by Sharon Gissy
Soul Of The Bayou once again proves that Gregg Martinez, the multi-octave vocalist with 10 records under his belt, is a seriously talented and versatile performer. Containing some covers as well as original tunes, the new album features a heartrending rendition of Johnny Adams's "I Wish I Never Loved You At All," some comedic tracks, and bluesy ballads. Martinez performs alongside many guest artists, including Charles Ventre on keys, Pat Breaux on sax, and guitarist Sonny Landreth on "That Old Wind".
Gregg Martinez grew up in the Spanish Creoles of Louisiana's Bayou Lafourche, where he developed his voice at a young age singing at local churches and bars and drawing comparisons to Sam Cooke and Luther Vandross. His vocal presence was perfectly suited to the very specific genre of swamp pop, which originated in Cajun country he hails from and combines New Orleans R & B, country, and French influence. The style was epitomized by such artists as Boogie Kings and Warren Storm.
Martinez rapidly rose to fame, as far as a contract with billionaire Donald Trump and a seven-figure recording deal, but when that bubble burst, he was content to croon the blues in his native Bayou, even being honored with performing at a funeral for Percy Sledge recently.
The national release for Martinez' new album occurs on April 29th. The tour dates appear here.
Soul Of The Bayou once again proves that Gregg Martinez, the multi-octave vocalist with 10 records under his belt, is a seriously talented and versatile performer. Containing some covers as well as original tunes, the new album features a heartrending rendition of Johnny Adams's "I Wish I Never Loved You At All," some comedic tracks, and bluesy ballads. Martinez performs alongside many guest artists, including Charles Ventre on keys, Pat Breaux on sax, and guitarist Sonny Landreth on "That Old Wind".
Gregg Martinez grew up in the Spanish Creoles of Louisiana's Bayou Lafourche, where he developed his voice at a young age singing at local churches and bars and drawing comparisons to Sam Cooke and Luther Vandross. His vocal presence was perfectly suited to the very specific genre of swamp pop, which originated in Cajun country he hails from and combines New Orleans R & B, country, and French influence. The style was epitomized by such artists as Boogie Kings and Warren Storm.
Martinez rapidly rose to fame, as far as a contract with billionaire Donald Trump and a seven-figure recording deal, but when that bubble burst, he was content to croon the blues in his native Bayou, even being honored with performing at a funeral for Percy Sledge recently.
The national release for Martinez' new album occurs on April 29th. The tour dates appear here.
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