 Max Hightower Captures Raw Analog Blues on New Album The Blues Chooses You Release date: october 9, 2026 Max Hightower has announced the release of his new album, The Blues Chooses You, arriving October 9 via MoMojo Records. Recorded live-to-analog tape at Nashville's The Bomb Shelter and produced by Hightower himself, the album captures the raw, unfiltered spirit of classic blues while featuring acclaimed Chicago guitarist Joe Moss. Following the release, Hightower will embark on a European tour throughout October. The 12-track collection follows Hightower's acclaimed 2025 album Nothin' But the TRUTH and blends mostly original material with inspired interpretations of Guitar Slim's "Things I Used to Do" and Johnny Shines' "I Don't Know." The sessions brought together drummer Brandon Phelps, bassist Steadman Fleetwood Sr., pianist Rob Davis, and Moss, with every track recorded live in a single room using vintage analog equipment and no overdubs. "There's a reason I called this album The Blues Chooses You," says Hightower. "I believe everybody who loves this music has a story about how the blues found them. I sure wasn't looking for it—I didn't even know what it was." After searching for the right studio following the closure of the New Orleans facility where he recorded his previous album, Hightower found the perfect setting at The Bomb Shelter. Working with engineer Jack Tellmann, the band embraced a completely live recording approach, removing isolation barriers and relying on microphone bleed, vintage tape machines, and spontaneous interaction to capture authentic performances. The sessions became as much about chemistry as musicianship. Mornings began with Joe Moss cooking breakfast before the band worked through arrangements, allowing ideas to evolve naturally in the studio. Hightower says the sweltering Nashville heat—combined with the lack of air conditioning—only added to the intensity of the performances. Rather than striving for digital perfection, The Blues Chooses You celebrates the imperfections that give blues its soul. Guitar feedback, shifting tempos, microphone bleed, and the energy of five musicians performing together were all intentionally preserved, resulting in a record that reflects the spontaneity and honesty of traditional blues recording. With its live-to-tape production, vintage sound, and heartfelt songwriting, The Blues Chooses You promises to further establish Max Hightower as one of the most authentic voices carrying the blues tradition into a new generation. The Blues Chooses You Album Tracks 1.Dedicated Fool 3:50 2. Train Smoke 4:26 3. The Blues Chooses You 5:01 4. Relationship Man 4:14 5. I Don’t Know 6:04 6. Things I Used to Do 5:53 7. Do What You’re Going to Do 3:04 8. The Hardest Thing 3:37 (dedicated to Scotty Hawkins, our old drummer who passed away) 9. Stone Cool 4:15 10. Moonshine & Magnolias 4:07 11. Sherlock Holmes 5:16 The Blues Chooses You 6:50 (extended version bonus track) Website: maxhightower.com Opmerkingen zijn gesloten.
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