Victor Wainwright & The Train Victor Wainwright & The Train

• 1Healing05:01
• 2Wiltshire Grave04:30
• 3Train03:35
• 4Dull Your Shine05:35
• 5Money04:21
• 6Thank You Lucille05:10
• 7Boogie Depression03:33
• 8Everything I Need05:09
• 9Righteous04:45
• 10I'll Start Tomorrow04:21
• 11Sunshine07:02
• 12That's Love To Me08:37
• Total Runtime01:01:39

Info for Victor Wainwright & The Train

It had to be a train. The name of Victor Wainwright’s new band – and the sleeve image of their debut album – is also the most fitting of metaphors. In music folklore, the train might have associations with the freight-hopping bluesmen of yore, but with this restless boogie-woogie innovator stoking the furnace, this latest project is a charging locomotive – surging forward, crashing through boundaries of genre, sweeping up fresh sounds and clattering headlong past the doubters. As the man himself hollers in the ivory-pounding title track: “If you wanna boogie get aboard this train/Get yourself a ticket or get out of the way…”

At a sweet-spot in his career, where most established stars would rest on their laurels, Victor Wainwright & The Train instead rips up all that has gone before. These twelve tracks are originals in every sense, written by Wainwright, pricking up ears in a sterile music industry and stretching the concept of roots in bold directions. “I wanted to write this new music mostly on my own,” he explains, “as it was coming and speaking to me. I believe that for roots music to grow, and reach out to new audiences, we have to push it forward.”

The result is an album that walks a tightrope between scholarly respect and anarchic irreverence. You’ll hear Wainwright twist boogie-woogie tradition on barrelhouse thrillers like Healing and Boogie Depression, both driven by his visceral piano style. But you’ll also hear him fearlessly explore the gamut of genre, from the Latin flavours and New Orleans horns of Wiltshire Grave, to the mellow near-psychedelia of Sunshine.

It’s a musical cocktail served up by Wainwright’s inimitable gravel-flecked vocal. His words can be hilarious, as on I’ll Start Tomorrow, on which he postpones his doctor’s clean-living advice. But they can also be heartfelt, on the gospel-tinged kiss-off of That’s Love To Me. “I’ve tried to write songs that remind us to love ourselves,” he considers. “It doesn’t matter who voted for who, what your religion is, who you love…”

On this white-knuckle ride, only The Train could keep the material on the tracks. “I ended up with a hit-squad of downright amazing musicians,” he reflects, “that shared my curiosity for all corners of the roots genre. We wanted to capture how we feel performing, right smack-dab on this record, and I believe we’ve done that. Now I just try to keep up.”

In truth, Wainwright has always been an artist that sets the pace. Born into a musical family in Savannah, Georgia, the formative influence of his father’s vocals and grandfather’s rolling boogie-woogie piano compelled him into a life of music. By 2005, he’d announced his talent with solo debut, Piana’ From Savannah, while his central role in Southern Hospitality and partnership with Stephen Dees in WildRoots has seen him ignite stages and stereos for over a decade. “Looking back on your career is a tough thing to do,” he says. “Challenges are many, and frequent, but when you get it together, it can also be extremely rewarding.” A man of many talents, Wainwright is a composer, producer, vocalist, piano player and award-winning entertainer. A long-standing leader of the boogie-woogie pack, he could refer you to his BMA and Blues Blast trophies, or a catalog that has repeatedly hijacked the Billboard Top 10. But rather than dine out on past glories, this questing artist would rather you joined him for the ride ahead. “Of course, I still have songs on this album that are just about kicking ass and taking names, like The Train,” he laughs. “But if you listen to the lyrics, what I’m really saying is, we got to get on the train and move forward together…”

Victor Wainwright, vocals, piano, B3, electric piano, mellotron (1), lapsteel (4), belly tambourine (10)
Billy Dean, drums, percussion, vocals (2, 5, 12), baseball bat (2), knife (2), bicycle bell (2)
Terrence Grayson, bass, vocals (2, 5, 12)
Pat Harrington, guitar, vocals (2, 5, 12)
Featuring special guests:
Mark Earley, bari & tenor sax (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11), flute (11)
Doug Woolverton, trumpet (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11)
Reba Russell, vocals (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Nick Black, vocals (1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12)
Dave Gross, ambient guitar (2), baritone guitar (9), tambourine (8, 9, 10), percussion (2), thump (6)
Greg Gumpel, lead guitar (4), wah guitar (5), vocals (5)
Josh Roberts, lead guitar (9), rhythm guitar (7)
Monster Mike Welch, lead guitar (6)
Patricia Ann Dees, vocals (6)
Jeff Jensen, acoustic guitar (12)

Victor Wainwright
Power-house blues, Memphis soul, and roots rock’n’roll. Featuring the high-octane boogie piano and big soul sounds of vocalist and blues man Victor Wainwright, backed by one of the tightest smokin’ bands on the scene; the WildRoots.

Victor, along with producer/bassist/co-writer Stephen Dees have teamed up once again to deliver a blues and American roots ‘tour de force’. In short, they have scored another musical Bull’s Eye! On the heals of their critically acclaimed debut release “Beale Street to the Bayou”; their new CD “Lit Up” is poised to ignite blues fans with a freshness and flair that’s infectious and impossible to ignore.

Victor Wainwright, singer, pianist, “hepcat” from Memphis, Tennessee by way of the Savannah, Georgia; is a raucous high-octane dynamic performer and crowd pleaser with soul to spare. After earning what he calls a "double major in Boogie, a Ph.D. in Swing and a master's in Rhythm," the "Piana' from Savannah" is making a name for himself in a big way.

Stephen Dees is a rock n' roll aficionado, touring and-or recording as bassist and vocalist for Hall and Oates, Todd Rundgren, Pat Travers, and Foghat to name a few. He was a Billboard and MTV char-tee with his band Novo Combo, and has received great acclaim for his original rock band "Bandees."

The boogie blues "piana" player and savvy pop-rocker met in 2004 in Ormond Beach FL, where they were both on the bill of a benefit concert. Very impressed after hearing each other perform and finding that they had a common love for blues, R&B and roots rock ‘n’ roll out of the '50s and 60's, such as B.B. King, Ray Charles, James Brown, Muddy Waters, Otis Redding, Louis Jordan, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard; they discussed the possibility of collaborating on an original recording project for Victor; paying homage to the music that has influenced them. Dees agreed to produce and co-write what would become Wainwright's 2005 release, "Piana from Savannah". "...it's hard to follow the speed limit while this one's playing... Pinetop Perkins would be proud." [Backstage Pass Magazine]

After the release of the “Piana’ from Savannah” CD, and some outstanding live performances, they knew they had something special and decided to forge a more enduring working relationship. Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots were born.

The WildRoots debut CD, "Beale Street to the Bayou," was released in September of 2009; launching a successful radio promotion which landed them stellar reviews as well as charting #7 on the Root Music Report “Top 50 Blues”, #2 on the Blues Internet Charts, and #8 on the Tennessee Roots Charts. In addition, they hit #4 on Europe’s Collectif des Radio Blues Charts.

“Victor Wainwright, wields a mighty left hand and a robust vocal delivery that brims with the very spirit of the blues. [Sheryl & Don Crow - Nashville Blues Society]

“Extremely diverse with great songwriting, exceptional arrangements, flawless playing and vocals soulful enough to make Otis Redding sit up and take notice” [Bill Wilson - Billtown Blue Notes]

“Victors’ piano playing is exciting and soulful, along with his strong vocals. Victor is a blues star on the rise. ” [Honey Piazza, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers]

Their follow up CD “Lit Up” will be released on June 7th, 2011 and serviced to over 600 commercial and non-commercial radio outlets in conjunction with a worldwide tour in support of the project.

Returning WildRoots alumni includes Greg Gumpel on guitar, along with Ray Guiser & Patricia Ann Dees on saxophones; and introducing Billy Dean on drums.

“Lit Up” Pure dynamite, set to explode, highly combustible, and ready to roll!

This album contains no booklet.