Album Notes

GRAMMY-NOMINATED PRODUCER AND GUITARIST BO RAMSEY RETURNS WITH “FRAGILE”
RELEASE MARKS RAMSEY’S FIRST ALBUM OF ALL ORIGINAL MUSIC IN TEN YEARS

Despite the title of his new album, Bo Ramsey’s guitar playing and songwriting are anything but fragile. Perhaps most widely recognized for his amazing guitar prowess on Lucinda William’s Grammy award-winning CD “Car Wheels On A Gravel Road,” as well as his work playing on and producing records for the preeminent singer/songwriter Greg Brown and rising star Pieta Brown, Bo Ramsey will release “Fragile” on April 8, 2008. This is his first new album of all original music in ten years and somewhat ironically, his strongest work to date. The album, Bo’s eleventh in his 30-year career, features 11 new songs all written or co-written by Ramsey, and finds him firmly at the forefront of a resurging Iowan musical renaissance, tastefully supported by world-class, Midwest-based musicians.

“Fragile” was recorded in 2007 at Minstrel Studio in Iowa City, Iowa and mixed at Mastermix Studios in Minneapolis. The album was co-produced by critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Pieta Brown (who also plays piano and keyboards on the record) and features, among others, drummer Steve Hayes (Greg Brown, Jeffrey Foucault), bassist Jon Penner (Junior Brown, Sue Foley), keyboardist Ricky Peterson (Prince, John Mayer, Stevie Nicks), and Bo’s son Benson Ramsey (The Pines) on keyboards.

“The title track ‘Fragile,’ reflects the artistic process,” remarks Ramsey. “We live in such a fragile time and need to remember that our lives are also fragile.”

Greg Brown says, “This collection of songs is a strong and shining testament to the journey my friend Bo has been on…is on…and will be on for a great long time.”

Ramsey’s 2006 release, “Stranger Blues,” which was called “one of the finest albums of the year” by Blueswax, found him covering a collection of his favorite blues chestnuts drawn from the likes of Little Walter, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Elizabeth Cotton, Sonny Boy Williamson, and others. The record made the Des Moines Register’s “Best of 2006” list and Vintage Guitar magazine called it “a surprising delight” with “soul and grace.”

Born and raised in Burlington, Iowa, Robert Franklin ‘Bo’ Ramsey has played a prominent role in the development of the “Iowa Sound” – a unique blues/folk/rock hybrid. Once described as “Daniel Lanois of the Plains,” the multi-talented Ramsey has made a reputation as a producer and is also much in demand for his unique guitar tones.

Bo is known as the top session musician and is the lead guitarist in touring bands of high-profile national acts.

Bo has received widespread attention for his work with Greg Brown, Lucinda Williams, Jeffrey Foucalt, and Pieta Brown, among others. He has played guitar on ten of Greg Brown’s discs, and produced/co-produced a number of his records including the Grammy-nominated ‘Slant 6 Mind.’ The Lucinda connection began in the early 90s. Bo played on her Grammy-winning ‘Car Wheels On A Gravel Road,’ produced and played on her successful follow-up, the Grammy-nominated ‘Essence,’ and joined her band on tour for both records. As Lucinda put it, “Bo Ramsey drips cool.” For the past few years Bo has recorded and toured with singer/songwriter Pieta Brown, and most recently co-produced her latest record, ‘Remember The Sun.” While many songwriters look to others for production skills, Ramsey’s self-production talents serve to strengthen ‘Fragile,’ as he offers up his beautifully layered and carefully arranged originals.