Eric Bibb keeps it real on his upcoming album Live At The Scala Theatre and the first single Things Is ’Bout Comin’ My Way — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The followup to the blues singer-songwriter and guitarist’s 2023’s studio album Ridin’ — which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album, along with two Blues Music Award nominations — Live At The Scala Theatre will be released April 5 on Stony Plain Records, under an exclusive worldwide license agreement from Repute Records.
Performed in front of a live audience in Stockholm in 2023, the atmosphere captured in these recordings is electric. Live At The Scala Theatre contains a selection of songs cherry-picked from Bibb’s history, infused with the folk and blues tradition with contemporary sensibilities. The performance features an all-star lineup of musicians including Eric’s longtime collaborator, musical director and producer Glen Scott on bass, keys, drums and backing vocals; Olle Linder on drums and acoustic bass; Johan Lindström on pedal steel and electric guitar; Christer Lyssarides on electric guitar and mandola; Esbjörn Hazelius on fiddle and cittern; Greger Andersson on harp; Lamine Cissokho on kora and vocals; special guest vocalists Sarah Dawn Finer, Rennie Mirro and Ulrika Bibb, as well as string arrangements by Erik Arvinder and David Davidson, performed by Hanna Helgegren and Sarah Cross on violins, Christopher Öhman on viola and Josef Ahlin on cello.
“The Live At The Scala Theatre concert was, without a doubt, the most ambitious gig and recording project of my career,” says Bibb. “Captained by my super-talented friend, musical director and producer Glen Scott, and graced by an amazing array of musicians, the resulting album is one that defines me as an artist. I couldn’t be more pleased and eager to share it with you all.
“In selecting the album’s songs we wanted to cover three categories: 1) Tried-and-true fan favorites that had not appeared multiple times on previous live recordings; 2) A few songs from the recently released studio albums, Dear America and Ridin’; 3) At least one song that I’d never before recorded.”
“Things Is ’Bout Comin’ My Way, adapted from Sittin’ On Top Of The World and written by Walter Vinson, is a bluesy affirmation that resonates with my own journey. And one of my fondest memories of that night at the Scala Theatre was being surrounded by the spirited singing, on stage and in the audience, of Mole In The Ground.’ ”
With a career spanning five decades, three Grammy nominations, a multitude of awards and accolades, Bibb has secured his legacy as a legendary figure in the blues and roots genre. As Eric reflects on his musical journey, gratitude pervades. Evolution is evident in his voice and guitar playing, with his words grounded in truth and fostering a vision of unity in a world filled with divisive rhetoric. Bibb is more than a blues troubadour — he is a storyteller and philosopher. His legacy is not just in the notes he plays or the stages he graces but in the questions he poses and the hope he instills.
Live At The Scala Theatre is a continuation of the vision that informs Bibb’s artistry as a modern-day blues troubadour. Grounded in the folk and blues tradition with contemporary sensibilities, Bibb’s music continues to reflect his thoughts on current world events and his own lived experiences, whilst remaining entertaining, uplifting, inspirational and relevant. He summarizes the new album by saying: “To all the wonderful players, singers and facilitators who contributed to this triumphant endeavor, I can only say, from the bottom of my heart: Thank You! Merci Mille! Tusen Tack!”
Check out Things Is ’Bout Comin’ My Way above, pre-order Live At The Scala Theatre HERE, hear more from Eric Bibb below, and keep up with him at his website, Facebook and Instagram.
