Blues legend Eric Bibb has released his critically acclaimed new album 'Ridin’', shortly ahead of an extensive headline tour of the UK and Ireland. The follow-up to his multiple award-winning, critically acclaimed 2021 album ‘Dear America’, ‘Ridin’’ is produced by Glen Scott and features Habib Koite, Taj Mahal, Steve Jordan, Tommy Sims, Harrison Kennedy, Russell Malone, Jontavious Willis as well as a host of brilliant session musicians and singers from around the globe.
The concept album draws inspiration from the oil painting A Ride For Liberty (1862) by Eastman Johnson, which depicts an African American family fleeing enslavement in the southern USA during the American Civil War. The album's themes of struggle, liberation, and perseverance and Bibb’s captivating storytelling prove once again that the blues are a powerful tool for social commentary.
Eric says: “As a songwriter, studying African American history has always been a deep well of inspiration. The true stories of my ancestors and their communities are at the heart of many of the songs on my new album - Ridin’.
“Together with co-writer/producer Glen Scott we’ve created a concept album focusing on the ongoing task of understanding systemic racism and purging it from our world. For all its seriousness, Ridin’ is a funky, groovy, hopeful collection of songs that feature stellar guest appearances by Taj Mahal, Jontavious Willis, Russell Malone and Habib Koité.
“At a time when popular political movements are attempting to delete truth from the historical record, I feel called upon to sing songs that contribute to greater understanding and much-needed unity. The making of Ridin’ has been a labour of love. We hope you’ll enjoy the journey.” Ridin’ contains the singles, 500 Miles, Family and The Ballad of John Howard Griffin feat. Russell Malone, which was released to support US Black History Month.
A two-time Grammy Award nominee with multiple Blues Foundation awards, Eric Bibb is known and revered globally for having carved his own musical destiny with honesty and power. Eric’s father, the late Leon Bibb, was an activist, actor, and folk singer who marched at Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King.
Eric’s youth was spent immersed in the Village folk scene. Names like Dylan, Baez, and Seeger were visitors to his home. He was deeply influenced by Odetta, Richie Havens, and Taj Mahal – who guests on ‘Ridin’' - and he has synthesised all of that into his very own style.
