David Gogo - Vicksburg Call (2015)

For over two decades David Gogo has been recording and performing all over the world, bringing his magnetic and accessible groove-fueled blend of blues and rock to audiences of all ages. The British Columbia based guitarist and vocalist's name has become synonymous with the Canadian blues scene, and with good reason. Vicksburg Call (September 4) is Gogo’s 14th release and is poised to add even more acclaim to an already impressive inventory. He’s earned numerous accolades, including five JUNO nominations and multiple Maple Blues Awards. He has thousands of tour miles under his belt and has played on stage with B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Bo Diddley and Otis Rush as well as opened for ZZ Top, Buddy Guy, Charles Bradley and many others.

Undoubtedly a rockin’ blues album, Vicksburg Call was recorded in a studio with a live, intimate atmosphere, which yielded an overall grittier sound with lots of feeling. "I wanted this album to have more of a “band” feel to it, rather than just going into the studio and basically dictating the parts to the musicians", says Gogo. "I also wanted as many songs as possible to have a very live feel and be easily transferrable to the stage."

With the help of his backing band consisting of Bill Hicks on drums and Jay Stevens on bass, each of the tracks on Vicksburg Call are replete with the grooves, emotion and soulful delivery that David Gogo is known for. From the opening rocker “Cuts Me To The Bone”, the bluesy “Fooling Myself”, featuring Kim Simmonds and the haunting “There’s A Hole” with a guest appearance from Shawn Hall of The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer. Vicksburg Call also highlights Gogo’s aptitude for selecting cover songs that one would not expect to hear on a blues album including Neil Young’s “The Loner”, Stephen Stills’ “Jet Set (Sigh)”, and Annie Lennox’s “Why”.

“In the time that has passed since the last album, there has been a lot of loss in my life with the passing of friends and colleagues in the world of music. There were many sad days, but also tears of joy when I think back at fond memories from my time on the road”, Gogo recalls. “Relationships can also have their ups and downs as the years pass by, and many of my new songs deal with this. I tried to write from many viewpoints of love and loss, reconciliation, regret, acceptance and hope for new horizons.”

Gogo’s passion for blues and his extraordinary, virtuosic guitar talents are laid bare alongside his emotions on this album - a combination that grabs you from the opening bars and keeps you hooked through all 10 tracks.

Tracklist:
01. Cuts Me To The Bone (3:17)
02. Fooling Myself (4:10)
03. The Loner (3:52)
04. There's A Hole (3:23)
05. Jet Set (Sigh) (4:12)
06. What's Not To Like (2:57)
07. Our Last Goodbye (6:19)
08. Vicksburg Call (5:04)
09. Coulda Shoulda Woulda (2:35)
10. Why (5:27)