Album Notes

Known as the “under the radar” music capital of the East Coast for some time, Portland, Maine is a tightly knit music community that allowed McCalmon to cultivate his blend of pop and soul. His R&B house band, Inside Straight, featured members from jazz/funk powerhouse Soulive, Arista/TommyBoy recording artists Rustic Overtones, even occasional appearences by members of Prince’s band. As the group’s guitar player and one of many singers, McCalmon had weekly exchanges with local greats though the music of Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, and Earth Wind & Fire. Portland’s Big Easy club never saw so much business on weekday nights as they did during their residency that attracted hundreds of fans and admiring musicians each week, a phenomenon that lasted for two years.

Inside Straight lead to work with Rustic Overtones drummer-turned solo singer Tony McNaboe (most recently of Ray LaMontagne’s band). McCalmon lent his articulate and tasteful guitar playing to McNaboe’s debut record Destination and the subsequent tour with such artists as Maceo Parker, Joe Cocker, Guster and Ray LaMontagne (who opened for McCalmon and McNaboe’s band).

Now based in Boston, MA, Ryan McCalmon is making a decisive return to his singer/songwriter roots, dusting off the acoustic to combine all the experience and influences he's gathered. The result, Come Home, is nothing short of breathtaking. Touching on the palettes of master songwriters like James Taylor, Jeff Buckley, even Brazilian bossa-nova legend Joao Gilberto, McCalmon fuses moodier, darker textures with the uplifting, affirming character of soul music to create a vastly broader range of emotional power.

Helping in the effort are two extraordinary musicians. Matt Lydon, from Boston’s acclaimed pop/rock group Averi, grounds the album with six exquisite performances on drums. Gavin Castleton, writer/producer/singer/multi-instrumentalist of Providence-based progressive rock unit Gruvis Malt, makes his mark with expansive keyboard textures and hints of electronica that, while subtle, help establish Come Home as an especially unique and effective vehicle for McCalmon’s expression.