10355 - CHRISTIAN COLLIN - SPIRIT OF THE BLUES (2015)
CHRISTIAN COLLIN
''SPIRIT OF THE BLUES''
JULY 10 2015
52:00
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1 One And Only 03:54
2 Player's Game 03:56
3 A Woman Like You 04:50
4 Dance The Blues Away 03:56
5 Without You 05:04
6 Spirit Of The Blues 05:14
7 Highway Song 02:53
8 Blues For You 04:17
9 Dead Man Walking 04:13
10 Old 109 04:18
11 The River (Unplugged) 04:11
12 Forever Friends 05:09
SPIRIT OF THE BLUES
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Christian Collin/Guitars, Vocals
Alex Evans/Bass Guitar
Chris Morris/Drums
Guests:
Billy Branch/Harp
Matthew Skoller/Harp
Johnny Iguana/Piano, Organ
Pete Galanis/Slide Guitar
Jen Williams/Backing Vocals
Rodney Brown/Horns
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REVIEW
Meghan Roos, bluesrockreview.com
From the infamous crossroads buried deep in Mississippi to singers like Lightnin’ Hopkins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Muddy Waters, the blues genre has collected a ton of icons in its time and turned most into legends. Howlin’ Wolf was a man like any other, with a life to lead and a need to somehow make his time on Earth matter. Every blues musician known by name today was and is the same. What makes them different are the fingerprints each left on the genre, bequeathed for future devotees to study. On his second solo album Spirit of the Blues, out July 10, blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Christian Collin pays tribute to the voices that sang before him.
Collin began playing guitar as a teenager. After spending years on the road and fronting the blues band Molasses, the Chicago-based musician embarked on his first solo project American Art, which was released in 2012. On Spirit of the Blues, Collin comes into his own, producing a slick combination of dance-ready tunes (“One and Only,” “Dance the Blues Away”) with stricken songs about relationships threatened (“Without You,” “A Woman Like You”). Though some of his lyrics fall short (the cliché “Cross my heart now, baby / hope to die” in “One and Only” and recommendation to “score some tail” in “Player’s Game” incite quick eye rolls), the album as a whole reveals an artist with a good handle on the technical and thematic aspects of the blues. The album is fun and real, but tracks like “Dead Man Walking” and “The River (Unplugged)” show that Collin identifies with the genre’s serious side (the same side that dives past a person’s emotional surface into the nitty-gritty struggles of life at its hardest) and finds ways to weave it into his own writing.
When the last chord of the 12th and final track “Forever Friends” fades, “Spirit of the Blues” comes away as the album’s strongest song. Its lyrical content and strong delivery bring Collin’s musical influences to light as he references artists that touched the blues before his time and builds a legend of his own through his retelling. “Forever Friends” reinforces the album’s theme of continuity as Collin sings of holding on to memories despite the persistence of time, a fitting way to close the album. Spirit of the Blues is a lens through which listeners can understand the blues the way Collin does. His interpretation isn’t all-inclusive – how could it be? – but it’s an honest example of the way one style of music can fuel an artist’s way of life.
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OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
Christian Collin is a Chicago based singer, songwriter and guitarist devoted to blues and American roots music. Born in Detroit to a musical family, Christian began playing guitar at age 13 and has never looked back. Having honed his musical chops playing bars and roadhouses across the Midwest for the last ten years, he is a seasoned bandleader whose inspired performances leave audiences consistently impressed.
Christian’s strong songwriting, soulful vocals and exceptional musicianship create a musical stew that excites and inspires. Collin’s voice has been described by David Caddell, a music reviewer for The Local, as “city-grit soulful and as honest as the lyrics he sings.” While an accomplished songwriter, Christian is equally adept as a singer and guitarist. As Robert Noll of Precious Artists International exclaimed, “heartfelt lyrics and a guitar that can testify!” Collin’s guitar playing is only rivaled by a voice that can be described as city-grit soulful and as honest as the lyrics he sings.
Favoring Fender Strats, Telecasters, and a Gibson Les Paul Junior, Collin’s guitar playing is powerful and passionate, yet melodic and refined. Collin’s primary influences include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Lowell George of Little Feat, along with classic blues and rock n’ roll icons Albert King, Albert Collins, Magic Sam, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. And while these influences may be evident in his music, Christian is obviously his own man and has created a sound infused with originality.
Previously the front man for Molasses, a blues band that performed regionally and recorded three critically acclaimed albums, Christian released his solo debut entitled “American Art” in 2012. Showcasing original songwriting while paying homage to his influences, “American Art” fused diverse musical elements into a coherent and compelling creative statement.
Drawing from his nearly two decades of experience playing blues and rock n’ roll, Christian is now primed to take his music to the next level with his upcoming album entitled “Spirit of the Blues.”
With this latest release, Collin pays homage to his blues heroes while leaving a musical mark all his own.
Christian Collin is a dynamic artist and performer whose strong songwriting, soulful vocals and exceptional musicianship create a musical stew that excites and inspires. With a firm grasp on his roots and an eye toward the future, Christian Collin tips his hat to our musical forefathers while aiming to leave his mark as a contemporary blues man.
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WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
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''SPIRIT OF THE BLUES''
JULY 10 2015
52:00
**********
1 One And Only 03:54
2 Player's Game 03:56
3 A Woman Like You 04:50
4 Dance The Blues Away 03:56
5 Without You 05:04
6 Spirit Of The Blues 05:14
7 Highway Song 02:53
8 Blues For You 04:17
9 Dead Man Walking 04:13
10 Old 109 04:18
11 The River (Unplugged) 04:11
12 Forever Friends 05:09
**********
Christian Collin/Guitars, Vocals
Alex Evans/Bass Guitar
Chris Morris/Drums
Guests:
Billy Branch/Harp
Matthew Skoller/Harp
Johnny Iguana/Piano, Organ
Pete Galanis/Slide Guitar
Jen Williams/Backing Vocals
Rodney Brown/Horns
**********
REVIEW
Meghan Roos, bluesrockreview.com
From the infamous crossroads buried deep in Mississippi to singers like Lightnin’ Hopkins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Muddy Waters, the blues genre has collected a ton of icons in its time and turned most into legends. Howlin’ Wolf was a man like any other, with a life to lead and a need to somehow make his time on Earth matter. Every blues musician known by name today was and is the same. What makes them different are the fingerprints each left on the genre, bequeathed for future devotees to study. On his second solo album Spirit of the Blues, out July 10, blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Christian Collin pays tribute to the voices that sang before him.
Collin began playing guitar as a teenager. After spending years on the road and fronting the blues band Molasses, the Chicago-based musician embarked on his first solo project American Art, which was released in 2012. On Spirit of the Blues, Collin comes into his own, producing a slick combination of dance-ready tunes (“One and Only,” “Dance the Blues Away”) with stricken songs about relationships threatened (“Without You,” “A Woman Like You”). Though some of his lyrics fall short (the cliché “Cross my heart now, baby / hope to die” in “One and Only” and recommendation to “score some tail” in “Player’s Game” incite quick eye rolls), the album as a whole reveals an artist with a good handle on the technical and thematic aspects of the blues. The album is fun and real, but tracks like “Dead Man Walking” and “The River (Unplugged)” show that Collin identifies with the genre’s serious side (the same side that dives past a person’s emotional surface into the nitty-gritty struggles of life at its hardest) and finds ways to weave it into his own writing.
When the last chord of the 12th and final track “Forever Friends” fades, “Spirit of the Blues” comes away as the album’s strongest song. Its lyrical content and strong delivery bring Collin’s musical influences to light as he references artists that touched the blues before his time and builds a legend of his own through his retelling. “Forever Friends” reinforces the album’s theme of continuity as Collin sings of holding on to memories despite the persistence of time, a fitting way to close the album. Spirit of the Blues is a lens through which listeners can understand the blues the way Collin does. His interpretation isn’t all-inclusive – how could it be? – but it’s an honest example of the way one style of music can fuel an artist’s way of life.
**********
OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
Christian Collin is a Chicago based singer, songwriter and guitarist devoted to blues and American roots music. Born in Detroit to a musical family, Christian began playing guitar at age 13 and has never looked back. Having honed his musical chops playing bars and roadhouses across the Midwest for the last ten years, he is a seasoned bandleader whose inspired performances leave audiences consistently impressed.
Christian’s strong songwriting, soulful vocals and exceptional musicianship create a musical stew that excites and inspires. Collin’s voice has been described by David Caddell, a music reviewer for The Local, as “city-grit soulful and as honest as the lyrics he sings.” While an accomplished songwriter, Christian is equally adept as a singer and guitarist. As Robert Noll of Precious Artists International exclaimed, “heartfelt lyrics and a guitar that can testify!” Collin’s guitar playing is only rivaled by a voice that can be described as city-grit soulful and as honest as the lyrics he sings.
Favoring Fender Strats, Telecasters, and a Gibson Les Paul Junior, Collin’s guitar playing is powerful and passionate, yet melodic and refined. Collin’s primary influences include Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Lowell George of Little Feat, along with classic blues and rock n’ roll icons Albert King, Albert Collins, Magic Sam, Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. And while these influences may be evident in his music, Christian is obviously his own man and has created a sound infused with originality.
Previously the front man for Molasses, a blues band that performed regionally and recorded three critically acclaimed albums, Christian released his solo debut entitled “American Art” in 2012. Showcasing original songwriting while paying homage to his influences, “American Art” fused diverse musical elements into a coherent and compelling creative statement.
Drawing from his nearly two decades of experience playing blues and rock n’ roll, Christian is now primed to take his music to the next level with his upcoming album entitled “Spirit of the Blues.”
With this latest release, Collin pays homage to his blues heroes while leaving a musical mark all his own.
Christian Collin is a dynamic artist and performer whose strong songwriting, soulful vocals and exceptional musicianship create a musical stew that excites and inspires. With a firm grasp on his roots and an eye toward the future, Christian Collin tips his hat to our musical forefathers while aiming to leave his mark as a contemporary blues man.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
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