Stephen Bruton's Fifth Album "From the Five" Has Feel of a Rockin' Night at a Texas Roadhouse

Press release
Source: conqueroo/Cary Baker

New CD on New West Features Producer Ross Hogarth and Guest Performances by Bill Payne, Glen Clark and Steve Ferrone, and Co-Writes with Al Anderson, John Kilzer and Others

From The Five, the new album from Stephen Bruton which ships on July 26 on New West Records, finds the artist in high gear with a new collection of original songs -- many of them co-written with friends like NRBQ guitarist turned Nashville songwriter Big Al Anderson, Memphis rocker John Kilzer, Little Feat anchor Bill Payne, Austin player and composer Stephen Barber and Randy Jacobs.

He is joined in the studio by Payne on keyboards, drummer Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty, Average White Band) and Fort Worth pal Glen Clark (formerly of Delbert & Glen). The album's one cover is "Ordinary Man," which Bruton heard sung by Sam Moore and Junior Walker at the end of the movie "Tapeheads" and has since incorporated into his live show.

The album also finds Bruton -- a highly adept producer in his own right with credits like Alejandro Escovedo, Marcia Ball, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Hal Ketcham -- turning over the producer's chair to Ross Hogarth, whose credits include Melissa Etheridge, Ziggy Marley and Gov't Mule, plus engineering stints with R.E.M. and John Cougar Mellencamp. "It's kind of like the old adage that a doctor can't operate on himself," he says.

Although he'd be apt to answer the question of what he does for a living with the simple answer "I'm a guitar player," Bruton is equally a songwriter, singer, recording artist, record producer, actor, collaborator and something of a raconteur and provocateur. One could dub him a renaissance man, but for Bruton it's more a matter of doing what needs to be done the best it can be done.

From his Fort Worth origins -- where he played with pals like Delbert McClinton and listened to greats like Freddie King and Ornette Coleman -- Bruton headed east where he hooked up with Kris Kristofferson. He joined Kris' band and appeared in an acting role with him in "A Star is Born" in 1976. Simultaneously cutting his teeth as a songwriter, Bruton has written songs for Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, The Highwaymen, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Little Feat, Jimmy Buffett, Patty Loveless, Lee Roy Parnell, Hal Ketchum and Martina McBride among others. His guitar work can be heard on recordings by the likes of Raitt, McClinton, T Bone Burnett, Elvis Costello, the Wallflowers, Peter Case, Ray Wylie Hubbard.

The Washington Post noted: "(Bruton) has a rare gift for chorus hooks, and he plays guitar like someone who knows how to make an audience cry on one song and dance on the next." And the Fort Worth Star Telegram added: "If the saying, 'Want to improve your record a bit? Add a whole lot of Stephen Bruton" has not yet been coined, it should be."

"I really enjoy doing lots of things, whether it's playing a bit part in 'The Alamo' or playing guitar for Bob Schneider for a couple of years. And then I produce my own thing," Bruton says.

"I've got no complaints. I get to do what I love. How many people can say that? And that's worth more than anything. I'd be doing it anyway. And I've been very fortunate to do what I do for a long time."

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For media information on Stephen Bruton, please contact:
Cary Baker / conqueroo (818) 501.2001 cary@conqueroo.com
Traci Thomas / New West Records (310) 246.5766 traci@newwestrecords.com