Real Street Tad Robinson

• 1 Changes 04:40
• 2 Full Grown Woman 03:11
• 3 Search Your Heart 04:24
• 4 Love in the Neighborhood 05:11
• 5 Wishing Well Blues 03:16
• 6 You Got It 04:58
• 7 You Are My Dream 03:15
• 8 Make It with You 05:22
• 9 Real Street 04:16
• 10 Long Way Home 05:39
• Total Runtime 44:12

Info for Real Street

For the recording of Real Street, singer/harmonica player Tad Robinson traveled to the birthplace of Southern soul: Memphis, Tennessee. There he teamed up with Memphis music legends, organist, Charles Hodges; bassist, Leroy Hodges; and the drummer, Howard Grimes, collectively known as the Hi Rhythm Section at Scott Bomar’s, Electraphonic Recording. The results are ten glorious tracks of blues-infused and passionate soul music.

Throughout six originals and four reimagined covers, Robinson’s singing has never been so focused and fluent in the language of the blues and his subtle harmonica playing adds just the right spice to the mix.

Memphis guitarist, Joe Restivo; trumpeter, Marc Franklin; tenor saxophonist, Kirk Smothers; and current Fabulous Thunderbirds pianist, Kevin Anker round out the band on these exciting new tracks, with background vocals handled by Chicagoan, Devin B. Thompson.

From the ebullient shuffle, opener, Changes, to the poignant immediacy of George Jackson’s ballad, Search Your Heart, each song is a showpiece with the Memphis groove-makers’ interlocking parts evoking a timeless Southern soul-blues landscape made new again.

Robinson, an eight-time Blues Music Award-nominated singer, croons on the wry, self-deprecating account of the departure of his bored lover in Full Grown Woman, gets gritty and gospel-soulful on the wistful and radio-friendly, Love In The Neighborhood, and riffs and weaves his way through his joyful reworking of Roy Orbison’s, You Got It.

The Memphis veterans lay down a beautiful understated backing for Robinson’s story-telling on this collection, plucking just the right riff, chord change and color out of the Memphis air, bearing witness to their rarified status as architects of the Southern soul sound.

Real Street is an earthy, straight-from-the-gut-to-the-heart collection that fans of soul and blues music will cherish.

"There’s good reason that this album and Tad Robinson have been nominated for soul-blues album and of the year in the 2020 Blues Music Awards. It’s sensational. Pick it up. You won’t be disappointed." (bluesblastmagazine.com)

Tad Robinson, vocals, harmonica
Charles Hodges, Hammond organ
Leroy Hodges, bass
Howard Grimes, drums
Joe Restivo, guitar
Kevin Anker, Wurlitzer electric piano
Marc Franklin, trumpet, horn arrangements
Kirk Smothers, saxophone
Devin B. Thompson, background vocals

Tad Robinson
is one of the leading voices of modern soul-blues music. From his NYC roots and his Indiana and Chicago musical upbringing, Tad has caught the attention of the scene with his 10 Blues Music Award nominations and his recordings for Delmark Records and the Severn Records label. He tours widely in the U.S. and has played in over 20 countries worldwide with performances at some of the most important international blues festivals. With Harmonica chops influenced by Junior Wells and Junior Parker and a voice inspired by Otis Redding, Syl Johnson, Al Green, and Teddy Pendergrass, Tad ranks as one of the most unique and talented members of the international blues and soul communities. After being recruited by guitarist Dave Specter to join his Chicago band in the 1990s and record the studio album, Blueplicity as well as a “live-in-Europe” release, Tad has gone on to collaborate with some of the highest profile musicians in the genre. In 2004, Robinson was signed to a record deal with Maryland-based soul/blues focused Severn Records, a turning point in his career which moved him further into the blues spotlight. His last five album releases for Severn have featured backing by the great Severn house band of Steve Gomes, Robb Stupka, Kevin Anker and Benjie Porecki, and horn and string arrangements by the legendary producer-arranger Willie Henderson. The Severn output has also included guest appearances by the Memphis Horns, Otis Clay, Anson Funderburgh, Johnny Moeller, Alex Schultz, Devin B. Thompson, and the Hi Rhythm Section.

This album contains no booklet.