Robert Hazard

“Hazard’s new music establishes him as a poetic, sometimes autobiographical songwriter and a soulful singer. His music still rocks at times, but his blues and country influences are more obvious.” – Newark Star-LedgerThe dark Americana vibe of Robert Hazard’s "Troubadour" may come as a surprise to those who know him as the hit songwriter of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” (which, by the way, was written in fifteen minutes, in a bathtub - on an acoustic guitar,) but those who value first-rate musicianship, insightful songwriting and straight-from-the-heart singing will greet the album like an old friend.The Philadelphia-born Hazard’s love and knowledge of folk, blues and other American roots styles shines through on his Rykodisc debut, an album that breathes the life of a man who has lived; filled with rich characters and poetic storytelling, inspired by the rustic beauty of his adopted home in the Adirondack Mountains.The album features drummer Steve Holley (McCartney’s Wings, Joe Cocker, Dar Williams, Elton John) and multi-instrumentalist T-Bone Wolk (Carly Simon, SNL Band, Hall & Oates). Hazard enlisted the team of Pete Heitzman & Karen Savoca (Greg Brown) to helm the production efforts that give the album a classic folk sound with an urgent presence.“Nobody But the Night” resonates with chiming electric guitar, a driving rhythm and Hazard’s emotional vocal, finely balanced between anguish and hope. “It’s about being alone and knowing you’ve got to be yourself, no matter what,” Hazard says. “Everybody’s been in that place at least once in their life.”The Cajun stomp of “A Whole Lot of Water” is the tale of an island boy who moves to the big city. T-Bone Wolk contributes Celtic accordion fills giving the song an international flavor. “Blood On My Hands,” one of the album’s most dramatic tracks, is built around Hazard’s larger-than-life acoustic guitar. It’s the song a condemned murderer sings on the night before he dies, trying to come to terms with what he’s done. Hazard sings with a weary resignation that captures the apprehension of the condemned man. “Troubadour” is a tribute to the singers who inspired Hazard’s musical journey. The song salutes Eric Andersen, whom Hazard considers the ultimate troubadour -- and Andersen surfaces here to contribute harmony vocals and harmonica fills. “Somebody Else’s Dream” is an upbeat blues sprinkled with surreal images of a world gone mad.Two love songs, “I Still Believe In You” and “To Be With You,” give the album its heart. The former is a slow, sexy tango, a celebration of the ups and downs of a long-term relationship, while the latter blazes with the heat of first love.Hazard recalls, “My older sister Gloria turned me on to Elvis, Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins and other hillbilly cats. The music just knocked me out. At 10, I was playing guitar ‘cause I thought it was cool, but I got sidetracked by writing songs.”“Rockabilly led me to folk, blues and what we call roots music today. I was playing in coffee houses and writing songs in high school, hanging out in folk clubs and soaking up gigs by Jimmy Webb, Eric Andersen and Jackson Browne. (The fact that Eric Andersen played on the title track is a real thrill.) A guy named Jerry Ricks gave me guitar lessons and taught me about the delta blues and Robert Johnson.”Back when the new wave era hit, Hazard formed Robert Hazard and The Heroes. Having gained a huge following in his hometown of Philadelphia, RCA reissued their self-released EP resulting in MTV hits and tours opening for heavyweights U2 and Bob Dylan.“The royalties from ‘Girls’ allowed me to survive. In the ‘90s I had a band called The Hombres, but we never recorded.” In 1998 Hazard cut Howl, the project that began to tap into his singer/songwriter soul. He started writing with a newfound conviction and the stories began to just pour out. “I woke up and started writing, going back to the folk and blues that originally inspired me. I decided to go back to what I love to do: me with an acoustic guitar.” In 2004 Hazard hooked up with T-Bone Wolk for his first singer/songwriter album, The Seventh Lake. Later in 2004 he cut Blue Mountain. “I made that for about $1.98,” Hazard jokes. “Everything was one take. The songs were written, I laid ‘em down and it was done.”With Troubadour, Robert Hazard’s adventurous musical journey comes full circle --back to his original inspirations. “Songwriting is an emotional process. Getting to the place where the words and music came pouring out honestly is what I call success.”COME ON OUT TO THE NEW YORK CD RELEASE PARTY! THE LIVING ROOM – 154 LUDLOW STREET, NYC 10002 BETWEEN STATION AND RIVINGTON TUESDAY OCTOBER 23RD 2007 DOORS 6:30 PM / SHOWTIME 7:00 PM
CALL 212-533-7235 FOR MORE INFORMATION
"TROUBADOUR" IS IN THE STORES NOW AND ONLINE AT RYKODISC.
THERE WILL ALSO BE CDS AVAILABLE AT THE SHOWS! For more information go to www.roberthazard.com or www.myspace.com/roberthazardmusic