Today, Tuning Fork is happy to announce singer-guitarist,
With an album of assuredly unconventional originals due for release late in 2019, Rodwell’s crossover style of blues, Caribbean rhythms and psychedelia has seen him carve out a uniquely independent and critically-acclaimed career, touring internationally since 2003 and in recent years working as a producer and session man. He has appeared on iconic records for artists including NZ’s treasured songwriter, Don McGlashan, American folk-roots artist Madame Pamita and psychedelic soul legend Art Terry plus more!
Secure your tickets via the link below!
CEDRIC BURNSIDE
The Tuning Fork
Friday, May 10th
The son of prolific blues drummer Calvin Jackson and grandson of incredible blues singer/songwriter RL Burnside, Cedric Burnside has successfully carried on the tradition of hill-country-blues adapting it to modern day life. Burnside shared his moving record Benton County Relic last September which was nominated for a Grammy-award and praised for its grit “with a biting timeless flavour” (Billboard).
Burnside is a masterful performer and writer so don’t miss this opportunity to experience a long-nurtured distinct form of blues.
“By turns wild, angry, hypnotic and sensual, it’s as uncompromising as it is funky, and some of the best live music I’ve seen,” – Blues in London.
“Cedric’s music, though, is no mere retread of the past; connected intimately to his own life, each song feels like it has been hewn from his soul.” – Clash Magazine
Cedric’s blues cover a wide range of different emotions. ‘Give It to You’ is an expression of pure sexual desire, a traditional blues trope. Burnside explains, “That kind of stuff still goes on in the world today,” he says. “It has happened to me, and I’m sure it has happened to a lot more people. Whether it’s politically correct or not, it’s the truth. And that’s how I write my music. It might seem harsh or messed-up, but it’s real.”
‘Call on Me’ is a song penned for his three daughters, ages 13 to 17, about being there emotionally, if not always in person, given his hectic touring schedule. “I just want them to know, what I do is not just for the fans, but for them, too.”
The traditional ‘Death Bell Blues’ is a tribute to his own “Big Daddy,” R.L. Burnside, who used to perform the song, once covered by Muddy Waters and countless others. “I did it the same way ‘Big Daddy’ did it,” he says. “I want to let the people know where my music comes from.”
On ‘Ain’t Gonna Take No Mess,’ Cedric insists he’s performing the music he wants, regardless of what anybody else says. “I’ve been playing almost 30 years now,” he exclaims. “It’s who I am, what I am. I am Hill country blues. This is my whole life, and I’m not going to listen to anyone who tells me what I can and can’t do. I just thank God that Single Lock Records let me be with my music.”
Cedric has both played and recorded with the North Mississippi Allstars (Luther Dickinson gave him his first electric guitar), Widespread Panic, Jimmy Buffett, Bobby Rush, Hubert Sumlin, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. He was also featured playing drums alongside Samuel L. Jackson in Craig Brewer’s 2006 feature film, Black Snake Moan, which was in part a tribute to his grandfather R.L. and other iconic bluesmen.
Now planning to tour with collaborator Brian Jay to promote the new album, Cedric eschews politics in favour of the personal. “I know there’s a lot going on in the world,” he says. “But I try to give it all to God and let Him handle it. Politics divides people. The blues brings them together. A bluesman has to find a way to make it through.”
Cedric Burnside isn’t content with just making it through. On Benton County Relic, he brings the blues alive for a new generation of fans weaned on the likes of White Stripes and the Black Keys. And why not? That’s all he’s ever known.
Cedric Burnside online
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