Tom Principato - Robert Johnson Told Me So (2013)

Powerhouse Records is proud to present Tom Principato's 12th studio album: ''Robert Johnson Told Me So'' Joe Wells drums, Tommy Lepson keyboards & harmony vocals, Steve Wolf bass, and Josh Howell Congas, percussion, harmony vocals and harmonica, w/ guest appearances by Jim Brock drums, Willie Weeks, bass, Chuck Leavell organ + piano, Shacara Rogers, Rochelle Rice & Imani-Grace Cooper from ''Afro Blue'' vocal group, and 2 horn sections with Chris Watling baritone sax, Pete BarenBregge, & John De Salme tenor sax, Justine Miller & Graham Breedlove trumpet, and Antonio Orta alto sax. The title cut refers to Robert Johnson, who was a legendary Mississippi delta blues musician in the 1930's whose music and life are surrounded by much legend and folklore. He sang songs about women and drinking, dealing with the Devil, riding the blinds (trains), standing at the crossroads, Hellhounds plaguing his life and stones that blocked his passway. This was all done with a single acoustic guitar played with a ''bottleneck slide'', and impassioned singing about all of the aforementioned demons that haunted his life--the life of a ''drifter''. Those of us who have heard his music know that Robert's vocal articulation at first listen is not always clear and understandable--it is for this reason that I joke that it took a lot of time before I came to undersatnd exactly what it is that Robert Johnson was trying to tell me! ''Catch a train goin' down the track I don't care if I never come back. If the goin' gets tough then it's time to go Robert Johnson told me so''.