The new album from first generation rock and roller Dion DiMucci is out today on all digital platforms and CD. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher, a16-track set, is an amalgam of new material, some recent offerings, as well as songs that have been part of Dion’s repertoire dating back seven decades.

The album, released by KTBA Records, as were his previous three albums, is an extension of the similarly titled book that Dion co-authored with Adam Jablin, published earlier this year. Today’s release was preceded by the video launch of two tracks: the all-new “I’m Your Gangster of Love” and a new version of the classic “Abraham, Martin and John.”

Dion discussed his vision for the album with Billboard’s Gary Graff recently, noting “I thought I would just let it run like a concert.  That was my vision; if I had to do a set with a band, I’m gonna do these 16 songs in this order,” adding, “It’s the perfect concert.”

Order the new album “The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher” HERE – Stream the new album HERE

Watch “I’m Your Gangster of Love” video HERE
Watch “Abraham, Martin and John” video HERE

Like the book, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher album is a reflection of Dion’s life journey. In the album notes he explains, “I pulled together some of the songs I discussed in the book and some of them I changed.” He describes the book as “a wide-ranging memoir in which I talk about music, addiction, recovery, friendships, God, creativity, relationships and all the important things in life from which I’ve learned important lessons.”

The album’s tracks include collaborations with Sonny Landreth, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton, the latter of whom also contributed a 600-word foreword to the album, in which he calls Dion “one of a kind, unparalleled in his achievement and stature. He is a genius singer, writer, musician and healer.” He also wrote, “He is the perfect example of how you can do what you love to do and still be available to the lives of others.” Clapton, long an admirer of Dion, also contributed the prologue to The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher book and is heard on “If You Wanna Rock and Roll,” a song written by Dion that debuted on his Stomping Ground album, released by KTBA in 2021.

Most of the album’s tracks were co-produced by Dion and Wayne Hood with the exceptions being three tracks Bob Guertin worked on with Dion, and two that were produced by Jimmy Vivino. “New York Minute,” one of several co-writes Mike Aquilina, debuted earlier this year; underscoring the hometown theme, the album also includes an updated version of “New York Is My Home.” The latter is one of two selections on the album in which the late Scott Kempner had a hand in writing; the other, written with Fern Carle, is “In A Heartbeat of Time.” Kempner was co-founder of punk rock’s Dictators and Del-Lords and partnered and performed with Dion in The Little Kings, a hard rock band who are heard on a live version of “King of the New York Streets” recorded at the Mercury Lounge in the titular city.

There’s also “Serenade/Come To the Cross,” an adaptation of the Tom Waits song “San Diego Serenade,” now melded with one of Dion’s songs of faith. Dion classics, sourced from the 2003 New Masters collection, include “Ruby Baby,” “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer,” each a career touchstone for Dion as was the later “Abraham, Martin and John.” The version included in The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher is a new version with strings and background vocals arranged by Robert Florczak. Dion spoke of the song, the original version of which was huge hit when it was originally released in 1968, telling Billboard, “It was never meant to be a political song. It’s about a state of love…”

The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher – Tracklist

1. I’m Your Gangster of Love*
2. New York Minute*
3. Ruby Baby
4. Take It Back (featuring Joe Bonamassa)
5. New York Is My Home*
6. Cryin’ Shame (featuring Sonny Landreth)
7. Dancing Girl (featuring Mark Knopfler)
8. In a Heartbeat of Time*
9. Serenade/Come To The Cross*
10. If You Wanna Rock and Roll (featuring Eric Clapton)
11. Ride With You
12. Abraham, Martin and John*
13. King of the New York Streets*
14. Runaround Sue
15. The Wanderer
16. Mother and Son*

*New recording

More information: www.diondimucci.com

Dion has set the release of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher, an album companion to his book, co-authored with Adam Jablin, of the same title for October 24 through KTBA Records both digitally and on CD. It’s the label, founded by Joe Bonamassa and Roy Weisman that has released his recent string of much lauded collaborative albums including Blues With Friends (2020), Stomping Ground (2021) and last year’s Girl Friends. The new album is preceded by today’s release through all streaming services of “I’m Your Gangster of Love,” a brand-new recording and one of six songs on the album written by Dion and Mike Aquilina. Also debuting today is a video for the song that recalls the gangland-themed movies of the ‘30s and ‘40s.

Pre-Order The New Album “The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher” HERE

STREAM “I’m Your Gangster of Love” single

The new album is a meticulously curated combination of newly written and recorded songs, reimagined versions of several Dion classics as well as a representation of newer material recorded over the last decade. Like the book, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher album is a reflection of Dion’s life’s journey.  In the album notes, he explains, “I pulled together some of the songs I discussed in the book and some of them I changed.” He describes the book as “a wide-ranging memoir in which I talk about music, addiction, recovery, friendships, God, creativity, relationships and all the important things in life from which I’ve learned important lessons.”

Among the album’s tracks are collaborations with Sonny Landreth, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton, the latter of whom also contributing a 600-word forward to the album in which he calls Dion “one of a kind, unparalleled in his achievement and stature. He is a genius singer, writer, musician, and healer.” He also wrote, “He is the perfect example of how you can do what you love to do and still be available to the lives of others.” Clapton, long an admirer of Dion, also contributed the prologue to the book version of The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher and is heard on “If You Wanna Rock and Roll,” a song written by Dion that’s part of the new album.

Among the album’s highlights are “New York Minute,” one of the Dion-Acquilina co-writes that debuted earlier this year as well as a new version of “New York Is My Home,” produced by Jimmy Vivino. It’s one of two selections on the album in which the late Scott Kempner, co-founder of punk rock’s Dictators and Del-Lords, had a hand. Kempner was cowriter of “In A Heartbeat of Time.” There’s an updated live recording on The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher that documents the time in the mid-90s when Dion fronted Little Kings, the hard rocking band that had been put together by Kempner. The version of “King of the New York Streets” was, likewise, originally recorded with Little Kings at that same Mercury Lounge gig in April of 1996 and the subject of recent audio enhancement.

There’s also “Serenade/Come To the Cross, an adaptation of the Tom Waits song “San Diego Serenade,” now melded with one of Dion’s songs of faith. Dion classics, sourced from the 2003 New Masters collection, include “Ruby Baby,” “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer,” each a career touchstone for Dion as was the later “Abraham, Martin and John.” The version included in The Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher is a new recording about which Dion writes, “I decided to record an intimate version of the song. Over the last fifty-seven years I’ve recorded dozens of versions of that song with everybody from Phil Spector and Cher to Aaron Neville and Bob Dylan. This one is now my favourite.”

The album also includes comprehensive album notes by music historian, journalist and longtime Dion intimate Gene Sculatti that are based on a recent conversation. He told Sculatti that the songs heard on The Rock ’N’ Roll Philosopher are, in essence, “an ideal set list. the songs that I’d most like to play, all together in the perfect concert.”

The Rock ‘N’ Roll Philosopher – Tracklist

1. I’m Your Gangster of Love*
2. New York Minute*
3. Ruby Baby
4. Take It Back (featuring Joe Bonamassa)
5. New York Is My Home*
6. Cryin’ Shame (featuring Sonny Landreth)
7. Dancing Girl (featuring Mark Knopfler)
8. In a Heartbeat of Time*
9. Serenade/Come To The Cross*
10. If You Wanna Rock and Roll (featuring Eric Clapton)
11. Ride With You
12. Abraham, Martin and John*
13. King of the New York Streets*
14. Runaround Sue
15. The Wanderer
16. Mother and Son*

*New recording

More information: www.diondimucci.com 

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dion follows up the release of his much-lauded recent albums Blues With Friends (2020) and Stomping Ground (2021) with a new full-length album Girl Friends out now. This new album finds Dion in the company of twelve accomplished female musical collaborators on just as many new songs. Tracks featuring Susan Tedeschi, Danielle Nicole and Carlene Carter had been previously released as singles on digital streaming platforms. New single “Mama Said” with blues queen Shemekia Copeland is available now.

Dion noted, “When I wrote this song, I knew she was the one who could turn it into a standard. Girl’s got the blues in her blood.” The latter part of his comment is a reference to the fact that Shemekia is the daughter of the late Johnny “Clyde” Copeland whose playing and singing have long been admired by Dion.

Dion’s new album Girlfriends is available to order HERE. Stream the new single “Mama Said” HERE. Watch the official music video for “Mama Said” HERE.

Shemekia Copeland said, “Dion is so special to me; it’s an honor and thrill to have been asked to collaborate with him. I mean, what woman wouldn’t want to sing with Dion? Name me one! It’s every woman’s dream to sing with Dion and my dream just came true.”

Girl Friends is Dion’s third consecutive album through Joe Bonamassa’s label Keeping The Blues Alive Records. The previous two albums saw Dion collaborate with a range of luminaries including Bonamassa, Brian Setzer, the late Jeff Beck, John Hammond, Van Morrison, Joe Louis Walker, Jimmy Vivino, Billy Gibbons, Sonny Landreth, Paul Simon, Samantha Fish, Rory Block, Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Boz Scaggs, Eric Clapton, G. E. Smith, Keb’ Mo’, Marcia Ball, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, and Rickie Lee Jones.

Dion explains the album’s raison d’être in a commentary titled “The Feminine Genius” that is included with Girl Friends. “I write about my preoccupations, and I know no better preoccupation than the female of the species. A friend of mine is a philosopher, and he talks often about ‘the feminine genius’ — the undeniable difference that’s in women and the difference that they make in the world. I’m grateful to my friend for giving it a name, because the fact has always been plain to me, but I could never put it into words.” He goes on to explain his mother was his family’s breadwinner, and that he had two sisters. He’s been married for 60 years to the former Susan Butterfield, whose is name-checked in the album’s “Hey Suzy,” and they are the parents of three daughters who, in turn, produced four more girls. He writes, “I’ve always been surrounded by the feminine genius — always living off it. Even my music has kept a tight focus on the ladies: ‘Runaround Sue,’ ‘Donna the Prima Donna,’ ‘Little Diane,’ ‘Ruby Baby.’ All those women, real and imagined, have made all the difference in my life.” He chronicles his female musical collaborators including those who joined him on his previous two albums as well as Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Cher, and Patty Smyth. 

He observes, “I’ve noticed that men play a different tune when there are women in the room — and it’s a different kind of jam when women are in the mix. I don’t know why this is so, but it is. Maybe we men, at some primitive level, are competing for their attention. As I said, I don’t know why or how. I do know it makes better music and we’re all better for it.” He concludes with an encapsulation of vision for Girl Friends, “I wanted the best music possible. So, I wrote up a batch of duets for me and my ‘girl friends,’ the women who inhabit my headphones — the women who make me turn up the volume when they drop into my radio. I invited them to join me, one by one, and here they are, wailing on the guitar and into the microphone. You’ll hear the feminine genius in every groove of this record, and you won’t forget any of it”.

Girl Friends finds Dion keeping musical company with a line-up of stellar female artists who are heard on the album’s 12 original tracks, 11 of which were composed by Dion and Mike Aquilina, with one written by Dion and the late Scott Kempner (The Dictators, The Del Lords). Joining Copeland, Tedeschi, Nicole and Carter are Rory Block, Debbie Davis, Randi Fishenfeld, Sue Foley, Christine Ohlman, Maggie Rose, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Valerie Tyson. The album was produced by Wayne Hood and Dion, who were also producing partners on Blues With Friends and Stomping Ground. Blues With Friends includes liner notes by Bob Dylan, and Pete Townshend contributed the notes for Stomping Ground. The liner notes for Girl Friends are by Darlene Love, who wrote, “I’ve been a huge fan since I was a young girl. In fact, when I sang ‘He’s a Rebel’ I was singing about outsiders like Dion. I’m a bigger fan today. I’m still trying to emulate his unique bluesy overtones. Now I’m thrilled again with these new collaborations — not just friends, but all girl friends — great women vocalist and musicians. This is just what the world needs now. These duets are riveting.”

There’s more from Dion on the horizon. He will be saluted next month by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music at Monmouth University at its second annual American Music Honors event.  Dion’s fellow honorees are Mavis Staples, Jackson Browne and John Mellencamp. Last year The Wanderer, a musical based on his life, debuted at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ and is expected to arrive on Broadway next year. Directed by Kenneth Ferrone and based on Charles Messina’s book, the initial run was the subject of critical acclaim with Broadway World calling it “a moving, no-holds-barred new musical about the glow of the spotlight, the shadow of addiction, and the triumph of the human spirit against all odds, set to the iconic sound of an incomparable era in American music.” The New York Times review noted the show “succeeds on sheer sonic strength,” with reviewer Juan A. Ramírez adding, “I was continuously charmed by this throwback-y musical and its angel-voiced ensemble.”

Girl Friends – Track Listing 

1. “Soul Force” with Susan Tedeschi
2. “I Aim To Please” with Danielle Nicole
3. “Stop Drop And Roll” with Valerie Tyson
4. “Do Ladies Get The Blues” with Christine Ohlman and Debbie Davis
5. “An American Hero” with Carlene Carter
6. “Don’t You Want A Man Like Me” with Rory Block
7. “Sugar Daddy” with Christine Ohlman
8. “Endless Highway” with Randi Fishenfeld
9. “I Got Wise” with Maggie Rose
10. “Hey Suzy” with Sue Foley
11. “Mama Said” with Shemekia Copeland
12. “Just Like That” with Joanne Shaw Taylor 

All songs written by Dion DiMucci and Mike Aquilina except #10 written by Dion DiMucci and Scott Kempner

Dion’s “Girl Friends” are:

Susan Tedeschi, the female focus of the Tedeschi-Trucks Band is a Grammy-winner, Americana Music Award winner and six-time Blues Music Award winner. She has released 14 albums both as a solo artist and with the Tedeschi-Trucks Band. Dion writes, “It’s amazing that someone so unassuming can play with such grit.”

Rory Block appeared with Dion on his Blues With Friends album. She is a seven-time Blues Music Award winner and has released albums through Stony Plain, Telarc, Chrysalis, Rounder and RCA. “She has a style that’s all her own,” writes Dion who adds, “She always manages to surprise me,” citing her “Greenwich Village attitude.” She has been recognized for her focus on the country blues idiom and is winner of the Blues Foundation’s prestigious Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Female Blues Artist.

Danielle Nicole gained prominence in her native Kansas City as part of the group Trampled Under Foot. She has gone on to pursue a solo career and is a Grammy-nominee and winner of five Blues Music Awards, three of which are for Best Instrumentalist/Bass. Dion calls her “one of the greatest singers on the planet.”

Valerie Tyson has long been a fixture on the South Florida music scene recognized in her home state as its Queen of Soul. She fronts the Valerie Tyson Band and has been lauded for her “flamethrower vocals” by the Miami Herald. Dion commented, “I call her up when I have a tune that’s 100% fun. This kind of groove requires that kind of company and it’s why I got into this business in the first place.”

Christine Ohlman, nicknamed The Beehive Queen in recognition of her distinctive platinum hairstyle, fronts NY-based Christine Ohlman and Rebel Montez. She is familiar to the national TV audience for her role as vocalist with the Saturday Night Live band for more than 30 years. Dion sees a kindred spirit in her, noting, “Christine Ohlman has Bronx soul. I have it too, so I know it when I see it . . . She’s steeped in blues and American roots music, and I’ve always loved her vibe.”

Debbie Davis is widely recognized as one of the leading guitarists, irrespective of gender, in the blues field. She has released 14 albums to date and Dion is an unabashed admirer; he calls her the “reigning queen of Chicago blues.”

Carlene Carter is the Nashville based singer/songwriter who is responsible for numerous hit songs, both recorded by other artists including Emmylou Harris, Robert Ellis Orrall, and on her own, including the Grammy-nominated “I Fell In Love,” “Come on Back” and “Every Little Thing.” She is a third-generation member of The Carter Family, and daughter of June Carter Cash and County Music Hall of Fame inductee Carl Smith. “Carlene’s voice can turn your head, and it can break your heart,” writes Dion. 

Randi Fishenfeld is a classically trained violinist who performs with the Wildfire Band and has worked with numerous name artists including Bruce Springsteen, Air Supply, Foreigner, Journey, B.B. King and Larry Harlow. Dion calls her a “violinist full of fire, passion, expression, and improvisation,” and admits to being “in awe of what she can do.” 

Maggie Rose has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry more than 50 times, though she is not wedded to the country format, exploring soul music and beyond. Dion calls her “A grand master of country, soul, and R&B,” and admits, “I had to have her on this album.”

Sue Foley has released 16 albums over the course of her career is a two-time Blues Music Award winner. The Canadian-born, Austin-based guitarist/singer appears annually at Antone’s in Austin as part of The Jungle Show that includes Billy Gibbons, Jimmie Vaughan, Chris Layton and Mike Flanigin. “It’s a dream come true to work with her,” writes Dion, adding, “I felt like I was one of the Everly Brothers.”

Shemekia Copeland is the most celebrated contemporary female blues artists, having won eight Blues Music Awards, releasing 10 albums, and being named Blues Artist of the Year in the annual DownBeat Critics Poll. The daughter of Texas blues legend Johnny Clyde Copeland has been nominated for five Grammy Awards. Dion has long been smitten and notes, “One conversation with Shemekia Copeland you fall in love with her. And this girl can sing! Girl’s got the blues in her blood.”

Joanne Shaw Taylor is the English singer and guitarist who was “discovered” at the age of 16 by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart. She is a two-time Female Vocalist of the Year at the British Blues Awards. Two years ago, Taylor recorded The Blues Album, produced by Joe Bonamassa for Keeping The Blues Alive Records. Dion calls her a “one-woman British Invasion” and wrote that he’s long been “a crazed fan” of hers.

More information at www.diondimucci.com

The past few years have been some of the most productive over the course of Dion’s storied career that spans multiple eras in music, culture and consciousness. Today’s release “Soul Force” featuring powerhouse Susan Tedeschi, underscores his renewed and ongoing creative drive. This is the second single released from Dion’s upcoming new album of all original penned tracks, Girl Friends, showcasing powerful female collaborators. The first single “An American Hero” with Carlene Carter dropped back in October and paved the way for this new collection of songs. Girl Friends, slated for March 8, is his third consecutive album through blues rock titan Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping The Blues Alive Records.

Pre-Order Dion’s New Album ‘Girl Friends’
Stream New Single “Soul Force” with Susan Tedeschi

Dion explains, “I’ve noticed that men play a different tune when there are women in the room — and it’s a different kind of jam when women are in the mix. I don’t know why this is so, but it is. Maybe we men, at some primitive level, are competing for their attention. As I said, I don’t know why or how. I do know it makes better music and we’re all better for it.” He concludes with an encapsulation of vision for Girl Friends,

“I wanted the best music possible. So, I wrote up a batch of duets for me and my ‘girl friends,’ the women who inhabit my headphones — the women who make me turn up the volume when they drop into my radio. I invited them to join me, one by one, and here they are, wailing on the guitar and into the microphone. You’ll hear the feminine genius in every groove of this record, and you won’t forget any of it”.

Girl Friends finds Dion keeping musical company with a line-up of stellar female artists who are heard on the album’s 12 original tracks, 11 of which were composed by Dion and Mike Aquilina with one written by Dion and the late Scott Kempner (The Dictators, The Del Lords). Joining Tedeschi and Carter are Rory Block, Shemekia Copeland, Debbie Davis, Randi Fishenfeld, Sue Foley, Danielle Nicole, Christine Ohlman, Maggie Rose, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Valerie Tyson. The album was produced by Wayne Hood and Dion, who were also producing partners on Blues With Friends and Stomping Ground.

Girl Friends includes liner notes by Darlene Love who commented, “I’ve been a huge fan since I was a young girl. In fact, when I sang ‘He’s a Rebel’ I was singing about outsiders like Dion. I’m a bigger fan today. I’m still trying to emulate his unique bluesy overtones. Now I’m thrilled again with these new collaborations — not just friends, but all girl friends — great women vocalist and musicians. This is just what the world needs now. These duets are riveting.”

Dion explains the album’s raison d’être in a commentary titled “The Feminine Genius” that is included in the Girl Friends packaging. “I write about my preoccupations, and I know no better preoccupation than the female of the species. A friend of mine is a philosopher, and he talks often about ‘the feminine genius’ — the undeniable difference that’s in women and the difference that they make in the world. I’m grateful to my friend for giving it a name, because the fact has always been plain to me, but I could never put it into words.” He goes on to explain his mother was his family’s breadwinner, and that he had two sisters. He’s been married for 60 years to the former Susan Butterfield, who is name checked in the album’s “Hey Suzy,” and they are the parents of three daughters who, in turn, produced four more girls. He writes, “I’ve always been surrounded by the feminine genius — always living off it. Even my music has kept a tight focus on the ladies: ‘Runaround Sue,’ ‘Donna the Prima Donna,’ ‘Little Diane,’ ‘Ruby Baby.’ All those women, real and imagined, have made all the difference in my life.” He chronicles his female musical collaborators including those who joined him on his previous two albums as well as Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Cher and Patty Smyth.

This release follows his wildly successful Blues With Friends (2020) and Stomping Ground (2021) albums. Those two albums, with liner notes by Bob Dylan and Pete Townshend, respectively, include musical contributions from music royalty and icons Joe Bonamassa, Brian Setzer, the late Jeff Beck, John Hammond, Van Morrison, Joe Louis Walker, Jimmy Vivino, Billy Gibbons, Sonny Landreth, Paul Simon, Samantha Fish, Rory Block, Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Boz Scaggs, Eric Clapton, G. E. Smith, Keb’ Mo’, Marcia Ball, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton and Rickie Lee Jones.

There’s more from Dion on the horizon. Last year, The Wanderer, a musical based on his life debuted at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ and is expected to arrive on Broadway next year. Directed by Kenneth Ferrone and based on Charles Messina’s book, the initial run was the subject of critical acclaim with Broadway World calling it “a moving, no-holds-barred new musical about the glow of the spotlight, the shadow of addiction, and the triumph of the human spirit against all odds, set to the iconic sound of an incomparable era in American music.” The New York Times review noted the show “succeeds on sheer sonic strength,” with reviewer Juan A. Ramírez adding, “I was continuously charmed by this throwback-y musical and its angel-voiced ensemble.”

Girl Friends – Track Listing

1. Soul Force with Susan Tedeschi
2. I Aim To Please with Danielle Nicole
3. Stop Drop And Roll with Valerie Tyson
4. Do Ladies Get The Blues with Christine Ohlman and Debbie Davis
5. An American Hero with Carlene Carter
6. Don’t You Want A Man Like Me with Rory Block
7. Sugar Daddy with Christine Ohlman
8. Endless Highway with Randi Fishenfeld
9. I Got Wise with Maggie Rose
10. Hey Suzy with Sue Foley
11. Mama Said with Shemekia Copeland
12. Just Like That with Joanne Shaw Taylor

All songs written by Dion Dimucci and Mike Aquilina except #10 written by Dion Dimucci and Scott Kempner.

Dion’s “Girl Friends” are:

Susan Tedeschi, the female focus of the Tedeschi-Trucks Band is a Grammy-winner, Americana Music Award winner and six-time Blues Music Award winner. She has released 14 albums both as a solo artist and with the Tedeschi-Trucks Band. Dion writes, “It’s amazing that someone so unassuming can play with such grit.”

Danielle Nicole gained prominence in her native Kansas City as part of the group Trampled Under Foot. She has gone on to pursue a solo career and is a Grammy-nominee and winner of five Blues Music Awards, three of which are for Best Instrumentalist/Bass. Dion calls her “one of the greatest singers on the planet.”

Valerie Tyson has long been a fixture on the South Florida music scene recognized in her home state as its Queen of Soul. She fronts the Valerie Tyson Band and has been lauded for her “flamethrower vocals” by the Miami Herald. Dion commented, “I call her up when I have a tune that’s 100% fun. This kind of groove requires that kind of company and it’s why I got into this business in the first place.”

Christine Ohlman is nicknamed The Beehive Queen in recognition of her distinctive platinum hairstyle, fronts NY-based Christine Ohlman and Rebel Montez. She is familiar to the national TV audience for her role as vocalist with the Saturday Night Live band for more than 30 years. Dion sees a kindred spirit in her, noting, “Christine Ohlman has Bronx soul. I have it too, so I know it when I see it . . . She’s steeped in blues and American roots music, and I’ve always loved her vibe.”

Debbie Davis is widely recognized as one of the leading guitarists, irrespective of gender, in the blues field. She has released 14 albums to date and Dion is an unabashed admirer; he calls her the “reigning queen of Chicago blues.”

Carlene Carter is the Nashville based singer/songwriter who is responsible for numerous hit songs, both recorded by other artists including Emmylou Harris, Robert Ellis Orrall, and on her own, including the Grammy-nominated “I Fell In Love,” “Come on Back” and “Every Little Thing.” She is a third-generation member of The Carter Family, and daughter of June Carter Cash and County Music Hall of Fame inductee Carl Smith. “Carlene’s voice can turn your head, and it can break your heart,” writes Dion.

Rory Block has been recognized for her focus on the country blues idiom and is winner of the Blues Foundation’s prestigious Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Female Blues Artist. She appeared with Dion on his Blues With Friends album. She is a seven-time Blues Music Award winner and has released albums through Stony Plain, Telarc, Chrysalis, Rounder and RCA. “She has a style that’s all her own,” writes Dion who adds, “She always manages to surprise me,” citing her “Greenwich Village attitude.”

Randi Fishenfeld is a classically trained violinist who performs with the Wildfire Band and has worked with numerous name artists including Bruce Springsteen, Air Supply, Foreigner, Journey, B.B. King and Larry Harlow. Dion calls her a “violinist full of fire, passion, expression, and improvisation,” and admits to being “in awe of what she can do.”

Maggie Rose has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry more than 50 times, though she is not wedded to the country format, exploring soul music and beyond. Dion calls her “A grand master of country, soul, and R&B,” and admits, “I had to have her on this album.”

Sue Foley has released 16 albums over the course of her career is a two-time Blues Music Award winner. The Canadian-born, Austin-based guitarist/singer appears annually at Antone’s in Austin as part of The Jungle Show that includes Billy Gibbons, Jimmie Vaughan, Chris Layton and Mike Flanigin. “It’s a dream come true to work with her,” writes Dion, adding, “I felt like I was one of the Everly Brothers.”

Shemekia Copeland is the most celebrated contemporary female blues artists, having won eight Blues Music Awards, releasing 10 albums, and being named Blues Artist of the Year in the annual DownBeat Critics Poll. The daughter of Texas blues legend Johnny Clyde Copeland has been nominated for five Grammy Awards. Dion has long been smitten and notes, “One conversation with Shemekia Copeland you fall in love with her. And this girl can sing! Girl has got the blues in her blood.”

Joanne Shaw Taylor is the English singer and guitarist who was “discovered” at the age of 16 by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart. She is a two-time Female Vocalist of the Year at the British Blues Awards. Taylor recorded and released her last three albums for Keeping The Blues Alive Records and gaining two #1 Billboard Blues albums. Dion calls her a “one-woman British Invasion” and wrote that he’s long been “a crazed fan” of hers.

More information at www.diondimucci.com