New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Shoot The Moon,
Roger Street Friedman's album (which was originally released by The Playroom Records in CD and digital formats in January 2017), will see a vinyl format release on May 5, 2017. Shoot The Moon, co-produced by the artist and Felix McTeigue (co-writer of Florida Georgia Line's #1 hit "
Anything Goes" and Americana chart topper and Grammy-nominated "Wreck You" by Lori McKenna), is the result of a concerted woodshedding effort following Friedman's debut album, 2014's critically lauded The Waiting Sky. Shoot The Moon is currently at #8 on the
Roots Music Report Americana Country Album Chart.
Friedman, now 54, lives in a small Long Island town and re-started his career in music in 2010 following the loss of his parents and the birth of his daughter. He told USA Today, "It's never too late to make a change, to take your life in a direction that brings you joy and closer to realizing your dreams." With Shoot The Moon, he's making up for lost time in a very palpable way. "It was scary," he says of his decision to make music his full-time pursuit, adding, "I had gotten to a point where, to be myself, I had to give music everything I had."
No Depression likened Friedman's sound and approach to that of Bruce Cockburn,
Gordon Lightfoot and Fred Neil. The roots music website's John Apice called his a "faithfully driven melodic voice," suggesting, "this artist is someone you can explore without growing weary."
All but one of the album's 13 tracks were written or co-written by the artist who was joined by collaborators including Al Anderson, the veteran of NRBQ who has penned hit songs for Carlene Carter, Vince Gill,
Trisha Yearwood and Tim McGraw, among others. Also contributing to the songwriting process were co-producer McTeigue and Francis Galluccio who has written for
Celine Dion,
Danielle Bollinger, Destiny's Child, Marc Anthony,
Mandy Moore and others. The album's sole cover is a version of "Paradise," written by John Prine, an artist for whom Friedman has great abiding admiration. Of his songs, Friedman comments, "I strive to tell stories, to make them as real and truthful as I can by finding the poetry in ordinary moments." Shoot The Moon exudes an album-oriented cohesion which is to say there is a broad spectrum of feelings and genres threaded together by Friedman's well-developed aesthetic sense. His stylistic calling card is both earthy and urbane, spanning pastoral folk, euphoric New Orleans-style horn driven pop-rock, alt-country, blues, and R&B.
Musicians on Shoot The Moon include Friedman's live band members: Frank Ferrara (guitar), Jim Toscano (drums), Matt Schneider (bass) and Concetta Abatte (fiddle/vocals). Also playing on the album were Amy Helm, Levon Helm's brilliantly gifted daughter, Jason Crosby who has worked with the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh as well as Susan Tedeschi, Olabelle's Fiona McBain, Ari Hest, Antigone Rising's Nini Camps, Rich Hinman who work with Sara Bareilles, and The Mastersons. Horn players include Jay Collins (Gregg Allman,
David Bowie), Mac Gollehon (Rolling Stones) and Baron Raymonde (Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart). Paul Kolderie (Radiohead, Pixies, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Dinosaur Jr., Morphine, Juliana Hatfield) mixed the album at his Camp Street Studios, formerly Fort Apache, in Boston.
Friedman is touring in support of Shoot The Moon (see tour schedule below).
'Puffs of Smoke'...sets the stage for the eclectic effort that meshes Americana, folk, blues, soul and more." - Matt Inman/Relix
"He writes with the wisdom of someone who's seen his share of living, and actually was savvy enough to take notes along the way... So here it is: what will surely be one of the best albums of this still brand new year--delivered right on time." - Bill Bentley/Bentley's Bandstand/The
Morton Report
"Although
Roger Street Friedman resides well below the radar, the music he makes offers all the ingredients necessary for mainstream success. While it's hard to apply an exact comparison to his easily accessible sound, suffice it to say that
James Taylor,
Randy Newman and
Jackson Browne all come to mind." - Lee Zimmerman/Elmore Magazine
"If 'Shoot The Moon' doesn't quite deserve masterpiece status, it's at least close. His words are autobiographical, cinematic, blunt and honest. His music is folk-rock, americana and sweet soulful R&B. Think Jackson Brown without all the earnestness." - Mike Greenblatt/The Aquarian
Roger Street Friedman Tour Schedule:
4/28/2017 - New York, NY - Rockwood
Music Hall Stage 2
4/30/2017 - Cambridge, MA - Atwood's Tavern
5/12/2017 - Sea Cliff, NY - Oak Room Tavern
6/8/2017 - Port Chester, NY - Garcia's
6/22/2017 - Nashville, TN - Bluebird Cafe
6/27/2017 - Nashville, TN - Neighbor's
7/7/2017 - Sea Cliff, NY - Sea Cliff Beach Summer Series
7/26/2017 - Westbury, NY - The Space (performing with the Sea Cliff Summer Strings)
8/9/2017 - Middlesex, VT - Middlesex Bandstand Summer Concert Series
8/11/2017 - Shebourne Falls, MA - Mocha Maya's
8/13/2017 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live Upstairs
8/20/2017 - Glen Cove, NY -
Morgan Park Summer
Music Festival's Third Annual Folk Festival
…more tour dates to be announced soon!
https://rogerstreetfriedman.com/
