Jonny Lang - Live at the Ryman (2010)

Guitarist Jonny Lang's first live album provides a landmark moment for the young musician. Recorded at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in front of an enthusiastic audience, Live at the Ryman clearly benefits from the concert's storied setting. In a press release, Lang calls the venue "one of those magical places where you just can't help but be inspired. I think a lot of that magic and inspiration makes its way onto this recording. It's a collection of some of the best songs from our studio recordings – only more energized, thanks to a great group of musicians and a very receptive live audience."

Guitarist Jonny Lang burst onto the blues scene in 1997 with his red-hot major label debut album Lie To Me. Recorded when Lang was a mere fifteen years old, Lie To Me would yield a pair of hit singles and rise to #44 on the Billboard albums chart. This impressive debut placed the young guitarist at the forefront of a Stevie Ray-inspired early-1990s class of instrumentalists that included Joe Bonamassa and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

It's been a long, strange slog for Lang over the past decade and a half, the guitarist releasing a handful of albums and dabbling in everything from the blues and rock to gospel music. His loyal fan base has taken the ride with him, clamoring for a live album from the dynamic on-stage performer. For those who had been patiently waiting for a concert document from Lang, your patience will be rewarded by Live at the Ryman. Recorded in the summer of 2008 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, former home of the Grand Ole Opry, the set showcases Lang at his inspired best.

Pulling material from across his career, Live at the Ryman runs the gamut of Lang's musical tastes. The faith-influenced gospel-rock of "Turn Around," from the 2006 album of the same name, is bolstered by Lang's passionate vocal turn and electrifying guitar playing. "Bump In The Road," also from Turn Around, is a slightly funkier romp with a loose-limbed rhythmic backdrop and soulful vocals.

"A Quitter Never Wins," from Lang's aforementioned debut, is a sizzling blues bonfire with heartbreak vocals and slow-burning guitar, while Lang's cover of Prince's "I Am," from 1998's Wander This World, brings the funk and the noise with a deep-cutting groove and great harmony vocals. At the heart of Live at the Ryman, though, is the smooth-as-silk ten-minute "Red Light" jam. Stretched out from its original three-minutes-and-change take on 2003's Long Time Coming, the soul-blues roots of "Red Light" are complimented by Lang's elegant, nuanced fretwork.

Live at the Ryman was recorded with a top-notch backing band that includes guitarist Sonny Thompson, keyboardist Tommy Barbarella, bassist Jim Anton, drummer Barry Alexander and percussionist Jason Eskridge. Inspired by the historic setting and the echoes of a thousand performances, Lang delivers an entertaining, charismatic, and musically satisfying live album that is certain to thrill fans, and undoubtedly add to their ranks. (Concord Records, released April 20, 2010)

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