Mighty Sam Mcclain

New Telarc signing Mighty Sam McClain is considered by many to be our greatest living soul singer. The story of his rise from years of obscurity to his triumphant return to the top tier of soul blues performers is the stuff of legend. Featuring a powerhouse horn section, Blues for the Soul, is a showcase for the Mighty One’s ever-evolving vocal and songwriting talents, and is sure to be considered one of his most masterful recordings.Produced by McClain’s longtime producer Joe Harley (whose Telarc resume includes discs with Terry Evans and Ronnie Earl), Blues for the Soul spotlights 12 original compositions…..

Sweet Dreams is the second release for Telarc by modern soul singer Mighty Sam McClain. On these 13 tracks, McClain delivers a powerful mix of originals and covers similar to one of his greatest influences, Bobby "Blue" Bland. Recording at the legendary Bearsville Studio in Woodstock, NY, McClain utlized his regular band of Kevin Belz (guitar), Bruce Katz (piano), Barry Seelen (Hammond B-3), Tim Ingles (bass), and Jim Arnold (drums) along with the addition of the Mighty Horns on several cuts, giving the album an extra funky edge.

Even Norwegians get the blues. On “Tears Of The World,” guitarist Knut Reiersrud and his band find themselves in the company of the 72-year old vocalist Mighty Sam McClain, originally from Louisiana. Together, they have dedicated themselves to the music of the deep south and have given impressive proof that, when it comes to playing hard-driven R&B, soul or blues, it's not where you come from that's important.In the context of the regular flow of new releases on the ACT label, “Tears Of The World” is patently a stylistic outlier; and yet this detour is not all that surprising, given label founder Siggi Loch's passion for the blues. In Loch's autobiography he describes the experience of what he remembers as the “wildest night” of his life - until then, at least. It was in 1962, and he was at one of the first American Folk Blues Fest…

McClain sings soul with incredible power - he knows when to pull the punches and when to cool it down. "Give It Up to Love," the title track, acknowledges his gospel roots; he performs it as a vocal prayer to God asking for wisdom, love, and strength. Bruce Katz's contributions on B-3 Hammond organ expands McClain's sound, particularly on the "Green Onions"-influenced "What You Want Me to Do." The sparsely effective arrangement on "Here I Go Falling in Love Again" brings McClain up front as he cries of being a soul stripped to the bare bones. Kevin Barry's funky bass blows while McClain declares himself as a child of God in "Child of the Mighty Mighty."

Once again, Mighty Sam McClain changes the face of the blues with his album "One More Bridge To Cross". Released on his own label, Mighty Music, the CD has a fresh sound and focuses more on Sam's powerful and heart-breakingly beautiful voice. Produced soley by the Mighty one himself, this new release is the culmination of a life-long dream. This music, like the singer, speaks passionately about life, love, faith and the simpler things in-between.

Mighty Sam McClain has never been content to rest upon his considerable reputation as a soul-blues belter. He's always expanding his musical visions and even cut a world music album with Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdat, 2010's Scent of Reunion: Love Duets Across Civilizations. Here he drops a whole lot of funk and gospel into the mix for an album that'll motivate your feet even as it lifts your spirit. McClain wrote all the tunes here with longtime guitarist Pat Herlehy, and his soulful playing throughout is a perfect complement to McClain's warm, congenial vocals. They slip into a seductive Philly soul groove on two outstanding tracks: "Tears," with an arrangement that brings to mind the work of Thom Bell with its simmering midtempo groove, and "So Into Me," a fervent love song with a simple heartfelt lyric that McClain delivers with a down to earth passion.