Stephen Dale Petit NEW SINGLE' Soul Of A Man' Out on 22nd September 18 From Upcoming Album "2020 Visions" Out on 11 January 2019

“A magnificent musician and a powerful advocate of the blues revolution. Long may he run!”
- Bob Harris (BBC Radio 2)

‘Soul Of A Man’
Released 22nd September 2018
Featuring special guests
Shemekia Copeland & Paul Jones
These are turbulent times. Fake news, phoney leaders, political turmoil…what next? What’s real, and what really matters?
What is The Soul Of A Man?

Blind Willie Johnson first posed this question in 1930. The song was released during ‘The Depression’ when “the mood of the country had darkened”. Sound familiar? Now, some 88 years later, the sublime talent of Stephen Dale Petit has re-imagined this haunting track for the 21st Century and it’s never sounded better or seemed more appropriate. Taken from the forthcoming album ‘2020 Visions’ the single features US star, Blues Music Award winner and 3 x Grammy nominee Shemekia Copeland (Vocals) and UK Blues legend Paul Jones (Harmonica). The single and album were produced by 3 x Grammy Award Winner Vance Powell and the album cover was designed by the legendary 2 x Grammy Award Winner Klaus Voorman (The Beatles, Bee Gees, John Lennon).

“Reminiscent of the snarky sneer of The Yardbirds’ Keith Yelf or a punky meld between Jimmy Reed and Lou Reed. It’s infectious”
- CRB

At 47, Petit has walked a winding path to the peak of the contemporary scene. Born in California’s Joshua Tree desert – with some prescience, he was delivered by a passing doctor with a passion for blues – the acquisition of a Gibson SG at the age of 12 sparked a precocious ascent on the 80’s West Coast club circuit, where he jammed with titans including B.B. and Albert King.

Petit’s love of the British boom lured him to London in the 90’s for a period whose dazzling collaborations (David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Mick Jones, The Pretty Things) were offset by lost years of addiction. Thankfully, emboldened by the sharp-end experience of busking on the tube, he blazed into contention with 2008’s self-financed ‘Guitararama’ album, and began the imperious march to 2010’s ‘The Crave’ and 2013’s ‘Cracking The Code’ (bolstered by A-list guests including Hubert Sumlin, Dr. John, and Rolling Stone Mick Taylor and dubbed ‘rampant perfection’ by Classic Rock). 2015 brought unanimous rapturous reception for ‘At High Voltage’ and 2016 saw Petit on a double-headlining UK tour alongside blues-titan Walter Trout.

“I embrace the concept that blues has to change. Heavy metal, progressive rock, death metal, shred, emo…it all has its roots in the blues…there’s a lot of stereotypical blues production and strategies and ways of recording that are really cheesy. Some people seem to adhere to those strictures, and I think it sounds really stale. What I’m saying is: how about instead of going right we go hard left and up two floors? I’m more interested in finding this new way forward”
- Stephen Dale Petit

‘2020 Visions’

Released 11th January 2019

Stephen Dale Petit – Guitar & Vocals
Sophie Lord – Bass
Jack Greenwood – Drums
Shemekia Copeland – Vocals
Paul Jones – Harmonica

www.stephendalepetit.com

UK TOUR DATES 2018/2019


4th October Bull Frog Blues Club, Southsea, Hampshire

3rd November Borough Blues Club, Cwmbran, Wales

10th November Shire Hall, Howden, Yorkshire

22nd November Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

3rd March Bluefunk R & B Club, Poynton, Cheshire

11th October The Platform, Morecombe, Lancashire