Bobby Long has inked with New York-based independent label ATO Records. Long's debut is set for release on February 1, 2011. The album, entitled A Winter Tale, is a collection of 11 original songs from a repertoire deeply rooted in American folk, blues and country music.
The recording is produced by Liam Watson, Grammy winner for his engineering work on Elephant by The White Stripes, at his analog Toe Rag Studios in London.
Since he began performing in North America in April of 2009, Long has logged more than 150 shows (including sold-out appearances in major U.S. cities, Canada and Europe), winning over audiences with his gritty, passionate performances.
His haunting vocals, intricately woven lyrics and intriguing guitar work, not to mention his charming tall tales, have helped to cultivate a devoted fan base that has filled rooms night after night.
This year's tour schedule has also included several high-profile festival appearances, among them the Mile High Festival in Denver and the XPoNential Festival sponsored by Philadelphia's WXPN Radio, an early champion of Long's moving, personal songs.
Long, who is an accomplished guitarist, is backed by an eclectic complement of studio musicians on slide guitar, standup bass, drums and keyboards.
The selection of songs on A Winter Tale poignantly touch on a variety of themes, some of them dark, sung with Long's deep signature rasp. His distinct finger-picking style on guitar is also prominently in evidence while he is backed by an eclectic complement of studio musicians on standup bass, pedal-steel guitar, vibraphones, drums, piano and keyboards.
Included on the CD are several songs that have become associated with him over the endless months of touring, among them the guitar-driven "The Bounty of Mary Jane," the haunting imagery of "Being a Mockingbird," the anthemic "Dead and Done" ("I've already had the neighbors here, Johnny Cash came 'round and we split a beer" ") and the defiant "Penance Fire Blues" contrasted with the spare, plaintive "Who Have You Been Loving," which was embraced in its simplest acoustic form-lifted from the homemade self-released recording, Dirty Pond Songs, that was only available at his shows.
Other songs on the record include "In the Frost," which paints word pictures of scenes from Long's native England, and "A Passing Tale" and "Sick Man Blues," which are throwbacks to the traditional folk era of the 1960's. "A Stranger Song," the closer, brings to mind the wordplay of one of Long's major influences: Leonard Cohen. "Two Years Old," a finely crafted story song about the ravages of war, conjures images reminiscent of the battle scenes in the film Atonement, and the title cut, "A Winter Tale," is a driving, memorable opus that demands repeat plays.
