It’s Blues to the Max as singer/harmonica ace/guitar player Max Hightower announces the February 21st release of his new album, Nothin’ But the TRUTH from the MoMojo Records label.
After years of burning up the Blues Highway as a member of Mac Arnold’s band, Max Hightower, armed with a trunk full of original tunes, mellowed down at Big Jon Atkinson’s vintage-style BigTone Studio in New Orleans. There, he captured a raw, unfiltered blend of New Orleans Funk and Greasy Southern Blues that ain't Nothin' But the TRUTH, produced by Max and Big Jon.
"You might think you’ve got a song all figured out, but once you hit record with musicians in the heart of New Orleans, it’s like trying to steer a river.... better let go and see where the current takes you," says Max about the recording sessions.
For Max Hightower, It all started with a late-night revelation and a worn-out cassette of Muddy “Mississippi” Waters Live. As a twelve-year-old kid in the Upstate of South Carolina, Max Hightower stumbled upon that old blues tape after catching Jimi Hendrix’s incendiary guitar work on live TV – and it changed everything. With no money to buy him a fancy new guitar, his grandmother dug up her old Silvertone Guitar from the 1950s. Before long, she noticed Max’s growing frustration over its rusted, finger-slicing strings and surprised him with a harmonica instead. That little ten-hole harp became his passport into the heart of the blues – an instrument so close to his voice that every breath felt spiritual.
By his mid-teens, Max was jamming in smoky barrooms, soaking up lessons on what to do (and definitely what not to do) on rowdy stages. As he honed his chops on harmonica, piano, guitar, and eventually vocals, he learned the harmonica player could be an expendable position if he didn’t also bring some extra flavor to the band. So, he evolved into a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer – creating his own voice in the genre that first captured his imagination. Over the years, Max has shared the stage with some of the very legends who first fueled his musical passion, including Hubert Sumlin, Willie Smith, Bob Margolin, Bob Stroger, Eddie Shaw, Leon Everette, Steve Guyger, Kim Wilson and Bobby Rush.
Though he was a founding member of Mac Arnold and Plate Full O’ Blues, Max’s journey has always been about finding that raw, unfiltered groove – constantly writing, touring, and experimenting. His latest project is a testament to that spirit. Fed up with studios insisting on click tracks and overdubs, he hit the road for New Orleans and laid down tracks at BigTone Records, where reel-to-reel machines, vintage RCA ribbon mics and vintage tube amps recaptured the no-frills soul of a live band. Backed by bassist Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams Sr., drummer Brandon Phelps, and a rotating lineup of New Orleans horn and piano wizards, Max poured everything into the sessions – recording in real-time, “mistakes and all,” the way Muddy Waters and Johnny Winter did back in the day.
The result? Nothin’ But the TRUTH is a treasure trove of original tunes oozing with funky Southern grease – no sad, whiny breakup ballads allowed. With MoMojo Records behind the release, Max is charging forward on a mission to keep the blues fresh, fearless, and downright fun. It all comes back to that spark he felt at twelve years old: a scrappy kid pressing his ear to a crackling cassette, letting the music shape his soul. Now, after years of bright stage lights, late-night jams, and miles on the road, he’s returned to the heart of it all – an honest, fire-breathing, foot-stomping celebration of the blues he’s loved from the start.
Nothin’ But the TRUTH Track Listing and Credits
- DOUBLE BUBBLE
(M. Hightower)
Vocals, Harmonica & Guitar - Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams Sr.
Sax - James Beaumont - IT'S ON ME
(M. Hightower, P. McShea)
Vocals, Harmonica & Guitar- Max Hightower
Drums - Nick Solnick
Bass - Tyler Thompson
Organ & Piano - Brian Coogan "BC" - HERE SHE COMES
(M. Hightower)
Vocals & Guitar - Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams, Sr.
Sax - James Beaumont
Organ - Rob Davis - DAMNED IF I DO
(M. Hightower)
Vocals, Harmonica - Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams, Sr.
Guitar - Big Jon Atkinson
Sax - James Beaumont - TWITCHY WITCHA
(M. Hightower)
Vocals, Harmonica & Guitar- Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams, Sr.
Sax - James Beaumont
Trombone & Sousaphone -Adam Lessneu
Piano - Rob Davis - MY BABY AND ME
(M. Hightower)
Vocals, Harmonica & Guitar - Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams, Sr.
Piano - Rob Davis - SWEET GUM TREE
(M. Hightower)
Vocals & Harmonica - Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams, Sr.
Guitar - Big Jon Atkinson
Sax - James Beaumont
Trombone - Adam Lessneu - TOO MUCH OF NOT ENOUGH
(M. Hightower)
Vocals & Guitar - Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams, Sr.
Lead Guitar - Big Jon Atkinson
Piano - Rob Davis - THICK JELLO
(M. Hightower)
Vocals & Guitar- Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams, Sr.
Sax - James Beaumont
Trombone - Adam Lessneu
Backup Vocals - Rob Davis -
I AIN'T LYIN
(M. Hightower)
Vocals & Guitar - Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams, Sr.
Sax - James Beaumont
Piano - Rob Davis -
SNUGGLE BUG
(M. Hightower)
Vocals, Harmonica, Guitar- Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams, Sr.
Guitar - Big Jon Atkinson
Sax - James Beaumont
ASSMOGHRAPH
(M. Hightower)
Harmonica - Max Hightower
Drums - Brandon Phelps
Bass - Steadman “Fleetwood” Williams, Sr.
Guitar - Big Jon Atkinson
Sax - James Beaumont
www.maxhightower.com | MoMojo Records: momojorecords.com
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