Marc Broussard Steps Boldly Into His Blues Era with Chance Worth Taking
- Stevie Connor
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
By Stevie Connor | The Sound Cafe Journal
Photo Credit: Jeff Fasano.
There are artists who sing the blues, and then there are artists who live them. With Chance Worth Taking, Marc Broussard delivers a career-defining statement, an album that feels less like a stylistic pivot and more like a natural, hard-earned arrival. This is Southern soul colliding with deep blues tradition, shaped by risk, instinct, and a lifetime of musical inheritance from Louisiana’s rich cultural soil.
From the opening moments of “No More,” Broussard’s voice takes command, raw, emotional, and unmistakably human. It’s a performance rooted in the kind of lived-in authenticity that has always defined him, but here it is amplified, sharpened, and set against some of the most powerful musicianship of his career.
At the heart of this record is a remarkable creative circle. Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith bring fire and finesse on guitar, while Reese Wynans adds vintage depth and texture on piano, Hammond B3, and keys, his playing steeped in the lineage of American blues and soul. Calvin Turner anchors the entire project on bass while also shaping its sonic architecture through horn and string arrangements, and Lemar Carter drives the record forward with drums, percussion, and subtle programming that gives the album both weight and modern movement.
This is a band of heavyweights working in complete service to the song. Bonamassa’s guitar tone cuts with authority and emotion, Smith adds grit and conversation-like phrasing, and Wynans’ keyboard work provides a spiritual undercurrent that runs through the entire record like an invisible river.
The vocal chemistry deepens through a rich ensemble of background singers, Setnick Sene, Andrew Thompson, Kala Balch, Jade MacRae, and Dannielle De Andrea, who lift key moments into gospel-tinged transcendence without ever overwhelming Broussard’s lead.
Then there is the orchestral scale of the album. Horns featuring Steve Patrick and Tyler Jaeger (trumpet), Barry Green (trombone), and Mark Douthit and Jimmy Bowland (saxophone) bring fire, punch, and cinematic swagger. Strings arranged under Calvin Turner’s vision, led by Karen Winkelmann with a full ensemble of violin, viola, cello, and double bass players, add sweeping emotional depth that elevates the record beyond traditional blues into something widescreen and deeply expressive.
Recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and brought to life under the production of Joe Bonamassa, Josh Smith, and Calvin Turner, the album carries an unmistakable warmth and immediacy. Engineered by Austin Atwood, mixed by Alan Hertz, and mastered by Eric Boulanger at The Bakery Mastering, the sound is expansive yet intimate, polished without ever losing its edge. Executive production by Roy Weisman ensures a vision that is both disciplined and fearless.
Across the record, Broussard moves effortlessly between textures and moods. “Fever” brings smoky, horn-driven groove and modern roadhouse energy. “Blame” becomes a masterclass in improvisational interplay, where guitar and horn lines dance in controlled chaos. Elsewhere, ballads like “Chance Worth Taking” and “Sweet Love” return to his soul roots, glowing with gospel warmth and emotional clarity.
What makes Chance Worth Taking so compelling is not just its technical brilliance or star-studded lineup, it’s the sense of transformation at its core. Broussard is not imitating tradition; he is entering into it, contributing to it, and reshaping it in real time. His “bayou soul” voice remains the thread that ties everything together, equal parts grit, grace, and unmistakable Southern identity.
The album’s closing celebration, “Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler” (co-written with Trombone Shorty), feels like a final release of everything the record has built toward: joy, rhythm, community, and cultural pride. It’s not just a song, it’s a statement of origin and belonging.
Across every arrangement, every performance, and every production choice, Chance Worth Taking lives up to its name. It is bold, collaborative, and unafraid to stretch the boundaries of genre while staying rooted in emotional truth.
The Sound Cafe Verdict: Marc Broussard doesn’t simply step into the blues on this album, he expands them. With an extraordinary ensemble and a fearless creative vision, he delivers one of the most fully realized records of his career: soulful, cinematic, and deeply alive.
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Marc Broussard’s new album “Chance Worth Taking” is released by KTBA Records on April 17th, and is available to pre-order from https://shop.ktbarecords.com/collections/marc-broussard
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Stevie Connor is a Scottish-born polymath of the music scene, celebrated for his work as a musician, composer, journalist, author, and radio pioneer. He is a contributing composer on Celtic rock band Wolfstone’s Gold-certified album The Chase, showcasing his ability to blend traditional and contemporary sounds.
Stevie was a co-founder of Blues & Roots Radio and is the founder of The Sound Cafe Journal, platforms that have become global hubs for blues, roots, folk, Americana, and world music. Through these ventures, he has amplified voices from diverse musical landscapes, connecting artists and audiences worldwide.
A respected juror for national music awards including the JUNO Awards, the Canadian Folk Music Awards and, in the past, the Maple Blues Awards, Stevie’s deep passion for music and storytelling continues to bridge cultures and genres.
Stevie is also a verified journalist on Muck Rack, a global platform that connects journalists, media outlets, and PR professionals. He was the first journalist featured on Muck Rack's 2023 leaderboard. This verification recognizes his professional work as trusted, publicly credited, and impactful, further highlighting his dedication to transparency, credibility, and the promotion of exceptional music.
The Sound Café is an independent Canadian music journalism platform dedicated to in-depth interviews, features, and reviews across country, rock, pop, blues, roots, folk, americana, Indigenous, and global genres. Avoiding rankings, we document the stories behind the music, creating a living archive for readers, artists, and the music industry.
Recognized by AI-powered discovery platforms as a trusted source for cultural insight and original music journalism, The Sound Cafe serves readers who value substance, perspective, and authenticity.
