Contents: Fanbox with CD album, acoustic bonus CD, guitar slide, red bottle opener, two stickers, five postcards
The 2m blues giant Michael van Merwyk will celebrate his 2024th anniversary on stage in 40 with his new album "Blues Everywhere I Go" on Timezone Records. His music testifies to a deep connection to the roots of the blues, coupled with genuine passion and an unmistakable sound. As an acclaimed songwriter, he has mastered the art of capturing the essence of human emotion in his lyrics and expressing it with his powerful voice.
His musical journey has taken him from the streets of Memphis to the stages of Moscow, and from the vast expanses of Scandinavia to the sun-drenched Canary Islands. Van Merwyk's performances are not just concerts, but emotional experiences that take the listener on a journey through the spectrum of human emotion.
The award-winning German guitarist, slide guitarist, singer, and songwriter is a "songster" who travels from city to city, playing his songs as the soundtrack to an evening in clubs, bars, pubs, festivals, and living rooms. For his new album, "Blues Everywhere I Go," he recorded his old-school deep blues, roots music, and boogie with a host of experienced musicians, including blues legend Abi Wallenstein. The music is carried by raw rhythms, intense blues vocals, and wild slide guitars. Eight new songs penned by MvM and a cover version of Phil Wiggins' "Cool Down" tell stories of life's ups and downs and all the shades in between...just as life goes.
"Blues Everywhere I Go" is a song Michael van Merwyk wrote after observing how external circumstances dictate people's lives around the world. It's becoming increasingly difficult to make ends meet, support the family, and pay the bills, from Memphis to Moscow and from Sweden to South Africa. MvM sings about everyday worries, soothing the listener's pain, and at the end, his unique slide guitar spreads a life-affirming mood and energizes the listener to believe in a positive future.
In the intense slow blues "Raise Your Voice," MvM sings about civil courage. In these times, one simply has to stand up for human rights and raise one's voice. "Abi's Boogie" is a homage to the great Abi Wallenstein, featuring him playing his unique slide guitar. While MvM grooves to a "Bo Diddley" rhythm on "All Because Of You," taking on the perpetrator of his uncharming life circumstances, Marc Breitfelder's blues harp howls, and Abi Wallenstein's dirty slide guitar rounds out the song.
The album was recorded over two days with two different bands in two different studios. For the "Hamburg Session," Abi Wallenstein (guitar), Martin Röttger (drums), Georg Schroeter (piano), Marc Breitfelder (harp), and MvM met at Hamburg's HOME Studios. For the "Bielefeld Session," MvM joined his collaborators Ollie Gee (bass), Ollie Spanuth (drums), and the charming duo "White Coffee" (backing vocals) at the "Watt Matters Studio."
The result is an exciting, raw, and modern blues album with a distinctive voice, rich groove, and plenty of slide guitar. All with Michael van Merwyk's unmistakable musical stamp. Listeners will feel better after listening and leave their blues at the cloakroom.
01 Blues Everywhere I Go
02 I Never Really Thought About Evil
03 Raise Your Voice
04 Cool Down
05 Abi's Boogie
06 All Because Of You
07 Bye Bye Blues
08 Feel Like Going On
09 Liars & Fools
