Description
Liner Notes Shawn Pittman 'My Journey'
Since releasing my first album in 1998, I have been on a road with many twists and turns and some interesting stops along the way - Like the title song of this album 'My Journey' reveals, "iif I played on the streets, or on the biggest stage..." I think of high points like getting a standing ovation and an encore as the opening act at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Opening up for B.B. King for two nights in Houston at The House of Blues. Playing the Chicago Blues Festival and having hundreds of people standing in line for an autographed CD. Playing with the Muddy Waters band at Antone's in Austin and doing a duo with James Cotton. Being a guest front man with Double Trouble in Minneapolis and many more special moments. There were also gigs where I played for tips on the street (mainly 6th street in Austin) and played at a shark auction on a pier in Bordeaux (the auctioneer would interrupt the song and speak in very fast French!). I played 3 nights a week on the Riverwalk in San Antonio for people throwing wadded up napkins at me and yelling "Play something we've heard!"
During this journey you meet people along the way that can see something in you that maybe you can't even see yourself. I have been fortunate enough to meet many people like that that have encouraged me to continue to use the gift that God gave me. Erkan Ozdemir is one of those people. We started doing tours together around 2011 and I have had the privilege of sharing the band stand with him many times in Europe and even in the USA. He is a great bass player and has raised up some amazing young men as well as musicians, Kenan and Levent. You may know them as the Ozdemirs. I am kind of like the "American cousin" to them as I have seen them grow up and felt like family. This is the second time we have teamed up on a record. The first was 'Make it Right' with Levent on drums and Erkan on bass. We have a great chemistry live and in the studio.
Hansahaus Studios in Bonn, Germany is where we worked with a great engineer Klaus Genuit (who also happens to have a great coffee bar in the studio). All of these songs I have written in the last two years aside from the one Little Milton cover 'That's What Love Will Make You Do' that I have been playing for decades at live shows. 'Somebody's Gonna Lose, Somebody's Gonna Win' written by Lewis Dickson, is my first recording of that song with a band. We had the pleasure of using The Texas Horns (Mark 'Kaz' Kazanoff and John Mills) on 'Blame it on Me'. Roel Spanjers added some great piano work and accordion on 'Heartbreak in East Dallas'. Simon Oslender added some fantastic organ work on several tracks.
I think this album might just be my favorite one of them all! Hope you enjoy!
Shawn Pittman October/2024
Musicians:
Shawn Pittman - guitar & vocals all tracks
Erkan Ozdemir - fender bass all tracks
Levent Ozdemir - drums & backgroundvocals all tracks
Simon Oslender - hammond organ tracks: 1,6,8,9,11
Roel Spanjers - piano & accordeon tracks: 3,4,5
The Texas Horns track 5
Mark 'Kaz'Kazanoff - tenor sax & horn arrangement
John Mills - baritone sax
Produced by Shawn Pittman / Levent Ozdemir / Erkan Ozdemir
Recorded May 28 & 29 2024 at Hansahaus Studios / Bonn Germany
Recording Engineer - Klaus Genuit
Mixed & Mastered by Levent Ozdemir
