Anthony Gomes

Paramount after 100 plus years of blues music is the indefinable spirit of deep expression beyond words and notes. Anthony Gomes, the Canadian blues guitar hero and scholar with impeccable taste, personifies that spirit. The glorious result is stunningly emotional, timeless music, including the 12 original compositions on his 13th album. Band mates Mike Brignardello (bass), Greg Morrow (drums, percussion), David Smith (keyboards) and Chris Leuzinger (acoustic guitar) kick hard while never leaving the pocket. Gomes bares heart and soul on “Come Down,” a modern work song with the startling plea “Come down from heaven B.B. King, cause this kingdom has no king.”

Guitarist/singer Anthony Gomes releases his Ruf Records label debut CD, Live, which was recorded at The Triple Door in Seattle, Washington, and it features four new songs, five songs off his previous album, Music Is The Medicine, and a sizzling cover of Led Zeppelin's 'Heartbreaker'. This album was recorded live to two-track without any musical overdubs. 'History can happen when you least expect it,' says Anthony Gomes about this CD. 'We recorded Live on a cold Tuesday winter night in Seattle…The crowd was enthusiastic, the room was dynamic and the band was electric. We couldn't help but play our best. This recording beautifully captures the energy exchange between the audience and an artist.'

Anthony Gomes is a familiar face to anyone following the modern blues scene. He has been carving out his own space as an unapologetically rock-influenced bluesman and songwriter since first coming to national attention in the late 1990s. He is that rare artist able to take the Zen simplicity of blues music, fuse it with the rush of rock and roll, and write memorable new songs that exist somewhere between creative geniuses Willie Dixon and Billy Gibbons. He stands his ground as a creative artist, not a derivative history lesson, and is eager to push the blues back into the mainstream.