JOHN OATES & THE GOOD ROAD BAND ‘LIVE IN NASHVILLE’ SET FOR SEPTEMBER 18TH RELEASE
Four new originals along with covers of Mississippi John Hurt, Jimmy Rogers, Don Gibson highlight second Thirty Tigers album
LOS ANGELES, July 31, 2020—Rock & Roll Hall of Famer John Oates has had a home in Nashville for more than a decade, performing with some of the city’s most sought-after musicians. John’s Thirty Tigers debut, Arkansas, performed with The Good Road Band, was released in 2018, proving a critical and commercial success in the Americana and roots community, a combination of originals with classic songs popularized by Mississippi John Hurt, Jimmy Rodgers and Don Gibson.
“This album represents a full-circle moment for me,” said John, in quarantine with his family in his adopted Music City home. “It feels like the culmination of the Arkansas project, being able to bring these guys back, and to be able to make this record after touring and playing so many shows together.”
Inspired by Mississippi John Hurt, Live in Nashville features songs like the gospel-blues opener, “Lord Send Me,” the Delta blues of the standard “Stack o Lee” and an electrified take on “Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor,” dubbed “Pallet Soft and Low,” where John manages to show off some of his well-honed rock guitar skills. In yet another “full circle moment,” John pays tribute to his own childhood with a cover of Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me,” the first song he learned to sing and play on guitar as a six-year-old after hearing it on the radio. Several of the songs come with Oates’ own stories about the songs, connecting the dots as to their connections, including popular hits of the era like the Mississippi Sheiks’ 1930 success, “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” Emmett Miller’s 1924 breakthrough, “Anytime” and Jimmy Rogers’ 1932 classic, “Miss the Mississippi and You.”