While many artists make their way to Texas so they can make the music they truly want to make in the way they have always wished to, there are certain artists who actually need to get out of the state for a bit so they can the album of their dreams. Country-rocker Shy Blakeman is one of those travelin’ souls. Growing up in Kilgore and hitting just about every honky-tonk in Texas, Blakeman showed signs of excellence well before the release of his latest (and fantastic) album, Long Distance Man. After flirting with the ”big-time” after his short stint on a past season of the reality show, Nashville Star, Blakeman realized that Texas might not be the only place around for him to make his music happen.
Full of southern rock, soul and boot stomping country, this album was recorded in Hollywood, of all places. Singer/Songwriter Ted Russell Kamp, who happens to also be the bass player for Shooter Jennings, produced the record while Blakeman enjoyed the fine studio help of Doug Pettibone (who plays guitar with Lucinda Williams) and Marc Ford (who has played with the Black Crowes and more recently, Ryan Bingham). With a serious wealth of talent such as that, its not a shock that the final product turned out to be as sweet as it is.
The disc itself is a rather mixed bag of sounds. that’s not to say that the results are mixed, however. Touches of Celtic and gospel make themselves known quite admirably as well.
While it would be easy to determine that Blakeman still holds Texas near and dear to his heart from listening to the record and the fact that he still tours so much here in Texas, the point is hammered home when Blakeman pays tribute to one of our state’s greatest musical heroes, the Cosmic Cowboy himself, the late and great Rusty Weir. Blakeman’s take on “Don’t It Make You Want to Dance” is as jubilant and identifiable as the darn-near sacred original is.
While the sonic is diverse, as is the geography of the album’s progression, the overall spirit is solidly country, Texas country to be more specific, even.
-Best Of Texas.com
After listening to this cd it becomes obvious very quickly that you’re not just "listening" to it, you’re actually being taken on an audio carnival ride that involves about 7 musical styles and a cross section of genres mixed in with a big dose of virtuosity from the musicians involved on the album. Great stuff. Though a young man in age, Blakeman has the ability of an old bluesman to live in a song and pull out everything there is to say and not just gloss over the words, there’s nothing to prove to anybody so why not nail it to the wall and give it all he has.
Though Blakeman has bounced around the country from California to Nashville, it’s Texas that has had the most influence on his musical life. Blakeman states, "It’s where I’ve lived longer than anywhere in my life, and I’m glad I lived in Texas in my most impressionable years when I was coming of age. What makes Texas music great is that it’s organic, it’s real, it’s just what it is. Texas was the launching pad for me, and what has allowed me to do this."
There are several songs on the album I liked, "So Many Honky Tonks", "Dragonfly", "Quarter To Three", "Old Folks Blues" to name a few but there was one in particular that really caught my attention. For many years I used to go to the Saxon Pub in Austin on Thursday nights and listen to Rusty Weir and I can’t tell you how many times I heard him sing "Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance", probably a thousand and that song has been covered by nearly everybody in the music business but in listening to Blakeman sing it I got that same energy and soul that Rusty always put into it and it was uncanny, eerie in a way, but in a good way. Anytime you can get that close to what the original singer intended then you’ve done something.
-Austin Music City.com
Within the horde of CDs we received last month there was one absolute winner, each song a hit. The artist is Shy Blakeman and the CD, Long Distance Man. Blakeman isnew to us, but probably not for people who frequent Texas honky tonks or even regular viewers of “Nashville Star”. He participated in 2006. But to us, Blakeman reflects the outlaw sound made famous by Waylon Jennings and Billy Joe Shaver: country and rootsy - with some outside influences from blues, jazz, and classic southern rock. And more importantly we enjoyed every single song on the CD. Completely enjoyed them; and obviously this is one of our favorite CDs of the year. It helps that Blakeman recruited an all star cast of supporting players; but he also arranged the songs to make each entertaining. The title track blends a mix of sounds including gospel-flavored backing vocals, horns, rockin' guitar, and a Hammond B-3 organ. Some songs contain swampy Louisiana blues, others southern rock ala Lynyrd Skynyrd, Late Night Early Morning is completely The Band, and Save a Little Room - a Celtic folk tale. Nice diversity. He also does a great job with Rusty Weir's Don't It Make You Wanna Dance and slows down with Cannon Ball - one of our favorites. There's to much to write in one setting about this CD, just go out and get it.
-Myjoog.com
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