Dynamic Vocalist And King Of Bayou Soul Marc Broussard Has Released His Long Awaited New Album
Photo Credit: Jeff Fasano.
Dynamic vocalist and king of Bayou Soul, Marc Broussard released his long-awaited new album S.O.S.4: Blues For Your Soul recently, a collection of distinctive renditions of blues and soul classics plus one original song produced by blues icon Joe Bonamassa, who contributes mesmerizing guitar solos on four tracks, alongside longtime collaborator Josh Smith. S.O.S. 4: Blues For Your Soul is the fourth edition of Broussard's ongoing philanthropic (Save Our Soul) album series, available via Bonamassa's own Keeping the Blues Alive Records.
Each of the twelve tracks speaks to the deepest part of the soul, from the first single, a riveting take on Little Milton’s “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” to Son House's "Empire State Express," Al Green’s “Driving Wheel,” Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "Cuttin' In," Bobby Blue Bland's "I've Got to Use My Imagination" to Howlin' Wolf's "I Asked for Water" and the sole Broussard original, co-written with Josh Smith and Calvin Turner, "When Will I Let Her Go." S.O.S. 4: Blues For Your Soul is a remarkable achievement and provides a captivating showcase for Broussard's muscular and passionate singing.
The new album is another soul-stirring adventure into the music Broussard always admired. "Blues is something in my wheelhouse," he says, "But it's not really my field of expertise." But when he decided blues would make up a big part of the new addition to the S.O.S. series, he knew whom to ask for assistance: Joe Bonamassa. "I couldn't think of a better person than him. We got into the studio, and it worked immediately," Produced by Josh Smith and Joe Bonamassa, with executive producer Roy Weisman, Marc Broussard has achieved something that has all the elements of a classic album, With special guests like Bonamassa, Smith, Roddie Romero, JJ Grey, Eric Krasno, and old pal Calvin Turner, Broussard's first bandmate, it is a real-life gathering of an esteemed musical tribe.
S.0.S. 4: Blues For Your Soul delivers great music for a great cause. A portion of proceeds from this Save Our Soul Album will be donated to Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation to support youth rehabilitation through music. This includes a partnership with Guitars Over Guns, a Miami-based nonprofit that offers students from the most vulnerable communities a powerful combination of music education and mentorship.
S.O.S. 4: Blues For Your Soul also spotlights Broussard's long-running involvement in charitable endeavors. S.O.S. (Save Our Soul) is his ongoing series of benefit albums that each support a different cause for each album. Broussard explains. "I started doing cover records after being released from my first contract with a major label. I finally went independent and decided to record albums to raise funds for charity. The first of those projects was to raise money for a homeless women's and children's shelter. Second, we did an album to raise funds for a children's hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana."
"This album seems like the culmination of a process that started when I went independent," says Broussard. "It's based on believing in myself and the music my fellow musicians, and I make. I couldn't be more excited."
Marc Broussard is an artist with a unique gift of channeling the spirits of classic R&B, rock, and soul into contemporary terms. The son of Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist Ted Broussard of "The Boogie Kings," he nurtured his musical gifts at an early age in the vibrant Lafayette, Louisiana music scene. After releasing a highly successful independent EP at age 20, Broussard made his major-label debut with Carencro. The album featured the breakout hit "Home" and catapulted him into the national spotlight. That album and the others that followed revealed Broussard as a southern soul singer with both a rarefied talent and an innate stylistic and emotional authenticity that have made him one of the most indelible artists of his generation. NPR cited, "His music radiates soulful Louisiana blues, but his songs blend those influences with raucous rock 'n' roll to create unique and infectious music." Washington Times noted, "Few modern voices are as powerful as Marc Broussard's soulful, Bayou-bred baritone."
Broussard released multiple albums with major labels over the last ten years before returning to his independent roots with several acclaimed original recordings and charitable cover albums via his S.O.S. Foundation (Save our Soul).
Marc Broussard's philanthropic efforts extend well over a decade, beginning with his self-released album Bootleg to Benefit the Victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and his efforts to organize the Momentary Setback Fund to provide financial assistance to those displaced by both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. In 2015, to further his commitment to tying music to a mission, he established the S.O.S. Foundation as a conduit to raise money for worthy causes, including the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, the City of Refuge in Atlanta, and Our Lady of the Lake Children's hospital in Baton Rouge, LA.
S.O.S. 4: Blues for Your Soul is a follow-up to 2019's A Lullaby Collection SOS III, a series of standards geared towards a younger audience with the accompanying book, I Love You For You, marking Broussard's debut as an author.
TV performances include The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, CBS Saturday Morning, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival/AXS-TV, and many more. In 2019, his performance on the PBS TV Series The Kate received an Emmy nomination. Broussard's songs have been placed in numerous films and T.V. shows, including American Idol, The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance, to name a few. Additionally, he has been a featured performer on numerous recordings, including the Grammy-nominated "I Wanna Sing Right: Rediscovering Lomax in the Evangeline Country."
Blues-rock superstar Joe Bonamassa is one of the most celebrated performing musicians today. A three-time GRAMMY-nominee, Bonamassa earned his 25th No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart, with his latest studio album Time Clocks.
Cited by Guitar World as “arguably the world’s biggest blues guitarist,” Bonamassa is known for taking risks and venturing into uncharted territory throughout his wide-ranging career, and his latest studio album Time Clocks marks his most raw, rocking album yet, with American Songwriter sharing, “Bonamassa pushes into fresh territory while staying within a blues-based framework,” and “there is more than enough proof in this sprawling set that Bonamassa doesn’t intend to rest on his laurels or take his star status in the blues-rock genre for granted.” 2023 will see Joe release a lot of new music, continue to produce other artists and tackle special projects as well as a year full of touring.
Created by Bonamassa and Roy Weisman in 2020, Keeping The Blues Alive Records has proven to be a driving force in the music industry, taking on talented artists and propelling them into the spotlight. KTBA Records has released albums for many artists, including musical icon Dion’s Blues With Friends, Chicago Queen of Guitar Joanna Connor’s 4801 South Indiana Avenue and British Blues-Rock star Joanne Shaw Taylor’s The Blues Album and Blues From The Heart Live, all of which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Charts, while Blues-legend Larry McCray’s Blues Without You and Joanne’s Nobody’s Fool debuted at No. 2. Bonamassa and Weisman have been working with Robert Jon & The Wreck and Joanne Shaw Taylor as part of their vertically integrated management company Journeyman Inc to promote shows and release albums.
KTBA Records represents Bonamassa’s continuing efforts over the last 25 years to support the artistic community and reflects the philosophy of paying it forward just as so many did for him in the hope of paving the way for musicians for years to come. A portion of all the profits from this label is donated to the KTBA Foundation. To support KTBA Records mission and its talented artists.
Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation (or KTBA) is a registered 501©3 non-profit organization founded in 2011 by three-time GRAMMY nominated blues-rock artist, Joe Bonamassa. KTBA fuels the passion for music by funding relief grants and music education programs for students and teachers all over the country! To date, KTBA has supported over 88,000 students through donations totaling over $2 Million, benefitting schools in every state.
In 2020, the award-winning Fueling Musicians Program was created as a relief fund for helping touring musicians get back on the road. The program is designed to support musicians by providing financial assistance for essential living expenses such as food, shelter, medical bills, and more. To date, KTBA has helped over 350 musicians in need of support.
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