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Albert Cummings News

EXCLUSIVE: Listen To Blues Guitarist Albert Cummings’ Soulful Track “Finally In Love”

July 8, 2015

After years of earning his spot as one of the top surviving blues musicians today and with six studio albums under his belt and another one releasing in just a few weeks, blues-rock guitarist Albert Cummings, formerly of bluegrass-rock band Swamp Yankee, teases fans with his latest single “Finally In Love” from the upcoming Someone Like You record.

Beginning with a kind of old-school progressive rock instrumentation, the track opens to Cummings’ rumbling vocals singing “I used to keep my guard up/Stick to my close friends/Then I left the door wide open/And you just let yourself in/I never saw you coming/Came right out of left field/Now I just love the way that you make me feel”, the mature confession giving way to a rock ‘n roll chorus, Cummings’ voice accompanied by hollering female vocals and bluesy slide guitar. “Finally In Love” showcases the blues-rock and soul that has hailed Cummings as a legendary guitarist while also emphasizing his ability as a songwriter, all packed into a wild, energetic musical romp.

Listen to Albert Cummings’ “Finally In Love” below and pre-order his upcoming album Someone Like You here:

Spread the news!

 

Filed Under: News

Albert Cummings Completes New Album!

February 9, 2015

February 5, 2015
(get pdf of article)

“He attacks his axe with unbridled ferocity and deep soulfulness; his depth and expression are matched only by his terrifying technique and tone.” – Guitar One

Guitarist Albert Cummings has wrapped recording in Los Angeles on his latest album for Blind Pig Records.  The as-yet-untitled CD by the popular guitar slinger from Massachusetts is scheduled to be released early this summer.

The album was produced by Grammy-winner David Z (Buddy Guy, Prince, Jonny Lang, Gov’t Mule) at Clear Lake Audio.  Said Z, “Albert Cummings writes, plays and sings the blues like nobody else.  What a blast to watch him jell in the studio with some of the best musicians in Los Angeles.”

AlbertintheStudio
Standing, l. to r.: Jimmy Vivino, David Z, Mike Finnegan (keyboards), Reggie McBride (bass)  Seated, l. to r.: Tony Braunagel (drums), Albert Cummings

“Albert and I became fast friends and have stayed in touch since. That was 5 years ago.   When I found out they were cutting a couple of blocks from my home I called David Z and said “Tell Albert I am there whenever he says!”   And he ‘said’ and I ‘went’ and it was great!!”

One of those musicians was Blind Pig labelmate and leader of The Basic Cable Band on the Conan TV show, Jimmy Vivino.  Jimmy recalled first seeing Albert: “One Wednesday night I saw a flyer that said this guy Albert Cummings was coming on Saturday night to play with Tommy Shannon and George Raines …. If this Texas tornado of a rhythm section was playing, this guy must be the real deal … So I went to see them.   Of course it was the real deal and undiluted and dripping with Soul and Blues…. Real Blues.”

This album marks Albert’s return to the Blind Pig label, which released three highly acclaimed albums by him beginning in 2004.   Billboard called him “a blues star who has arrived. Cummings’ guitar work is sizzling.”   His recordings are consistent Blind Pig best sellers in the digital realm, especially his 2008 live album, Feel So Good, which Music Connection called “one of the best live albums recorded in a long time.”   One particular fan favorite has been his medley entitled “Hoochie Coochie Man/Dixie Chicken.”

Guitar Edge said of the album, “The blues is best served up live, with an enthusiastic audience and a killin’ band, and that’s exactly what guitarist Albert Cummings does, driving his audience to frenzy in all the right places,” while Blurt called it “the perfect showcase for the fiery guitarist’s axe-handling skills and enormous onstage charisma.”

Cummings sounded very enthused about the new project and the L.A. recording process when he said, “I’m tremendously excited about this CD and the team of people that will be working this record. It was such a pleasure to also work with David Z and Jimmy Vivino and so exciting to share their excitement about the potential this record has.”

Filed Under: News

Concert Review: Albert Cummings’ guitar work sizzles with red-hot blues in City Park By Susan L. …

July 28, 2014

  

Concert Review: Albert Cummings’ guitar work sizzles with red-hot blues in City Park
By Susan L. Pena

On still another perfect, impossibly cool evening, a big crowd gathered in City Park Friday night to hear singer/guitarist Albert Cummings and his trio in an evening of sizzling blues, presented by Berks Arts Council as part of the Bandshell Concert Series.

Cummings has credited the late blues great Stevie Ray Vaughan with inspiring him to get serious about the electric guitar, and he deserves comparison with his musical hero.

Backed by the excellent Warren Grant on drums and the equally accomplished Karl Allweier on bass, Cummings hit the stage running with a powerful sound in “Man on Your Mind.”

A big man who, in jeans and a gimme cap, looks like the home builder he is, Cummings commands the stage and has the perfect voice for singing the blues.

But it’s his guitar work that sets him apart. His solos, especially in the classic “Walkin’ Blues” by Son House, were just as expressive as the song itself: beautiful, complex, inevitable. You could almost hear the guitar say words as he gave the solos the rhythm of impassioned dialogue.

At times he made the guitar sound like a shrieking clarinet, or a growling baritone sax. In “Where Did I Go Wrong,” the guitar distinctly said, “Wow,” then spun like the devil.

His repertoire runs the gamut from old-style blues to rockabilly to boogie and rock ‘n’ roll, sliding from misery to celebration.

In “Party Right Here,” Cummings whipped the guitar into a frenzy; in the song that followed, he captured the mood of driving through the night with the radio on.

“She’s So Tired,” a narrative about a woman sitting in a bar, waiting for a man, showed empathy for the plight of women who are sick of “being second best.” And in “Tell It Like It Is” (George Davis/Lee Diamond), the catchy beat swept away the sad barroom mood.

The band gave a nod to Little Feat with “Dixie Chicken,” opening the second half in another partying mood. Grant and Allweier were given opportunities to show their virtuosity in solos in the pieces that came later in the show.

But the highlight was Cummings’ solo work on the down and dirty “Barrelhouse Blues,” the song written for him by Vaughan’s band, Double Trouble. His dazzling riffs and amazing effects – at times wielding the guitar like a chain saw – subsided into subtle, eloquent phrases. He is an artist through and through.

Filed Under: News

NEW SHOWS

September 25, 2013

New shows announced in Woonsocket, RI – Annapolis, MD – Jim Thorpe, PA http://artistdata.com/a/4vz8

Filed Under: News

Live Stream From Tupelo Music Hall

July 11, 2013

We will be live streaming our upcoming concert at Tupelo Music Hall, which starts at 8pm EDT on July 12. Wherever you are in the world, you can tune in! You can purchase online tickets for $5 starting now at

http://www.concertwindow.com/shows/albert-cummings

The show will not be taped – it’s offered in real time. We hope you can join us!

Filed Under: News

Albert Cummings Win Blues Festival Guide Theme Song Contest

July 9, 2013

News Flash

Albert Cummings Wins our Theme Song Contest 


On behalf of the BFG Staff we’re proud to announce that Albert Cummings is the winner of the Blues Festival Guide Theme Song Contest! We’re thrilled that his poignant song, “The Blues Makes Me Feel So Good,” will be playing when fans and industry folks are checking out the 2013 BFG Digital Magazine for the next four months. Our digital magazine is linked from our top ranking blues website www.bluesfestivalguide.com. Congratulations Albert!

Albert messaged us and shared, “Tommy Shannon (SRV) and I wrote this song. People love this song and there are a ton of live videos of the crowds yelling, ‘Blues Makes me feel so good,’ back to me on festival stages. I hope someday it becomes an anthem for spreading the message that blues is a good thing!”

Cummings grew up on a farm in Massachusetts and learned guitar from his father but turned to banjo at age 12. This country boy discovered Stevie Ray Vaughan in high school and couldn’t believe his ears. While in college in 1987 he had the chance to see SRV live and returned to the guitar with a new resolve. However, not until he was 27 did Albert finally decide to go for it.

An intense period of wood shedding resulted in Albert sharing a bill with Double Trouble, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section. So taken with Albert’s fire and passion were bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton that they volunteered to play on and produce his debut recording. In 2003 the aptly-titled, From the Heart (Under the Radar), delivers the awesome power of a Nor’easter and the soul of a natural born artist.

A year later Double Trouble joined Cummings again as he signed with Blind Pig Records to create True to Yourself, with legendary producer Jim Gaines. This album features our new theme song!

In 2006 came the blockbuster Working Man, Cummings and his sixth and latest album, No Regrets, debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. and France iTunes blues charts and No. 5 on Billboard blues charts.
…

Filed Under: News

Guitar World’s Top 15 Blues and Roots Rock Albums of 2012

December 12, 2012

  

Albert Cummings No Regrets #11

http://www.guitarworld.com/guitar-worlds-top-15-blues-and-roots-rock-albums-2012#slide-4

 

Filed Under: News

Interview: 15 Questions with Blues Guitarist Albert Cummings | by Dave Reffett

September 18, 2012

Massachusetts-born blues guitarist Albert Cummings released his sixth album, No Regrets (Buy on iTunes), August 28 through the Ivy Music Company. The album debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., Canada and France on the iTunes Blues Charts and at No. 5 on the Billboard blues charts.

When it comes to blues guitar, Cummings is the real deal, not to mention a talented frontman and singer. He has opened for countless legendary acts, including Johnny Winter, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King and others, and even recorded with Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton and Reese Wynans, better known as Double Trouble, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s backing band.

We recently hit up Cummings with these 15 questions, covering everything from his roots, new album and what it was like to work with Double Trouble.

01. How and why did you first pick up the guitar?

y dad played guitar a bit, and there was always a guitar hanging around the house, out of its case. When it’s out of its case, it’s easy to just pick it up, even for just a minute. My dad’s guitar was always too big for me to get my hands around the neck as a kid.

When I was 12, a friend of my father’s suggested I try his five-string banjo. It was a perfect fit. The neck was small, and I took off like a rocket ship, learning all the Earl Scruggs tunes I could. As my hands started to grow, I started to mess around with the guitar.

My dad showed me the G, C and D chords, and I was hooked. Bluegrass wasn’t the most popular music in those days, so with the banjo it was hard for me to find anyone to play with. I began putting a little more time into the guitar but still mostly just learning chords and progressions. I was hooked for sure, but it would still be a long time before I really dug into the guitar.

02. Who were your main early influences?

I remember being in high school and not knowing who Eric Clapton was! I was into Hank Williams Jr. and Merle Haggard. Then I heard Stevie Ray Vaughan play. At first I was convinced he was a fake. How could anyone play a guitar like that? It was his album Texas Flood, and I would listen to it over and over.

I wasn’t sure what I was hearing, but it was the first music that reached out and grabbed me. I began to learn more and more about Stevie as I went to college in Boston. One night I saw a bus with a Les Paul and a Stratocaster painted on the outside. I read the marquee, and it was Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble. I couldn’t get any of my friends to go so I went to the show myself. Stevie came out and blew me away. I remember walking out of that show saying, “Goodbye, banjo!”

03. What was your first guitar?

It was a copy of a Gibson ES-335 that I bought at a tag sale for $13. It was a real piece of junk but it was mine. My father had an old amp and I would plug my new prized possession into that thing and crank it up every time my parents left the house. I was 14 and couldn’t play anything, but it was fun pretending. The fist real guitar I bought is still the primary guitar I play today. It was a Lace Sensor Stratocaster. I was about 24, but I still wouldn’t start playing or learning anything on it until I was 27.

04. Do you have a name for any of your guitars, like B.B. King’s Lucille?

All of my electric guitars have names. My primary guitar is “CC,” named after my wife. It’s the cheapest Strat I ever bought, but it’s the one I’ve spent the most money on. A few years back I wore out the truss rod in the neck. The Fender Custom shop made a new neck loaded with bird’s eye maple for it and I love it! Fender also made me a guitar to match my primary. I call that one “Fessler,” after Greg Fessler, who built it. That’s my No. 2 guitar.

05. What was your journey like venturing out and becoming a professional musician, playing gigs, releasing CDs, etc.? Do you feel you’ve reached your goals?

I feel as though I haven’t even begun yet. I’ve only been able to put a small percentage of my time into my music. With the release of No Regrets, I plan to change that. I have overwhelming support from people around the world. I haven’t reached my overall goals, but I’ve reached many milestones along the way.

There’s nothing easy about the music business. Chris Layton from Double Trouble put it best when he said, “Life as a rock star is great for one hour a day.” My journey is relatively new, but every day I learn something new and I keep pushing on. It’s all about gaining fans one at a time and as long as I keep moving forward I am heading towards my goals.

06. What does your new release, No Regrets, mean to you? Was it hard to balance the guitar work with finding your voice in the songs? Any favorite tracks?

No Regrets is the best album I’ve done yet. It’s the first album where I really felt comfortable in the studio. It’s very hard to capture energy when that red light is on. When I first went into the studio with Double Trouble, Tommy Shannon joked that I had “red light fever.” Every time they would hit the record button, I would tense up. Tommy helped me work through that.

I’m really happy with the songs I wrote and how they came out. I see my albums as a photograph in time of where I am with my music. I look at it very simple. I try to write the best songs I can and I try to play my guitar the best I can when I work on my albums. The more experience I get with my music, the better my material and playing becomes. So I think No Regrets is my best to date. The focus is more about the songs.

07. Tone-wise, what was your recording setup like? Amps, pedals, guitars, mics, etc.?

My setup is pretty simple. A good Fender guitar plugged into a good Fender amp. I love the Fender Vibroking amp, but it’s a little too raw. I put a Vibrolux with it and keep both amps at the same volume. The Vibrolux doesn’t have the guts the Vibroking does, but it does have a sweeter sound, so the two complement each other perfectly. I’ve been pushing for Fender to make an amp that combines these two amps because it sounds so good, but so far no takers.

In the studio I used this same setup for amps. For pedals I used a Goran Fatboy for my distortion. The only other pedal I used was my Dunlop Custom Audio Wah pedal. For guitars I used my Stratocasters. I used CC and Fessler mostly. They both have my signature Tele pickup on the neck, a Texas Special in the middle and a Pearly Gates on the bridge. With this pickup combination I can get almost any sound I want, all within reach of my right hand.

08. Any tips you can share with musicians out there? And what do you do to warm up your voice?

The main tip I would share with musicians is to be yourself because everyone else is taken. The world needs new people to bring new sounds. Don’t play or sing like someone else. Just like everyone has their own voice, everyone has their own style. It bothers me to see people trying to play things like other people. I’d rather hear the original person play or sing a song than hear someone try to play it note for note. I see a lot of musicians out there that see each other as threats or competition. If you’re being true to yourself, you don’t have any competition. Just like you can’t sound like someone else, no one can sound exactly like you. Focus on your own style and develop that to its fullest.

I try to warm up my voice by singing in the green room or outside the venue. Usually my voice isn’t warmed up until I’m about five songs into my set. I’ve never had any voice lessons, so I’m not sure what I do is right. It’s the same with guitar. I had one lesson and decided it was a total waste of time. I learned to sing in basic training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. I never knew I could sing until the drill sergeants put me out in front and said, “Sing.” All of my buddies encouraged me to pursue singing and eventually I did.

09. Which players should guitarists study and learn their licks from?

The first that comes to mind is Freddie King. He has an album called Freddie King Goes Surfing. It’s all instrumentals, and it covers every rhythm you need. I spent a lot time wood shedding on that album. Of course, you have to study Stevie, but he was so far beyond good that it is frustrating to try to learn his stuff. If you look into what inspired Stevie, you can study what he studied. I always say that Stevie opened the door to the blues for me. Once you open the door, you run into Albert King, then Freddie King, then B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, etc. The cool thing about Stevie is he could play exactly like every one of these guys, but then he could always be himself and you could plainly hear the difference.

10. Here’s a question from Gene in Minnesota: What type of support or lack thereof was there in your area? Was there a blues scene? Were there bars/clubs and other artists who’d help each other out?

Where I live, there’s no such thing as a blues club. You have to drive at least an hour to get to hear any good live music. When I finally started playing gigs I immediately went to Albany, New York, to play. I developed my following there and then was able to use that to help grow my career. When I first started playing, I got to know a small group of musicians. My experience was that musicians very rarely helped musicians. I saw too much of the ego thing, and that helped me to develop my own style even more.

11. Where’d you get the idea to cover “Rock and Roll” by Led Zeppelin on your live CD?

We did that song just one time at a gig before the live album. It went over really well with the crowd. On the night of the live recording, I nodded to the drummer to start “Rock and Roll” after “Blues Makes Me feel So Good” and he looked at me like, “Are you sure?” I nodded yes and off we went. I get tons of requests to do that again and sometimes we’ll throw it in when it feels right.

The idea didn’t come from anywhere except I tend to play my sets based on what is fresh in my head. I don’t use a set list. I believe if you’re thinking, you’re stinking. If I’m traveling to a gig and I hear a song I like, I might try it out later that night. I like being on the edge and keeping it very spontaneous. It keeps the band alert for sure!

12. Any plans to cut a new live CD?

With the recent release of No Regrets, I don’t have any immediate plans for any new albums. I would love to do a live DVD/CD, but I’m not sure if I’ll do that on the next album. We’ll see how things go.

13. Where do you find your inspiration for song ideas?

All of my songs come from my life experiences. I try to write about what I know as much as I can. This makes it easier for me to be real about my music. Sometimes I write something out of the realm like “Checkered Flag” on “No Regrets.” That’s a song I wrote as if I were a NASCAR driver. I’m not sure where the idea came from as I’ve never driven a race car, but once I get an idea, I can usually put a song around it very quickly. At times I can go forever without having an idea. It gets very frustrating, but then I’ll hear someone say something or I’ll think about something and all of a sudden I have a new song.

14. Was it intimidating working with Double Trouble?

Imagine this. You’re a beginning guitar player from a town that doesn’t even know what blues is, and all of a sudden you’re in Austin, Texas, with Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon and Reese Wynans looking through the glass at you while you’re in a studio for the first time. Intimidating? That’s an understatement! I was so scared, I couldn’t even think.

They kept asking me, “Who did you listen to, who do you like?” I would say, “The only thing I ever listened to is you guys.” It was the first time the entire band was recording a full album with an artist since Stevie had passed away, so it even put more pressure on me in my own mind. I spent 19 days with those guys and it was the best education I could have ever received.

They eventually made me feel at ease and taught me so many things that I never even knew existed. One night when I was having a hard time figuring out how I wanted to play a song, I asked Tommy, “What do you think Stevie would tell me to do?” and he said, “He’d tell you to play from the heart.” I eventually named that album From the Heart. That night Tommy left for a while and came back with a wonderful surprise. He brought in pictures of Stevie before he had made it, and he brought in Stevie’s hat and some candles. He set them up around me and told me to just relax and play my guitar.

After the experience of working with those guys, I’ve always said it doesn’t matter who I play with or where I play with them, I will never feel intimidated again. It was such a valuable experience! I’m so grateful for it!

15. Where’s the best place people can find more information about you?

Visit albertcummings.com. Of course, people can find me on Facebook here.

 

 

Filed Under: News

This is a strong collection, highlighting Cummings’ considerable songwriting and guitar …

August 28, 2012

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Written by Jim Wormington

This is a strong collection, highlighting Cummings’ considerable songwriting and guitar playing skills.

Artist: Albert Cummings http://albertcummings.com/
Label: Ivy Music Company
Length: 12 Tracks, 50 mins

The drums crack, a gutsy guitar riff grabs you and, before you know it, your head’s bobbing and your toes are tapping to the catchy grooves of “Glass House,” the first track on Albert Cummings’ latest CD, No Regrets. Probably my favorite song on the disc, it’s an irresistible blues-rock entrée that will prep your music-loving palate for all that follows.

This is a strong collection, highlighting Cummings’ considerable songwriting and guitar playing skills. The songs have a very “real life” feel, touching on relationships (the good and the bad), losing and winning, the joys of driving, and finding a way to be okay with the uncertain emotional potpourri that is ordinary life. Its overall feel is positive, celebratory, even triumphant. Aptly titled.

All the soloing is good here. Some particularly nice moments on “500 Miles,” “Your Day Will Come,” and “Foolin’ Me.” What can I say? I’m a sucker for a bit of well-executed wah wah. All the tracks on this CD pop with Cummings’s emotive style not just in terms of what he’s producing slamming and bending his Strat’s six strings, but also in terms of where he pushes his simple yet soulful voice.

Cummings makes no secret of the profound influence blues icon Stevie Ray Vaughan has had, and continues to have, on him. He said (in an interview with Blues Revuemagazine editor Art Tipaldi) that Vaughan, “Opened the door to the blues for me.” Behind that door he, of course, went on to discover the guitarists that influenced Stevie—guys like Hendrix and B. B. King, Albert Collins and a host of blues greats.

That Stevie Ray tonality and combustion is not hard to hear in Cummings’ playing, but make no mistake—he’s not a Vaughan clone. Stylistically, compositionally, lyrically, and vocally he is very much a distinct entity. The musical organism that arises from this talented guitarist may be rooted in the blues, but it doesn’t mind burrowing through some rock or breathing in a little country air to find its full expression.

Cummings said, “This album is really who I am, as an artist and a man.”

All in all, it’s a solid, definitive release. I surmise, as far as maturing and improving, Albert Cummings is just getting started.

No Regrets is due to be released on August 28, 2012.

Filed Under: News

Albert Cummings No Regrets

August 23, 2012

  

Buy albert’s new CD No Regrets at one of the links below
http://www.albertcummingsstore.com/
http://itunes.apple.com/us/preorder/no-regrets/id544708659
http://www.amazon.com/No-Regrets-Albert-Cummings/dp/B008FRGDGU

Filed Under: News

Join me tonight!

August 20, 2012


Tonight on Stormy Monday Blues, Albert Cummings is in the studio with his new CD “No Regrets”. Join us at 8pm on WRPI 91.5fm or at www.wrpi.org

Filed Under: News

Albert Cummings will release his sixth album titled No Regrets on August 28th, 2012 via the Ivy …

August 17, 2012

Title – ‘No Regrets’ (Ivy Music Company)
Artist – Albert Cummings

Albert Cummings will release his sixth album titled No Regrets on August 28th, 2012 via the Ivy Music Company. Poignantly capturing the core of his influences, and displaying the impact that R&B, Rock, Soul, Country and the Blues have had on both his playing and writing, No Regrets is everything the guitarist aimed to capture when returning to the studio.

The album starts with ‘Glass House,’ a track that sets the Blues tone for what is to come, before the road song ‘500 Miles’ (and no, it has nothing to do with The Proclaimers!) and then the more sedate ‘Eye To Eye’ follow close behind. The countrified ‘Checkered Flag’ is next, and in truth, as much as it steers away from being true Blues, it is easily one of the best free-flowing tracks on the album.

Next up is the slow-churn of ‘She’s So Tired,’ the heartbreak storytelling of ‘Your Day Will Come’ and then both the sorrowful plea of ‘Cry Me A River’ and the drinking-Blues of ‘Drink Party and Dance.’

Then comes the powerhaus guitar-fest of ‘Foolin’ Me,’ before the best song on the album comes forth in ‘Where You Belong.’ A slow ballad, the only true one on the whole album, it is most assuredly a great, great song of love to behold. The album rounds out with the Blues jam of ‘Mannish Boy’ and then finally the gentle ‘Home Town’ brings the musical curtain down.

Filed Under: News

Albert Cummings No Regrets

August 3, 2012

No Regrets is Albert Cummings latest release that will be heading out to the world at the end of August. This blues album has just the right touch of rock and country among other influences to appeal to a wide range of music lovers. In the quest for an amazing musical sound, Albert Cummings (guitar, vocals) is accompanied by Dave Smith (bass), Steve Potts (drums), Rick Steff (keyboard/piano), Jimmy D. Taylor (harmonica) and all the background vocals are covered by Vickie Adkins, Kimberlie Helton and Kevin Paige. The album was produced by Jim Gaines.

No Regrets is an album that will astound and you should allot yourself a few hours of time before you start listening to it, because you will probably want to listen to it a few times once you have heard it.

If first impressions are the most important, then consider “Glass House” a marvelous one to start off this album. The guitar is just fantastic here and, if this song is any indication, it bodes well for the rest of the way. One track in and I am already blown away by the music. The good tunes keep on coming with “500 Miles,” while slowing down the tempo a bit is the sultry “Eye to Eye.” Getting things going again is the roaring “Checkered Flag” It comes out rocking and never stops. It is as energetic and exciting as its subject matter. Taking the sound in a completely different direction is “She’s So Tired,” showing off the versatile nature of music and the emotional depths that can be reached. “Your Day Will Come” marks the halfway point and the album is as strong and rocking as ever.

“Drink Party and Dance” is a celebration of having a good time supported by some killer guitar action. Following up the ode to partying, “Foolin Me” is my favorite song on the album. With its killer bass and clever and biting lyrics such as I think you’re mistaking me for someone who cares, “Foolin Me” is a top quality song that demands repeat listens. The reflective and heartfelt “Home Town” caps off the album with a healthy dose of nostalgia.

The music of Albert Cummings is categorized as blues, but categories are there more for the stores and the critics. Albert Cummings is so good that the music reaches the level of moving beyond categories and genres. It is not something to pass up. With its late August release date, Albert Cumming’s No Regrets is a good way to end the summer.

 

Key Tracks: Glass House, Checkered Flag, Your Day Will Come, Foolin Me, Mannish Boy,

Brian McKinnon – Sr. MuzikReviews.com Staff

August 3, 2012

Filed Under: News

Albert Cummings Hits the Nail on the Head with his Best Release to Date

July 29, 2012

 

Albert Cummings Hits the Nail on the Head with his Best Release to Date

By Dave Rubin

Virtuoso house-rocking guitarist, singer and songwriter Albert Cummings has fulfilled the exceptional promise of his early career with No Regrets, his sensational sixth album due out August 28. Combining his varied influences of rock, R&B, country and pop with the overriding soul and emotional firepower of the blues, he has produced a masterpiece of roots-based American music. Maturity has served him well as his vocals have acquired gravitas over time, becoming more expressive and nuanced, while his writing has reached another plateau of seamless song craft that is as stimulating for the mind as the body.

Muscular blues-rock or deep and introspective ballads provide musical nourishment within the strikingly original compositions that comprise the bulk of the performance. A fresh and vibrant cover of Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy” is proof positive that when the creative juices are flowing this freely, they transform everything they touch.

Throwing down the gauntlet to his peers in the heavyweight guitar division, Cummings blisters the strings of his Stratocaster with grace and effortless ease, while not being afraid to throttle down and demonstrate the power of taste and restraint. Most importantly, he knows how to play to the song better than ever, supporting his lyric content and vocal delivery with consummate accompaniment.

If anyone thought Albert Cummings was laying back and coasting on past accomplishments the past couple of years, they will be in for a welcome surprise when they hear his new release. More like the shock of recognition when you hear an unexpected musical triumph that is the mark of a major artist who has broken through to undeniable greatness.

Filed Under: News

Listen to ‘500 Miles’ Free Clip from No Regrets!

July 26, 2012

No Regrets, new CD by Albert Cummings OFFICIAL pre-orderAnother tease from the new album, “No Regrets”.  Don’t forget to pre-order the album here to get a signed copy as soon as it is released.

[audio:http://albertcummings.com/files/2012/07/02-500-Miles.mp3|titles=500 Miles Clip|artists=Albert Cummings]

Filed Under: News

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