I have only seen Carolyn Wonderland once at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in 2010. For blues fans in the vein of Janis Joplin this is the singer for you. On her new album Peace Meal (Bismeaux), she brings the hard-won lessons of her own blessed life together with stories from some of the world’s best-known and most beloved songwriters (Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Robert Hunter, Elmore James, and Robert Johnson) to create a musical menu of sustaining, satisfying songs that offers musical food for thought to her growing legions of fans.
Produced by a stellar cast of Grammy Award winners including long-time supporter and inspiration, Ray Benson (a nine-time Grammy winner who produced Carolyn’s 2008 breakthrough album Miss Understood), two-time Grammy winner Larry Campbell (the force behind The Band drummer Levon Helm and his recent comeback) and founding Monkee, Michael Nesmith. The album was recorded at Benson’s Bismeaux Studios in Austin and also at Helm’s studio in Woodstock, NY.
Internationally heralded as one of the best vocalists in her adopted hometown of Austin (which is saying something!), Wonderland has also been highly touted as a guitar goddess and is quickly making a name for herself in her highly competitive neighborhood and far beyond.
Check out her website for some info on the new disc and where she will be touring. http://carolynwonderland.com/
Here are some pictures that I took at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, I think you can tell there is some serious blues going on during a performance.
Tags: austin blues musician, blues guitar, blues music, carolyn wonderland
