Acclaimed New England-based guitarist/singer Paul Gabriel announces an August 2 release date for his latest CD, Man of Many Blues, coming from Smoke Ring Records. Produced by Duke Robillard (who also guests on the new CD), Man of Many Blues was recorded at Lake West Studio in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, by Jack Gauthier, and also includes perennial Blues Music Award nominee Sugar Ray Norcia (of Sugar Ray & the Bluetones) as a special guest.
“This is one of the most special recordings I have ever done,” Gabriel says about the new album. “It’s being dedicated to my dear friend, Georgia Louis, the great 1960s Gospel and Blues singer; and it’s also special in that this is my sophomore recording with Duke Robillard producing.”
Man of Many Blues contains 13 all-original songs featuring Gabriel backed by an all-star cast of musicians, including Robillard (acoustic archtop guitar, electric guitar); Scott Spray (a veteran of both Edgar and Johnny Winter bands), long-time Gabriel friend and band member Frank Davis and Paul Opalach (bass); Mark Teixeira (drums); Norcia (harmonica); Bruce Bears (piano and Hammond organ; Lonnie Gasperini (Hammond organ); Howard Eldridge (vocals); Christine Ohlman (backing vocals); Mark Earley (tenor and baritone sax); and Doug James (baritone sax).
“One of the most interesting things for me while recording this record,” Gabriel remembers, “was using a very special Les Paul Guitar and Fender Super Reverb Amp exclusively that delivers a very inspiring tone, (in my opinion) somewhat reminiscent of the late Michael Bloomfield, my favorite guitarist.”
Both Bruce Bears and Mark Texeira are long-time members of the Duke Robillard Band. “Many other special musical guests appear on the album, as well,” adds Gabriel, “ including vocalist Howard Eldridge, an alumni of Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy and The Blues Brothers Band; Mark Earley from Roomful of Blues; and Doug James from Roomful and The Jimmie Vaughan Band. Sugar Ray Norcia supplied magnificent harmonica, and the Beehive Queen, herself, Christine Ohlman delivered soulful backing vocals.”
Gabriel is a Blues Music Award-nominated guitarist, singer and songwriter. In March, 2018, Gabriel was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Connecticut Blues Society for excellence in guitar playing, singing and songwriting; and in July of that year, he was also inducted into the Connecticut Blues Hall of Fame as a Master Blues Artist.
Over the years, he has shared the stage with a laundry list of legends including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters Band, Mick Taylor, James Cotton, Robert Cray, Jaimoe, Gatemouth Brown, Buckwheat Zydeco, Matt Murphy, Johnny Winter, Delbert McClinton, Ronnie Earl, Toy Caldwell, Roomful Of Blues, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Band, Lonnie Mack, Mark Naftalin, Arthur Neilson, Shemekia Copeland, Bonnie Bramlett, Susan Tedeschi, Christine Ohlman, Sue Foley, Debbie Davies, Candye Kane, Tommy Castro, Joe Bonamassa, James Montgomery, Gov’t Mule, Orleans, Tower Of Power, Rick Derringer, Issac Hayes and many more.
He appeared on three Harry Chapin albums, played slide guitar on Rory Block’s Grammy- nominated album, Mama’s Blues, and toured with Michael Bolotin (Bolton). His last release, Paul Gabriel – What’s The Chance, was produced by Robillard for Shining Stone Records and was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2014. It charted on The Roots Music Report (for 22 week)s, plus the Living Blues, Blues Debut and Cashbox charts, reaching #8 nationally.
While almost always performing with a blues band under his own name, Gabriel has also been a member of several other groups that have made an impact; most notably Blue In The Face, The Mojomatics and HooDoo Band.
