Albert Cummings News
Music City Nashville: Albert Cummings Pours Out TEN at City Winery in Tennessee
Guitar Player: Watch Blues Hotshot Albert Cummings’ New Performance Video, “Meet the Man”
“If You Want to Be a Creator, You’ve Got to Go On a Whole Different Journey”: Albert Cummings Talks Blues
New Album TEN Chart Debuts
ALBERT CUMMINGS’ NEW ALBUM TEN
CHART DEBUTS
#2 ON BILLBOARD BLUES CHARTS
#20 AMERICANA/FOLK ALBUM CHART
#1 iTunes BLUES CHART
[Read more…]
AVNetwork: Award-winning Engineer Trusts Shure, DPA Microphones and More on Latest Project
Blues Rock Review: Ten
Rock & Blues Muse: Interview with Albert Cummings
Albert Cummings Turns it up to TEN with an Expansive Sound on His New Album Available April 8
ALBERT CUMMINGS
TURNS IT UP TO TEN WITH AN EXPANSIVE SOUND ON HIS NEW ALBUM AVAILABLE APRIL 8
THE ACCLAIMED BLUESMAN BUSTS DOWN GENRE WALLS ON TEN, PRODUCED BY GRAMMY-WINNER CHUCK AINLAY AND FEATURING A GUEST APPEARANCE BY VINCE GILL
NEW SINGLE “NEED SOMEBODY” PREMIERES TODAY!
February 17, 2022 – There are few albums today that are grounded in the blues but can still instantly jump off into a whole new sense of expression. On his new studio album TEN, Albert Cummings ventures into rock, country, soul, and Americana, while his songs range from wall-ratting tunes to soft ballads, with Cummings’ rugged, world-wise vocals hitting all the right moods. Musically diverse and emotionally cohesive, TEN’s 13 original tracks stand as a compelling statement about who he is now and where he may be headed. TEN will be released on April 8 via Ivy Music Company.
The first single, scorching rocker “Need Somebody,” premiered earlier today via Guitar Player Magazine, who stated about Cummings, “With over two decades’ worth of solo releases under his belt, his recorded body of work catalogs a guitarist that has gone from strength to strength. Renowned for his raw, off-the-cuff stage performances, what you see really is what you get with this maestro.”
TEN was recorded in Nashville at Peter Frampton’s Phenix Studios. Helping Cummings craft his vision for this album was Grammy-winning producer Chuck Ainlay (Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits, George Strait, Peter Frampton, Miranda Lambert, Emmylou Harris, among others) and a dream team of musicians including drummer Greg Morrow, bassist Glenn Worf, keyboardist Michael Rojas, and guitarist Rob McNelley. “The music that started to be played in the studio sounded like it was being created on a whole new level,” Cummings raves. “I knew in a flash we were onto something. “
“Need Somebody” also represents another crucial element of TEN – the emotional depth Cummings reaches with his evocative lyrics. TEN is the first record where Cummings, as he explains it, “let the listener into my personal space.” The music is more songwriting-focused, with the guitar being used as a tool to drive the songs home. “Meet the Man” and “Too Old to Grow Up” provide vivid portraits of people living their lives, alongside a passionate ode of love on “She’s The One.” A song especially close to Cummings’ heart is “Beautiful Bride.” It’s the first song he ever sang in public –and he sang it at his own wedding.
A particular thrill for Cummings was working with Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill, who lends his vocal talent on the boisterous roadhouse tune “Last Call.”
Throughout his career, Cummings has strived not to place boundaries on his music and with TEN,he has raised the bar to a place where anything seems possible. “I have been playing for a lot of years and still find new ways of expressing myself,” Cummings says. “That’s what this album is all about to me. It supports my belief that I can accomplish whatever I set my mind to.” TEN is available for pre-order on February 18.
Cummings kicks off his 2022 tour tonight in San Juan Capistrano, CA with additional stops including Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, New York and Nashville. List of tour dates below.
TEN TRACKLISTING
1.Need Somebody
2.Too Old to Grow Up
3.Hard Way
4.Last Call
5.Beautiful Bride
6.Sounds Like the Road
7.Meet the Man
8.Two Hands
9.Take Me Away
10.Alive and Breathing
11.She’s The One
12.Got You Covered
13.Remember
TOUR DATES
Feb 17 – Coach House Concert Hall – San Juan Capistrano, CA
Feb 18 – Ramona Mainstage – Ramona, CA
Feb 19 – Grand Annex – Los Angeles, CA
Feb 20 – The Painted Table Event Center – Fresno, CA
Feb 23 – Felton Music Hall – Felton, CA
Feb 24 – Blue Note Napa – Napa, CA
Feb 25 – Auburn Placer Performing Arts Center – Auburn, CA
Feb 26 – Black Oak Concert Series – Tuolumne, CA
Feb 27 – Yoshi’s Oakland – Oakland, CA
Mar 2 – The Jack London Revue – Portland, OR
Mar 3 – Triple Door – Seattle, WA
Mar 4 – The Spanish Ballroom – Tacoma, WA
Mar 5 – The Seasons Performance Hall – Yakima, WA
Mar 6 – Volcanic Theatre Pub – Bend, OR
Mar 8 – The Sapphire Room – Boise, ID
Mar 24 – Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center – Old Saybrook, CT
Mar 25 – Bull Run Restaurant – Shirley, MA
Mar 26 – Spire Center for Performing Arts – Plymouth, MA
Apr 14 – The Iridium – New York, NY
Apr 15 – Fairfield Theatre Company Box Office – Fairfield, CT
Apr 16 – Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club – Portsmouth, NH
Apr 22 – Gateway City Arts – Holyoke, MA
Apr 23 – Bearsville Theater – Woodstock, NY
May 25 – Open Chord Music – Knoxville, TN
May 26 – City Winery Nashville – Nashville, TN
May 28 – Downtown Brilliant – Brilliant, AL
May 29 – The Spinning Jenny – Greer, SC
Jun 2 – US National Whitewater Center – Charlotte, NC
Jun 3 – Blue Note Grill – Durham, NC
Jun 17 – Mauch Chunk Opera House – Jim Thorpe, PA
Jul 29 – Head of Falls and River Walk – Waterville, ME
Guitar Player: Listen to Blues Guitar Virtuoso Albert Cummings’ Hard-Rocking Single “Need Somebody” from His Forthcoming ‘Ten’ Album
https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/listen-to-blues-guitar-virtuoso-albert-cummings-hard-rocking-single-need-somebody-from-his-forthcoming-ten-album
Blues Rock Guitarist Albert Cummings Set To Release New Album Believe, on Feb. 14, 2020
Album Art for Believe | Photo Credit: Jennifer Mardus
2. Do What Mama Says
3. Red Rooster
4. Queen Of Mean
5. Crazy Love
6. Get Out Of Here
7. My Babe
8. It’s All Good
9. Going My Way
10. Call Me Crazy
11. Me And My Guitar
Blues Rock Artist Albert Cummings Inks Deal With Provogue Records
The Blues Imprint of Mascot Label Group

(Nashville, TENN. – August 16, 2019) – Sought after Blues Rock guitarist Albert Cummings finds a label home with Mascot Label Group imprint, Provogue Records. Mascot is known for being a market leader in the world of Blues, Rock and Metal with Provogue heading up the Blues sector working with guitar-driven artists like Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Walter Trout, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales and now Albert Cummings.
Mascot Label Group President, North America, Ron Burman, commented, “Albert is an exceptional guitar player who is passionate with an incredibly strong work ethic. We are happy to have him become a part of our Mascot family.”
With plans to release a new album early next year, Cummings is elated with Provogue’s support,” It’s such an honor to be part of a label that has helped shape the careers of the greatest guitar players our world has ever known,” Cummings says, “I’m confident that Provogue is the right home for me and I look forward to working with them and getting some new music to the loyal supporters that I have.”
Known for his charismatic and energetic live show, Cummings has shared the bill with music legends B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Double Trouble, Susan Tedeschi, Johnny Winter, and Sheryl Crow among many others. The prowess behind his live performance led to the release of his second live album Live at the ’62 Center, in late 2017. Recorded in his hometown of Williamstown, Massachusetts, Live at the ’62 Center showcases impeccable artistry through the album’s spontaneity and creative spirit, earning him the prestigious nomination for a Blues Music Award in the Blues Rock Album category.
Cummings grew up playing five string banjo and listening to bluegrass in Massachusetts—until the day he saw Stevie Ray Vaughan perform in 1987. That is when he was bitten by the blues-rock bug and turned to play guitar for good. Cummings has provided some of the most powerful blues music of the 21st century since the release of his debut album From the Heart (2003), produced by Double Trouble (Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section). The promising guitarist went on to work with multi-platinum producer and engineer, Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carlos Santana, Huey Lewis and the News’) to release True to Yourself (2004) and Working Man (2006) further solidifying his style of music and guitar proficiency with Billboard complimenting his work saying, “This recording is the calling card of a star who has arrived.” Cummings’ first live album Feel So Good, followed in 2008, receiving praise from Music Connection, hailing it, “one of the best live albums recorded in a long time.” In 2012, Cummings released his No Regrets album, which debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., Canada, and France on the iTunes Blues Charts and in 2015, he recorded Someone Like You with Grammy-winning producer David Z. (Buddy Guy, Prince, Jonny Lang, Gov’t Mule).
Albert continues to tour and take his unforgettable show on the road. For the complete list of dates, and more information on Albert Cummings, visit https://albertcummings.com/tour-dates/
Blues Blast Magazine Featured Blues Interview – Albert Cummings
Featured Blues Interview – Albert Cummings
Although in this case, in the search for a guitarist’s ‘Holy Grail’ of tone, maybe it’s hard to HEAR the forest because of all the trees. Massachusetts-based guitarist, singer, songwriter and bandleader Albert Cummings can testify to as much. “One of the first amps I ever had was this tweed (Fender) Blues Deville – this was back before I was endorsed by Fender. Mesa Boogie made this beautiful combo amp that I could have custom made, with the leather I wanted on it and set up the way I wanted it to be … just everything I wanted. So I went and bought this hugely-expensive amp and when I made the deal, I agreed to trade in my Blues Deville. I go to the store and as I’m wheeling out my new amp, low-and-behold, I hear the tone that I want to achieve coming from out of the store,” Cummings said. “So I stop rolling my new amp out and I ask the clerk what the amp that’s playing right now is? That’s the tone I want. The guy laughs and says, ‘That’s the amp you just traded in.” And the moral of that little tale is? “It’s not the amp, it’s the person playing it … it’s all about the player. I don’t care who you are, 90-percent of your tone comes out of your hands. Guys will spend thousands of dollars on pedals and amps and all of this and all of that, but the bottom line is, if you plug Stevie Ray Vaughan into an amp made at K-Mart, he’s sound like Stevie Ray. That’s where it all falls. All that gear and all that stuff is important, but it’s not the majority,” he said. “You’ll always be ahead of the game if you just start studying how hard you pick and where your hand is from the bridge to the neck and you can change your tone by moving a quarter of an inch. It’s fascinating in guitar playing how the littlest things make the biggest difference. There’s no instant cure for any of it.” Since the beginning of the New Millennium, Cummings has been leaving behind him a trail of scorched bandstands, transplanting his unique tone into the ear canals of those craving passionate, soulful blues-based songs served up with a hearty helping of blast-furnace rock-n-roll. Cummings’ ascent has largely remained on an upward trajectory, but in what can most charitably be described as a terrible case of timing, his last album – Someone Like You – came out in late July of last year, roughly around the same time that the label it was on – Blind Pig Records – was swimming through a sea of uncertainty. There were plenty of rumors and talk surrounding the stability and ultimate survival of the near 40-year old label at the time, all of which came to a head with The Orchard’s acquisition of Blind Pig’s back catalog. The resulting effect of all of that on Someone Like You (his fourth release for Blind Pig, starting with 2004′s True To Yourself) was the equivalent of a pebble being dropped through a crack in the pavement for Cummings. “Yeah, that basically killed any chance the album had. I thought it was probably my best album as far as representing my own personal music. It’s just Albert’s music and that’s what I try and put out,” he said. “I was Blind Pig’s current leading sales guy and even though I had vowed not to do another alum with them, I got to talking with the guys and finally decided I would do another one with them; I knew them and thought everything would be fine. As soon as I signed the deal, I found out a couple of weeks later they were selling the label. The Orchard is a distributor, but it’s kind of a digital, online type of distributor, run by young people. If you’ve been in the blues, you know that the majority of blues fans probably don’t even have a Facebook account, you know what I mean? Physical product is still key in the world of the blues. Right away, I thought it was going to be trouble and of course, the first thing The Orchard did was let the radio person go at Blind Pig and they let Debra – the press contact – go. I did one interview for that record; one. It was the worst release I’ve had in my entire career.”
“Well, in the music business, there’s always something that knocks you back, you know what I mean? Only the strong survive in this world,” he said. “But, that doesn’t really frustrate me; I’m in it for the long haul. I play my music because I love to play my music and nobody can take that away from me. You win a few and you lose a lot of them, but hopefully the ones you win are big enough to cancel the others out. I can only hope that people can find something in this life that makes them get up and smile in the morning and do what they love. My thing is my music.” Even casual blues fan know of the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section – Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton – better known as Double Trouble. They may also be familiar with the fact that the duo backed Cummings up on what was basically his debut release – 2003′s From The Heart. What they may not know, however, is that Shannon and Layton also teamed up and produced the disc. That had to be pretty heady stuff for a guitarist who was just trying to make himself known outside his New England-area stomping grounds at that time. “They were first, my idols, and then they became my friends and then my producers. They were really the guys that gave me my first shot at playing. Talk about guys that had been around a guitarist. I mean, I learned a lot from those guys,” Cummings said. “My first real album was with those guys in Austin, Texas … every day was a class and session. Those guys gave me my biggest boost, as far as musicianship and approach and everything that goes along with it. I’m still referencing things those guys told me 15, 20 years later. Stevie was the luckiest guy in the world, if you think about it. I mean, can you imagine being able to hang out with Albert King, Albert Collins, B.B. King? Because of Jimmie (Vaughan), they’d get to hang out and play with all those guys when they went through Austin. Double Trouble was all part of that, too, and I was so lucky to just be able to get those thoughts injected into my head. They’re so amazing.” Cummings has also spent quality studio time with a couple of producers who are well known in the industry for their ability to work with accomplished guitarists – Jim Gaines and David Z. “When you put a CD into your player, you can almost hear if it’s a Jim Gaines CD, because of its strength. Jim is so strong and his mixes are so strong. You know, he did Stevie’s In Step and that’s not really even his claim to fame. He’s done Huey Lewis and George Thorogood and Buddy Guy and Carlos Santana … all those dudes. I was on Cloud Nine … going to Memphis to work with Jim Gaines. I never thought I’d have the chance to work with him. But I never thought I’d have ever had the chance to work with Double Trouble, either. Jim is the sweetest guy in the world, but make no mistake – he’s the Alpha Male. He will push you and prod you, while also patting you on the back and being your best friend. I love that guy; he taught me so much,” said Cummings. Gaines was at the helm of three of Cummings’ albums – starting with 2004′s True To Yourself and stretching through 2012′s No Regrets. For Someone Like You, Cummings felt the need to switch things up a bit. He did so by heading to California to work with David Z.
On day number three- that foursome of musicians expanded to five, when Jimmy Vivino stopped by to lay some guitar down. “He lived like a mile down the street from where we were recording and had contacted me before and asked if I minded if he stopped by and played on a song. I was like, ‘Mind? Jimmy Vivino? Yeah.’ So he stopped by and he gelled right in. It was just one more guy to show me up, because the intelligence of those guys … I mean, they’re so educated. All I can do is play what I feel. That’s all I have,” Cummings said. Modesty aside, just by slipping any of Cummings’ discs into a player, it’s readily apparent that what the man has is one Hell of a talent for playing the guitar. His playing is white-hot and sharper than razor-wire, but it’s never fashioned with a duty of seeing how many notes he can cram into a single passage. It’s expressive, straight-from-the-heart and leaves no doubt as to why he’s been called a guitarist’s-guitarist b everyone from B.B. King to Johnny Winter and Buddy Guy. But Cummings’ hands are also comfortable wrapped around wood other than that found in the neck of his guitar. He’s also a master carpenter and has been highly sought after for that skill for years, as well. “I’ve won eight national awards for building things and I’ve built some of the most incredible homes that have ever been built. I’m a fourth-generation builder; it’s in my blood. I even went to a construction school in Boston (Wentworth Institute of Technology),” he said. “I love to create music that’s not been created before and that’s the same way with building. That’s why I get all these big projects and houses and things. I get people that are too afraid to even try and build some of these things and these architects would come to me to create this stuff. Music and building are alike in that regard; you’ve got to have a desire to make something that’s not there.” He’s been involved in carpentry and building projects far longer than he’s been playing the blues. Fact is, Cummings really didn’t come onto the radar screen of most blues fans until he was nearly 30 years old. Instead of his relatively late start at becoming a musician hindering Cummings, it seems to have instead been like an ace in the hole. “People have said, ‘Man, you should have done this when you were 18.’ I look at them and say, ‘There’s no way in Hell I could have done this at 18 or 20. No way.’ For me to be honest about my feelings and to be on stage and play, I have to know myself. I have to be happy in my own skin and all that stuff. Back when I was 18, 19, 20 … 25 even, I had no clue who I was. There was no self-security. By me starting later, I had a whole different outlook. You know, life happens when it happens. When I got out of high school, my dad, who is a third-generation builder, was like, ‘Yeah, you’re going to be a builder; that’s what you’ll be.’ And at that time, I had no idea that I could be anything else in the world. It was like, ‘You’re going to come to work with me and be a builder.’”
“When I was 27-years-old, my wife and I go to a friend’s wedding and there’s a band up on stage from New York City. My friends encouraged me to get up there and play with them, which I did. That was my first time to play with a band,” he said. “I remember getting off the stage and that something had changed. I knew right then I’d found something that made me real happy and gave me something I had never gotten before. That night I also met another guy that lived close to my town that played guitar and we would get together once a week on Thursday nights and play together. That went on for a year-and-a-half and then we put a drummer with us and I started to book gigs and it just started growing and the next thing you know, I’m touring all over the place. That happened to me; I didn’t make that happen. I’ve always found that the greatest things in my life have always came to me without me trying to get them.” It sure didn’t take long after that for Cummings to start to leave his own personal mark on the world of the blues. But even though the genre runs to his very core, it’s not really fair to simply label Cummings as just a ‘bluesman.’ There’s more to him that that. “I’m a lover of the blues, I’m a fan of the blues and I’m deeply-rooted in it, but my music is not straight-ahead blues, even though I can play straight-ahead blues,” he said. “But you know, define straight-ahead blues? I could pick an artist and do a bunch of covers of that guy, but I don’t want to do that. I want to do my own stuff and let it come and evolve. Sometimes it comes fast and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve got an album ready right now, but I don’t know what I want to do with it. I’ve got better stuff written now than I’ve ever had. But at this point, I don’t know if I want to put something out by myself or not … I really want a team again. I just want to let people know that I’m still out there and doing stuff and still going after it. I’m still trying my best. I play this music because I love it. You know, how do you make a million dollars in the blues? You start with three million dollars.” At this point in his career of playing music, Cummings acknowledges that chances are slim-to-none for him to instantly create a major buzz and become heralded as the ‘hot new up-and-comer’ or ‘overnight sensation.’ And the way he sees it, that’s OK. “Blues is not a young man’s game. The older I get, the better my music is. I mean, there’s a prodigy in every town and there’s always this new guy that can play all these notes and do all this stuff, but where’s the meat and potatoes? Where’s the sense of stopping what you’re doing when you hear this music?” he asked. “That’s my goal. I want to make real music. Blues to me, is an expression of your feelings. That’s whether you’re using your voice, your instrument, or both. When you’re being honest about your feelings, that’s when you’re playing the blues. Whether you’re happy or sad or whatever you are, when you can convey that with your voice or instrument, you’re playing the blues and you’re being honest. I’ve seen people sitting at my shows crying, because I’ve hit a nerve. It’s also nothing to see me crying when I’m up there and getting into things … or smiling my head off. That’s the blues and that’s honesty and my music has to be that way.” Visit Albert’s website at: albertcummings.com Blues Blast Magazine Senior Writer Terry Mullins is a journalist, author and former record store owner whose personal taste in music is the sonic equivalent of Attention Deficit Disorder. Works by the Bee Gees, Captain Beefheart, Black Sabbath, Earth, Wind & Fire and Willie Nelson share equal space with Muddy Waters, The Staples Singers and R.L. Burnside in his compact disc collection. He’s also been known to spend time hanging out on the street corners of Clarksdale, Miss., eating copious amounts of barbecued delicacies while listening to the wonderful sounds of the blues. |
This one is a keeper
Albert Cummings
Someone Like You
This is a stellar piece of work, all tunes written by Cummings and done in a straight-ahead fashion with no hot-dogging, no showboating, just good playing by all parties involved, with the music the thing that is of importance. With a list of bandmates on the album that consists of Jimmy Vivino on guitar, Mike Finnigan on organ, Reggie McBride on bass, Tony Braunagel on drums and Teresa James on background vocals, Albert can feel confident that all the bases will be covered, leaving him free to play guitar with all the power and passion he can muster…and that is one area he has no problem with whatsoever. From the hard-driving blues/rock to soulful ballads this band nails it, start to finish. Cummings is a great songwriter and storyteller. All blues worth listening to is based on personal experience. The fact of the matter is that truth rings as such in the heart of the listener. The days of factories where songwriters write for performers may not be done but when it comes to blues, truth is the all-important element. It may not have to be based on your life personally but, as an artist, if an audience is going to buy it, it has to be believable…and if you can sing it from first-hand experience, drawing upon the emotions of that moment, it comes across with power and an emotional element that the crowd can relate to. Any time an audience member can sit back and say “That same thing happened to me.” the band has them…hook, line and sinker. Albert Cummings’ Someone Like You is right on the money from a musical standpoint, both technically near perfect and packed with emotional power. This is another one of those pieces that is easy on the ear and fun to listen to. Bottom line, this is a great album from the opening notes of track one to the close of the final cut. Smooth as a well-aged bourbon and able to warm you through and through just about as well, this is another piece that would make a good addition to any blues-lover’s collection. This one is a keeper. – Bill Wilson
Website – http://albertcummings.com/
FaceBook – https://www.facebook.com/albertcummingsmusic
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=albert+cummings
iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/someone-like-you/id1000816021
Blues Rock Review
Albert Cummings: Someone Like You Review

The album opens with the hard driving rocker “No Doubt.” Immediately the David Z production is heard. The snare drum will take your head off. The Z and Cummings combination is a winner from the outset. All of the tracks have a very muscular sound. Even the ballads sound tough.
Some highlights include, the Delbert McClinton inspired swagger of ”I Found You” and the southern rock ballad “So Strong.” Both demonstrate Cumming’s Gregg Allman-esque vocals very nicely. The up tempo boogie rock of “Stay Away From My Sister” and the slow blues “Little Bird” are good examples of what Albert can do with more traditional forms. The latter showcases Albert’s well honed phrasing and ability to solo in a jazz style over traditional blues changes. One of the most interesting tracks is the instrumental “Meatlocker.” Here Albert gets into Robben Ford territory soloing effortlessly over the rhythm changes in the chorus. These forays into jazz-blues are a real treat and leave the listener longing for more.
Someone Like You is Albert’s seventh album and his first collaboration David Z. and guest guitarist Jimmy Vivino. Over the years, Albert Cummings has gained a reputation for putting out consistently good material and Someone Like You continues that tradition.
The Review: 8.5/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– No Doubt
– I Found You
– Finally In Love
– So Strong
– Meatlocker
The Big Hit
– I Found You
Review by Lou Lombardi