Country, bluegrass, and Americana legend John McEuen will release his latest album, The Newsman - A Man Of Record, on April 12 through Compass Records. In a groundbreaking project for McEuen, the album consists of ten spoken word tracks and one instrumental, each creating a theatrical masterpiece that no listener will forget, featuring John's distinctive musical style throughout. Starting with the title track, recounting the real-life tale of a newspaper vendor who profoundly impacted the young musician in Los Angeles, and concluding with "Jules' Theme," inspired by Jules Verne sharing the story of his recently departed young wife in a French cemetery to a friend, the album leaves no stone unturned. Premiered by Bluegrass Today, the first track available, “Fly Trouble,” is a talking blues number originally from Luke the Drifter, better known as Hank Williams.
To read Bluegrass Today’s premiere of “Fly Trouble,” visit HERE.
To pre-save The Newsman: A Man Of Record, visit found.ee/newsman
“I have been around the world playing music and collecting stories for… a long time,” McEuen acknowledges. “As a teenager, well before the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, I loved Meredith Wilson’s ‘The Music Man.’ Before I started playing, I must have recited 'Ya Got Trouble' 2,000 times! Later, when performing became part of the life I picked, every now and then, I would do one of these ‘stories’ (often a Hank Williams talking blues) on stage, always happy about how well they went over. I did 'The Mountain Whippoorwill' with the early Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for many years. Then, another story would come along, be learned, and ‘filed away’ for a future date. 'The stories' soon tired of waiting to 'get done,' so, I did them.”
The album features a mix of tracks from different eras and genres. The collection spans various literary themes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Civil War-era poem "Killed at the Ford" to Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" about a Yukon prospector. Other tracks include Stephen Vincent Benét's "The Mountain Whippoorwill," Hank Williams Sr.'s "Fly Trouble," and Walter Brennan's "Old Rivers." Thomas Monroe's Vietnam War reflection "Nui Ba Den" contrasts with more recent compositions like John Carter Cash's "The Guitar of Pineapple John," Hans Olson's "I'll Be Glad (When They Run Out Of Gas)," and Thaddeus Bryant's "Red Clay."
‘The Newsman’ Album Track Listing:
The Newsman
Fly Trouble
The Cremation of Sam McGee
Old Rivers
The Guitar of Pineapple John
Killed at the Ford
Nui Ba Den
Red Clay
I’ll Be Glad (When They Run Out Of Gas)
The Mountain Whippoorwill
Jules' Theme
John McEuen’s Upcoming Tour Dates
MAR 26 - The Tin Pan / Richmond, Va.
MAR 27 - Elkton Music Hall / Elkton, Md.
MAR 28 - My Father's Place / Roslyn, N.Y.
MAR 29 - The Linda - WAMC's Performing Arts Studio / Albany, N.Y.
MAR 30 - Opera House at Boothbay Harbor / Boothbay Harbor, Maine
APR 25 - Ponce De Leon Center / Hot Springs Village, Ark.
APR 27 - Merlefest at Wilkes Community College / Wilkesboro, N.C.
MAY 01 - Eddie Owen Presents: Red Clay Music Foundry / Duluth, Ga.
MAY 12 - Coconino Center For the Arts / Flagstaff, Ariz.
MAY 14 - Musical Instrument Museum / Phoenix, Ariz.
MAY 16 - Almost Famous Wine / Livermore, Calif.
MAY 17 - The Center For the Arts / Grass Valley, Calif.
MAY 18 - Sweetwater Music Hall / Mill Valley, Calif.
MAY 19 - Nashville Social Club Carson City / Carson City, Nev.
MAY 24 - McCabe's Guitar Shop / Santa Monica, Calif.
MAY 25 - Palm Springs Cultural Center / Palm Springs, Calif.
MAY 29 - Lincoln Theatre (1926) / Mount Vernon, Wash.
MAY 31 - Hult Center for the Performing Arts - Soreng Theater / Eugene, Ore,
JUN 02 - Tower Theatre / Bend, Ore.
JUN 05 - Country For A Cause - 3rd & Lindsley / Nashville, Tenn.
JUN 09 - Sunday Mornin' Country - The Grand Ole Opry House / Nashville, Tenn.
AUG 03 - Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Music Society Festival / Stony Plain, AB -Canada
AUG 04 - Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Music Society Festival / Stony Plain, AB -Canada
AUG 10 - Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival / Goshen, Conn.
AUG 17 - Big Mouth Bluegrass Festival at the Caverns / Pelham, Tenn.
SEP 06 - Watermelon Pickers Festival / Berryville, Va.
OCT 12 - The Franklin Theatre / Franklin, Tenn.
NOV 02 - Thrasher Opera House / Green Lake, Wis.
NOV 09 - Fox View / Nashville, Mich.
