Blues Traveler - Traveler's Blues

Blues Traveler is an American rock band that formed in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987. The band's music spans a variety of genres, including blues rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, soul, and Southern rock. They are known for extensive use of segues in live performances, and were considered a key part of the re-emerging jam band scene of the 1990s, spearheading the H.O.R.D.E. touring music festival. Currently, the group comprises singer and harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, drummer Brendan Hill, bassist Tad Kinchla, and keyboardist Ben Wilson. Tad Kinchla and Ben Wilson joined the band following the death of original bassist Bobby Sheehan in 1999. While Blues Traveler is best known among fans for their improvisational live shows, the general public is most familiar with the group from their Top 40 singles "Run-Around", "Hook", and "But Anyway". They gained mainstream popularity after their fourth studio album, "four", released in 1994 and became a sleeper hit almost a year later. Sheehan's death and Popper's struggle with obesity put a damper on the group's success, and A&M dropped the band in 2002. In the years following, the band has bounced around through a succession of independent labels and record producers, and gotten increasingly experimental with their recorded output. Blues Traveler's latest album, "Traveler's Blues", was released in mid 2021. Grammy-winning jam band Blues Traveler dedicates itself to the formidable task of reworking and reinterpreting a host of timeless blues classics on the group's new album "Traveler's Blues". The record came out July 30th, 2021 on Round Hill Records and finds the current BT lineup and special guests like Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Rita Wilson, John Scofield, Warren Haynes, and Keb' Mo' getting all over timeless songs by Son Seals, Jimmy Reed, The Mississippi Sheiks, The Doors, and Gnarls Barkley. Grammy winner Matt Rollings (Willie Nelson) produced the sessions and did a great job of capturing the live-band energy and raw feel the songs require. All involved helped breathe new life and new ideas into these famous tunes and the set comes off fresh and fun. Blues Traveler began life as a high school blues band in the late 80s and exploded into the 90s with three consecutive gold records : "Blues Traveler" (1990), "Travelers and Thieves" (1991), and "Save His Soul" (1993). The group's hippie-centric guitar and harmonica version of rock and roll became wildly popular and the fourth BT album, simply titled "Four" (1994), went platinum six times and won the band a Grammy Award for the single "Run-Around." "Traveler's Blues" is BT's fourteenth full-length release and feels like the full-circle record the group was always destined to make. The present Blues Traveler roster of John Popper (vocals, harmonica), Chan Kinchla (guitar), Tad Kinchla (bass), Ben Wilson (keyboards), and Brendan Hill (drums) is a solid and stylish crew unafraid to put its own stamp on every song they play. Popper and company start this set with a strong cover of the Son Seals burner "Funky Bitch." Popper has long been the king of shred harmonica and uses this track to show us that he hasn't lost one single step on harp or as a singer. The cut is funky, dynamic, and overflowing with the kind of energy needed to wow the biggest crowds in the world. The whole band hits this one hard and the sound of BT back in action will set you soaring. Next, the group takes on Jimmy Reed's "You Got Me Runnin'" with the help of American Idol veteran Crystal Bowersox. Their version rides an easy shuffle groove just like Reed at his best. Bowersox has a natural affinity for this music and sounds wonderful paired up with Popper. Together, they put down a thoroughly-enjoyable take on one of the blues' most famous songs. "Ball & Chain" is a slow blues treat that features a guest spot from the always mind-blowing Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. Popper absolutely roars on the vocal mic but never lets his power get out of hand and Kingfish delivers his mighty guitar talents with the poise of a future legend. Hearing them both on the same track is a soul-cleansing experience that you need to have. Warren Haynes shows up on The Mississippi Sheiks' "Sittin' On Top of the World" and adds some sweet slide guitar licks and growling vocals to the proceedings. Haynes is always compelling and continues that tradition on this cut, taking us all to school. He makes a great counterpoint to Popper and a full album of them together would make a lot of fans happy. The Gnarls Barkley hit "Crazy" is a surprising choice among all of these vintage songs but rocks out with assistance from vocalist Rita Wilson and jazz/fusion guitar star John Scofield. Overlook it at your own risk. "Trouble In Mind" brings Grammy winner Keb' Mo' into the mix for a strutting and soulful closing number. Keb' is never anything less than cool and killer and he's an instant hit playing with this bunch. His warm vocal tone contributes a lot to the joy of the track and is more than worth your time. Blues Traveler is very much alive on this new effort and continues to evolve and grow as a unit. The road has been long but the future looks bright for one of the 90s most iconic acts. "Blues Traveler is not just a band; it's a lifestyle," Chan leaves off. "Blues Traveler is our life's work. It's enabled us to do so many other things. This little tribe we built in New York during the late eighties has survived all the way through, plus or minus some dearly departed brothers and sisters. It's empowered us to be creative, make people happy and travel around spreading some good vibes. The longer we do it, the more we like it. Now, people know we can actually play the fucking blues too."

1 Funky Bitch

Guest [Special Appearance By] - Wendy Moten

2 You Got Me Runnin'

Featuring, Vocals - Crystal Bowersox

3 Tore Down

Guest [Special Appearance By] - Wendy Moten

4 Ball And Chain

Featuring, Vocals, Electric Guitar - Christone "Kingfish" Ingram

5 Crazy

Backing Vocals - Matt Rollings

Featuring, Electric Guitar - John Scofield

Featuring, Vocals - Rita Wilson 

6 Sittin' On Top Of The World

Featuring, Vocals, Slide Guitar [Electric Slide Guitar] - Warren Haynes

7 Need Your Love So Bad

Featuring, Vocals - Michael and Tanya Trotter

8 Roadhouse Blues

Featuring, Harmonica - Mickey Raphael

9 Call Me The Breeze

Clavinet - Ben Wilson 

10 Trouble In Mind

Featuring, Vocals, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar - Keb' Mo'

Bass - Tad Kinchla

Drums, Percussion - Brendan Hill

Electric Piano [Wurlitzer] - Ben Wilson (tracks: A3, B9)

Guitar - Chan Kinchla

Harmonica, Vocals - John PopperOrgan [Hammond B3] - Ben Wilson (tracks: A1, A3 to B9)

Percussion - Eric Darken (tracks: A1, A5, B8 to B10)

Recorded At - Sienna Recordings Studios, Nashville 

Recorded At - The Practice Room, Nashville TN

Recorded At - Jane's Place, Nashville TN

Recorded At - Carriage House Studios, Stamford, Connecticut, USA

Recorded At - Royal Recording Studios, Memphis

Recorded At - White Rock Studios, Spring Hill, TN

Recorded At - Lockstock Studio, Nashville, TN