ENTERTAINMENT BUZZ
Oklahoma Gold : Okies sing the blues
ENTERTAINMENT BUZZ
Oklahoma Gold : Okies sing the blues
By Scott Russell
TULSA , Okla . - In this second installment of Oklahoma Gold , Tulsa blues man Josh Yarbrough traveled 401 down I-40 East across the mighty Mississippi to perform the annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis .
It was a Winter night in January 2016 when Josh took to the stage to represent Tulsa and his “ one of a kind ” brand of blues performing solo at the Orpheum Juke on the famed Beale Street . Following in the footsteps of Oklahomans before him , this wasn ’ t his first trip to the IBC ; Yarbrough previously performed as front man for The Boogie – a group on the verge that sadly did not last . It was his first appearance as a solo artist and possibly the most challenging . In his words : “ I decided to go for it - the only thing left to do .” The saying goes “ No Guts No Glory ” comes to mind when you consider thousands of capable and talented blues performers world-wide .
That said , in the business of music there are those that don ’ t and those that “ do ” possess the “ thing ” that keeps you working and chipping away the obstacles to success . But with success comes a price : 11 , going on 12 years of living , winning and losing , living or dying as singer / songwriter yields anything but an easy road . Fortunately , in Yarbrough ’ s case , the gamble paid in spades when friends and fabulous players stepped up to the plate . Dave “ Stunt Drummer ” Knight on the back beat , Kat Irons on bass guitar , Chris Kyle on the keys , Garrett Heck and Josh on guitars . As it often happens , budget issues were indeed a blessing in disguise ; everything was laid down in a record unheard of - four hours . It wasn ’ t until the RCA Elvis sessions that multi-room recording was the norm . The last I witnessed the one-room method was John Cougar-Mellencamp ’ s No Better Than This engineered by Sun Records ’ James Lott .
A side note : The most known group of modern music called The Beatles was a grueling oneday , 12 hour session .
When I first heard the roughs of Memphis Bound I couldn ’ t believe my ears . Every track has its own story element that talks to anyone that hears it . One cut says it all in the title : Time to shine - and indeed every cut does exactly that .
In this the age of everything all at once , ( 1,000-plus songs released world-wide everyday !) it ’ s good to know that given time , the cream can rise to the top . Yarbrough ’ s primary influence being the one and only Freddie King , the overall musical influences speak volumes to the “ then and now ” in Yarbrough ’ s own rendition of Marty Robbins ’
“ They ’ re Hanging Me Tonight ”, while the Yarbrough original “ Cecil ” is likened to the “ Boss ” Springsteen . The success of Memphis Bound is evident and beautifully simple . If you love music there is something for everyone here that is ( punintended ) bound to get you . The entire album is available in CD and digital format from I-tunes , CD Baby , Amazon , Spotify and all other digital distributors .
As a bonus , the icing on the cake is the just completed documentary “ It ’ s The Blues- Mission To Memphis ” that chronicles the project from the beginning . Produced and directed by Patrick McNicholas , the first screening is scheduled for March 2017 at a theatre near you . If waiting isn ’ t your forte , you can see the teaser online via YouTube and Facebook .
On the chance that you are a true blues lover within 100 miles of Tulsa , catch one of Joshua Yarbrough ’ s performances and you will be a fan for life .
Once again , whether in the studio or on stage , Yarbrough and Memphis Bound proves that Oklahoma ’ s representation is standing strong in the fold .
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