Some projects are touched with a certain spirit and soulful quality. Old pros like the three of us, we still feel it as much as we ever did. And, Nelson came through like gangbusters.” ~ songwriter and co-producer Dan Tyler
“My music is a kind of roux, or mixture of rock, country, blues and R&B. My musical philosophy is to make music from the heart.” ~ Nelson Blanchard
“I find inspiration all around me. I try to make my music representative of myself and my generation. I love music of nearly all genres!” ~ Nelson Blanchard
Nelson Blanchard’s first solo recording after a lifetime in music was brilliantly produced by Blanchard, Dan Tyler and David Hyde. The diversity of genres on the album easily maintains the listener’s interest throughout. Blanchard is an excellent songwriter, as is Dan Tyler, and all eleven songs are winners, with his friends and musical guests providing excellent support.
MY HEART’S IN LOUISIANA
Rayne, Louisiana’s own, Jo-El Sonnier, makes a key guest appearance on the anthemic “My Home’s In Louisiana.” Nobody is as well respected as a bridge between the musical traditions of Cajun and country music as Sonnier. His accordion, which he began playing at four years of age, takes the song down to the Bayou.
John Schneider also makes an appearance on this song, to provide a stirring duet with Blanchard. Although he may be best known to most for his portrayal of Bo Duke on the Dukes Of Hazard TV show when he was eighteen, Schneider is a fabulous country music singer. He’s been active on the music scene for ages, releasing nine studio albums and eighteen singles. Four of his singles reached the top of the Billboard country singles charts.
A third legendary guest on the song comes with the fiddle of Texan Larry Franklin (Asleep At the Wheel, The Time Jumpers). Mr. Franklin was inducted into Texas Fiddlers Hall of Fame in 2002, and the National Fiddlers Hall of Fame in 2017. He owns three Grammy Awards for Instrumental Performance of the Year with Asleep at the Wheel in 1987, 1988 and 1999.
The vocal duet on the song penned by noted Nashville songwriter Dan Tyler works marvelously, with Blanchard’s tenor contrasted by Schneider’s deeper bass. The rhythm section is the Country Music Hall Of Famer Eddie Bayers on drums and Slim Harpo Pioneer Music Award winner David Hyde on bass. A beautiful string arrangement adds a classy elegance to top it all off. In summation, this is a song performed with loving affection for the great State of Louisiana by everyone involved.
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards – Nelson Blanchard
Lead Vocals – John Schneider
Guitar – David Grissom
Accordion – Jo-El Sonnier
Fiddle – Larry Franklin
Bass Guitar – David Hyde
Drums – Eddie Bayers
Strings – Chris Carmichael
(I’M NOT JUST) ANYBODY’S FOOL
Grammy award winning Texas based producer, session player, musician, and Austin City Limits Hall of Fame member, Lloyd Maines makes an awesome guest appearance on steel guitar on “(I’m Not Just) Anybody’s Fool.” That weeping instrument bestows a country feel with Blanchard’s vocal being warm as Southern hospitality.
The song was written by R.S. Field, the consummate songwriter and producer originally from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He moved to Austin, Texas, and played drums with the outstanding band Omar & The Howlers. He has produced records for many artists including Webb Wilder, John Mayall, Billy Joe Shaver, Casper Rawls, Justin Townes Earle and Sonny Landreth.
Blanchard’s organ smoothly guides the pretty melody along, with David Grissom’s guitar lead at the break providing an example of restrained excellence. I can visualize this song emanating from the corner tavern jukebox while couples dance in romantic embraces. The music from Nelson Blanchard’s heart certainly touches my own.
Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards – Nelson Blanchard
Steel Guitar – Lloyd Maines
Guitar – David Grissom
Bass Guitar – David Hyde
Drums – Eddie Bayers
“I’ve been playing music in bars and clubs since I was ten years old. My father owned a big club, and I was able to see artists like Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ernest Tubb, Conway Twitty, Porter Wagoner and Ray Price. So, that influenced me. I started studying music in the fourth grade.” ~ Nelson Blanchard
“A special thanks to my co-producers Dan Tyler and David Hyde! You guys are the best!” ~ Nelson Blanchard
BIG I-10
A top quality tune comes with the Dan Tyler penned Big I-10. It’s a hard driving movin’-on-down the highway song finely fueled with some Blanchard honky-tonk piano and Nashville Cat Brent Mason’s hot guitar smoking on top of the solid rhythm foundation constructed by David Hyde and Eddie Bayers. The horn arrangement supplies a potent punch to keep the song moving forward, without an ounce of brashness. Blanchard’s vocal is a rich, warm tenor with a trace of a Baton Rouge accent, that comes off fine as frog’s hair.
The song’s catchy chorus has a hook that “fills the boat.” “I’m gonna follow big I-10 through Louisiana / follow big I-10 ‘cross the Texas plains / follow big I-10 into California / maybe them, I’ll lose this load of pain.”
Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards – Nelson Blanchard
Guitar – Brent Mason
Bass Guitar – David Hyde
Drums – Eddie Bayers
Saxophone – Jason Parfait
Saxophone – Ronald Eades
Trumpet – Lacy Blackledge
Trumpet, Trombone – Ian Smith
Trombone – Chris Belleau
FAR CRY
Yet another beautiful song on this release comes with “Far Cry,” an amazing collaboration from two masterful songwriters: Dan Tyler and award winning David Womack. The song is further graced by the superior musicianship of Austin’s stalwart guitarist David Grissom (Storyville, Buddy Guy, John Mellencamp) and the incomparable skilled steel guitar master Lloyd Maines.
Nelson Blanchard’s buttery smooth vocal is assisted by some sweet female backup singers on this one. The song arrangement is a thing of perfection with Grissom and Maines making stellar contributions and the support from the rhythm section is flawless. It’s old-school Country blues with a sway that reminds me of the Ray Price records my mother used to play.
Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards – Nelson Blanchard
Steel Guitar – Lloyd Maines
Guitar – David Grissom
Bass Guitar – David Hyde
Drums – Eddie Bayers
Background Vocals – Tareva Henderson
Background Vocals – Sarah Russo
FREE BIRD IN THE WIND
“We were fortunate to secure Owen Hale for a song on the sessions. He is one of the best drummers in Nashville, and then Lynyrd Skynyrd. A true drumming legend. I heard his name my first day in Nashville.” ~ David Hyde, producer
Kentucky born Owen Hale is a versatile session drummer who in addition to spending five years playing with Lynyrd Skynyrd, has played with Robert Plant, and a who’s who list of country artists such as Patty Loveless, Toby Keith, David Allan Coe, George Strait, George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, Alan Jackson, Brooks and Dunn, Reba McEntire, K.T. Oslin, Mark Chestnut and oodles more.
It’s fitting that Mr. Hale was brought in to play on the song “Free Bird In The Wind”, a song written by Blanchard and a writing partner, Baton Rouge’s popular radio personality Scott Innes. The subject of the song is the tragic fatal Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash in 1977 that took the lives of founding member Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist and vocalist Steve Gaines, backing vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, and two pilots.
“It talks about that particular place where they crashed, and it has kind of a little rock edge and sounds like Lynyrd Skynyrd a little bit.” ~ Nelson Blanchard
Baron Rouge guitarist Ian Webster, who also boasts an impressive stage/studio resume makes his lone appearance on the release, teaming with Brent Mason, who was listed by Guitar World Magazine as one of the “Top Ten Session Guitarists of All Time” to deftly deliver some Southern Rock sensibility to the table. Nelson Blanchard’s vocal on this one proves ideally satisfying.
Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards – Nelson Blanchard
Guitar – Brent Mason
Guitar – Ian Webster
Bass Guitar – David Hyde
Drums – Owen Hale
Background vocals – Tareva Henderson
TREAT YOUR LADY RIGHT
One of the project’s bluesiest endeavors comes with the Blanchard penned, “Treat Your Lady Right.” Special guest, second-generation southern Louisiana bluesman Kenny Neal comes aboard for guitar and blues harp on the song. Kenny’s father was blues harpist Raful Neal. The legendary Slim Harpo had given Kenny his first harmonica when he was three years old. Neal is oak tree sturdy on this tune.
Blanchard provides a nice, no-nonsense vocal on this up-tempo old-school blues and the lyrics ring true with words of wisdom. *Well, you know a good woman is a precious thing / A good man knows all the joy she brings / But, do her wrong, and put her to the test / your hummingbird’s gonna fly from your nest.” The background vocalists are uncredited in the liner notes, but they provide a nice feel with their “treat her right” injections.
Neal’s guitar and Blanchard’s B-3 spar a bit on the spirited instrumental break, with nary a note wasted. The ragin’ rhythm section of Country Music Hall Of Famer Eddie Bayers on drums and Slim Harpo Pioneer Music Award winner David Hyde on bass keep step superbly. The brass on the song is tastefully arranged, not overbearing in the least. The song is a definite keeper.
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards – Nelson Blanchard
Guitar, Harmonica – Kenny Neal
Bass Guitar – David Hyde
Drums – Eddie Bayers
Saxophone – Jason Parfait
Trumpet, Trombone – Ian Smith
I’M LEAVING IT UP TO YOU
“I’m Leaving It Up to You” is a true classic song that was written by, and originally performed by, Don (“Sugarcane” Harris) and Dewey (Terry) in 1957. The song became a #1 hit on the Billboard charts when it was recorded by the duo Dale and Grace in 1963 (trivia – It was #1 in the US on the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated). Many others, such as Linda Ronstadt on her 1970 country-tinged Silk Purse and later, brother/sister act Donnie and Marie Osmond in 1974 had memorable renditions.
For the album’s highly memorable closing number, Blanchard calls on the vocal talents of his long-time friend and musical associate Tareva Henderson to be his duet partner; and the duo knock it out of the park.
“Tareva Henderson is another tremendous talent I’ve had the privilege of working with over many years. Tareva was featured as a regular on TNN’s Crook & Chase, was nominated CMA’s Best New Female Artist and had previously been a winner on STAR SEARCH, among her many accomplishments.” ~ Nelson Blanchard
The musician lineup on the song is a dream come true. The song features saxophone from the legendary Louisiana-born multi-instrumentalist Bob Henderson (Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame) in one of his final recordings. Co-producer David Hyde is on bass with Blanchard’s Louisiana’s LeRoux bandmate Randy Carpenter on drums. A truly beautiful arrangement breathes new life into this classic.
Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards – Nelson Blanchard
Lead Vocals – Tareva Henderson
Bass Guitar – David Hyde
Drums – Randy Scott Carpenter
Saxophone – Bob Henderson
Session work on Nelson Blanchard began in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Songwriter and co-producer DanTyler gives a lion’s share of credit for smoothness of production to David Hyde, the album’s co-producer with himself and Nelson Blanchard.
“A lot of the energy and ideas came from David. Those two (David and Nelson) working together are really something.
“Everybody who participated; all the great musicians, were happy to have the work, because they were sitting at home with nothing to do. And, we weren’t in a rush. We got picky about little things, just trying to do the best we could do.
“Some projects are touched with a certain spirit and soulful quality. Old pros like the three of us, we still feel it as much as we ever did. And, Nelson came through like gangbusters.” ~ Dan Tyler
“I’m so thankful to all of you who have supported me, and inspired me to finally make an album of my own! Thanks especially to my wonderful co-producers Dan Tyler and David Hyde and all the wonderful world-class musicians who performed on the album.” ~ Nelson Blanchard
