluesy groove, featuring Nicholson's signature vocal style, infectious guitar playing from Tony D, and tasty harmonica playing by Steve Marriner.
With his seventh solo effort, Wayne Nicholson has scaled the summit once again and comes charging back at the top of his game. The team has gone to the well on this one and recorded a great new album entitled Gin House, which may turn out to be a watershed moment for Wayne & Co. "Wayne had written lyrics that came from a dream. I wrote the music giving it a modern swampy blues feel with some Muddy riffs for authenticity", recalls Tony D. "We were arranging it in the studio, and it was getting late so we decided to lay down a demo for reference for the next day. Come morning we were listening to the demo and everyone was grooving and smiling and we realized that this WAS the take. We didn’t feel we had to record another one. That’s how good these guys are."
Bookending the album with fast and slow versions of Nina Simone’s take on "Gin House Blues" is a stroke of genius. Steve Mariner’s harp drives on the ZZ Top like the former and Bill Stevenson’s earthy piano on the latter take these tracks to a place of renown. Nicholson’s engaging lyrics throughout address some of the less glamourous subject matter of recent times but it is by no means a trip down to despairville. Instead what we’ve got is a remarkable Tony D-produced collection of 11 cohesive tracks (including 8 Nicholson-penned originals) that features a crack band of local Halifax, N.S. musical veterans – Bruce Dixon, Neal Robertson, Kim Dunn, and Bill Stephenson. The added bonus support from the MonkeyJunk team of Steve Mariner (harp) and Tony D (guitar) helps take these sessions to another level. Kudos must also be given to longtime guitarist, producer and writing partner James Logan for his collaboration on the Gin House project. His involvement cannot be understated.
Recorded at Joel Plaskett’s Fang Studios in Dartmouth, N.S., Gin House is a blues tour de force. "Shucking Corn With Muddy Waters" and "When Trust Turns To Dust" are both upbeat barn burners in the Nicholson tradition. An epic piano intro by Kim Dunn to "Night Train" channels Chris Rea and shines a bright light on the stigma of PTSD and the irony that it is never a sign of weakness to acknowledge and seek help. The rhythm guitar fills on "She’s Not My Angel Anymore" really propel this ballad to the crest. Bass wunderkind Bruce Dixon brings the jam on "Blue Funk" maintaining Gin House’s intended variety of styles both interesting and memorable.
Wayne Nicholson has undeniably earned his stripes on the Canadian Shield's rock and blues landscape. Although he may be a best-kept secret to some, there is a flip side of course, and those who know…definitely know. Gin House is your opportunity to hear one of Canada's finest singer-songwriters do what he does best.
Media contact:
Sarah French
Sarah French Publicity
416-566-4188
•2019 Blues Foundation "Keeping the Blues Alive Award" Recipient•
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