Nashville, TN. (Top40 Charts/ Rainfeather Records) - A presence on the global stage in a variety of musical personas, guitarist/composer Bryan Clark believes that GOSSIP, INSPIRATION & SLANDER may be his most self-reflective effort to date. Ready for national rollout on March 31, the Rainfeather Records' double-disc set captures Clark executing sophisticated masterpieces that shine with bluegrass freshness and shimmer with genre-bending delight.
Growing up in Texas, where roots-tinged, Red Dirt music thrived, etched in the impressionable Clark a deep appreciation for the gut-honest, literary writing style that permeates his artistry today. Storytellers like Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, with their image-driven way with words, inspired Clark's own songwriting pursuits.
Disc One offers up Bryan's brilliant acoustic arrangements of standards ("Blackberry Blossom" and "Bill Cheatum"), along with outstanding originals like "Midnight Kisses," "Raven King" and "Nights Like These." Several tunes appear in both formats, and these songs in particular give insight into Bryan's ber-artistic mind.
Disc Two is imbued with a more intricate production, and Clark takes liberties with his smooth tenor, showcasing a soulful side on the bluesy 'Down In Flames' and a twangy Texas Swing heritage (with an impressive falsetto) on the swingin' 'Bumper to Bumper.' With GOSSIP, INSPIRATION & SLANDER, Bryan showcases his versatility and pays homage to influences that range from Stravinsky to Coltrane to Bill Monroe. 'This project represents two, distinct sides of me, and I wanted to give listeners a choice so they could see how the songs evolved. They can compare and contrast,' Clark says.
Produced by Clark and Erick Jaskowiak, GOSSIP, INSPIRATION & SLANDER features Bryan's extraordinary musicianship on guitar and dobro; Chris Pandolfi on banjo (The Infamous Stringdusters); fiddle master Casey Dreissen (Bela Fleck); Matt Flinner on mandolin (Todd Phillips, David Grier), and on acoustic bass, Bryn Bright (Tony Rice, Peter Rowan).
'This isn't about 'sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll,' or 'let's get drunk and screw.' I don't write songs about that sort of thing. I wish I could, I'd make a lot more money." Clark says of GOSSIP, INSPIRATION & SLANDER. This project comprises songs with real weight: 'I think you have a tremendous amount of responsibility as an artist, in being a role model,' says Clark, who now lives in Nashville. 'To me, that's what drives me to do what I do. All the songs here tell stories, and they have some lesson to draw about the human condition.'
Bryan held sway on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart for 90 weeks in 2006 with his trio, Honeywagon, and the CD, GREEN DAY, BLUE GRASS. He's composed for television and film, and his music is currently featured on VH1, 'America's Top Model,' the History Channel, ESPN and Oxygen networks - but with GOSSIP, INSPIRATION & SLANDER, Bryan is writing for himself. Says Clark: 'It's like that Delphic oracle, 'Know thyself.' That's what I'm trying to do.'
For audio clips, hi-res jpegs and more, go to www.bryanclarkmusic.com .
