NEW YORK (Commotion PR) - With his sweeping, pan-country exploration entitled "Tumblers & Grit", soulful singer/songwriter Chris Richards embraces and expands upon the glittering promise attributed to him in No Depression magazine two years ago. Set for release July 13th on Lake Effect Records (distributed by Emergent/Sony Red), "Tumblers & Grit" merges Richards' cozy, "favorite shirt" baritone and enviable knack for marrying tune to lyric with a steady-rolling crew of some of Nashville's most distinctive players.
At once rugged, straight-up and well-crafted, Richards' lyrics run the gamut from jubilant celebrations to closing-time weepers to brutal introspections, but in every case they're delivered via a warm, soothing vocal instrument that variously recalls a remarkable assemblage of smooth, intimate stylists--most obvious among them Don Williams, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Gordon Lightfoot.
By his own admission, Richards' hometown of Sheboygan, Wisconsin was hardly a hotbed of musical creativity when he was growing up. A stint with a major record label in LA taught him more than he wanted to know about that end of the biz, but it was during that time that he became intrigued by the notion of songwriting as a career path. A book on the subject by revered tale-spinner Tom T. Hall provided guidelines AND the assurance that he was on to something, and, with the aid and encouragement of long-time Dave Alvin sideman Rick Shea, he recorded his debut disc, "Jam The Breeze," in 2001.
Despite that project's limited budget and Richards' relative inexperience, "Jam The Breeze" caught the respective ears of such shakers-and-movers as Mojo, No Depression and BBC radio. Reviewer Crispin Sartwell (ND No 37, Jan/Feb '02) cited John Prine and Lucinda Williams as touchstones, writing "Chris Richards' performance of these ten magnificent songs is not polished, but that is not to say it is not in its own way perfect."
Buoyed by the positive attention, Chris relocated to Nashville and applied himself to honing his craft, even as he--with the assistance of family friends in Wisconsin--set up his own independent label, Lake Effect Records.
Richards enlisted legendary producer/iconoclast R.S. Field (John Prine, Billy Joe Shaver, Allison Moorer, John Mayall, Buddy Guy, etc.) to produce "Tumblers & Grit", and the two men assembled a suitably eclectic group of studio 'A-listers.' The core band features six-string wizard Kenny Vaughan, stringed-thing ace Chris Carmichael, keyboardist Steve Conn, a crack rhythm section of bassist Jared Reynolds and Shawn McWilliams, and - in perhaps the biggest coup of all - pedal steel and dobro Hall-of-Famer Lloyd Green.
Although "retired" from the music business for more than a decade, Green (whose steel playing has poured liquid fire on recordings by George Jones, Johnny Cash, The Byrds and Paul McCartney) recently got back in the saddle, greasing the rails on Alan Jackson's "Remember When," which brought Green's tally of contributions to #1 hits to an astounding 117--and counting.
Whether or not number 118 is on "Tumblers & Grit" remains to be seen, but there is no shortage of worthy candidates on the set. Fueled by a driving beat and crisp interplay between Vaughan's chiming 12-string and Green's sassy steel, "To Sing The Blues" gets this stylish country roller-coaster ride off to a high-stepping start, and the rest tracks through like a particularly inspired feeding of a classic honky-tonk jukebox.
With R.S. & Crew providing a rock-solid foundation, Chris Richards' deluxe 'stealth' vocals guarantee he'll get inside you but getting these sublime tunes back out of your head is another story.
Friday, July 16th
The Bull @ Pinehurst Farms, Sheboygan, WI
7:30 PM / $10.00 (includes beer & soda)
4:30 Pig roast and remote broadcast from B93 PM
Saturday, July 17th
40th Annual Port Fish Day, Port Washington, WI
Sunday, July 18th
High Noon Saloon, Madison, WI
Tuesday, July 20th
The Lager House, Detroit, MI
Friday, July 23nd
Scott St. Pub, Wausau, WI
Thursday, July 22nd
The Uptowner, Milwaukee, WI
Saturday, July 24th
Tom's Garage, Appleton, WI
Tuesday, July 27
Birdy's, Indianapolis, IN
Wednesday, July 28th
Sticky Fingers, Little Rock, AR
Saturday, July 31
Tower Records (West End) / Nashville, TN - 3:00 / Free!
Opry Plaza Party / Nashville, TN w/ the Derailers, 6pm, FREE
Monday, August 2nd
Makor, NYC (opening for Duane Jarvis)
ASCAP Monday Night Songwriter's Series
Tuesday, August 3rd
Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
Saturday, August 7th
Brat Days, Sheboygan, WI
