Search - Doug Wamble :: Doug Wamble

Every so often, a new voice arrives that seems capable of tying together various strings of the American musical experience---roots, R&B, rock, folk---with tight, hardhitting musicianship, stick-in - your-head melodies, and vocals that drip with sweet and tart soul. Doug Wamble is that kind of artist. From the first notes of the opening track on his self-titled new release, you feel like you've known him all your life, but his sound is so fresh that the thrill of discovery remains. The ten original songs on DOUG WAMBLE blend a bounty of inspirations into a deeply personal and original sound. Produced by Lee Townsend, whose credits include Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Kelly Joe Phelps, Carrie Rodriguez, and Loudon Wainwright III, among many others, DOUG WAMBLE features guest artists such as seven-string guitarist Charlie Hunter, singer/violinist Carrie Rodriguez, and a Memphis-style horn section fronted by trumpeter Steven Bernstein, among others. David Adler of Jazz Times magazine has pointed out "a few vibrant qualities" of Wamble's music: "the rootsy purity of [his] guitar tone; the advanced content of his improvised lines; and the winsome drawl of his singing voice, but also its haunting, preacherly power." Those characteristics, and more, are abundantly represented on Doug Wamble. Many of the songs address life choices, and to bring these personal ruminations to musical life, Wamble tapped a broad array of sources: Donny Hathaway and Stax Records ("Think About It All," which features a boisterous horn section and interlocking guitar parts with Charlie Hunter); the late blues-rocker Chris Whitley ("Freezer Burn"); New Orleans jazz-funk grooves ("I Needn't Try"); and an unlikely but magical combination of Ralph Stanley and Keith Jarrett ("Oh Heaven.") Ultimately, the triumph of DOUG WAMBLE lies in the quality of those very songs, and their capacity to touch the listener in every way possible. Prepare yourself for a very important new voice.