Ted Russell Kamp - Soaring In The Musical Skies

Ted Russell Kamp at Giddy Ups in Austin - March 2016        (© A. Michael Uhlmann)

Wikipedia defines Aerobatics as a portmanteau of aerial-acrobatics, simply the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. The loops, the spins, the rolls or the Immelmann turns are most often flown by a single pilot, therefore "Flying Solo."

This is also the title of LA based Americana singer/songwriter Ted Russell Kamp's new album, which he released in March. After an extensive tour through Texas, including the music fair, SXSW, he now introduces his new 12 song Epos to part of his European fans in Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Often touring by himself, he wanted to offer a solo album reflecting his dynamic shows when not accompanied by a band.
Half of the songs are favorites from previous albums, three of them recorded live during radio shows in the US, three from a concert in Finland. The other half dozen are new songs recorded at his home studio "The Den" especially for "Flying Solo."

The analogies of an acrobat pilot and a prolific singer/songwriter don't end here - pilots often have a solid flight education through military training, may be flight instructors, or develop new acrobatic routines with other pilots. This simply translates into the music world of TRK as a day job, not sitting at a desk, but playing bass for Shooter Jennings; recording and producing at his own studio for friends like AJ Hobbs, 29 Mules, Nate Smith or Funkyjenn among others; or co-writing with a variety of performers and songwriters from across the United States.

An original record release party right before the trip to Texas was held in California together with alt-country trio Calico, whose member Kirsten Proffit helped co-write the opener and one of the new tracks "Life On The River" where the watery stream symbolizes not only life but also the continuing love of the narrator to his sweetheart.

Other California country-rock or Americana co-writes include acoustic live version of "Let Love Do The Rest" (w/David Serby from "Poor Man's Paradise"), and a deliciously raucous electric guitar lead by Finnish Roots musician Tommi Viksten on "If I Had A Dollar" (w/Nicole Gordon from "Get Back To The Land") keeping it very close to it's original Bakersfield-sounding original and the new Bobby Joyner collaboration "The Closer I Get" with it's beautiful melancholy lines "The closer I get / I will not forget / it's not over yet / it's a sadness deep in my soul / it's a tiger by the tail I know / the closer I get / it's not over yet."
Nashville based writers Wayne Buckner and Chris Tompkins helped on "The Way Love Burns" (new) and "Poor Man's Paradise" (from the same album) respectively.
Austin based Fastball member Tony Scalzo helped pen the new "Nothing To Lose" and Gordy Quist from the Band of Heathens contributed on the also new track "Hold On", which shines with its lovely Dobro instrumentation. Beautifully helped on background vocals by Bliss Bowen, "When She Flies" is a new composition by TRK himself, as are the live versions of his older self-penned favorites "Lookin' For Someone" (from "Divisadero"), "Steady At The Wheel" (from "NorthSouth") and "Old Folks Blues" ("Poor Man's Paradise"), the last two, superbly spare, just performed with a mandolin.

Labels won't categorize Ted Russell Kamp's music, there are too many nuances to hear, somewhere between Rock and Country, between West Coast and Tulsa, Soul & Blues influenced, even with some hints at jazzy percussive feels to it. You just have to go and discover TRK for yourself, I'm just he will soar with his songabatics!

Steady At The Wheel


Let Love Do The Rest



Below find his touring schedule, on all his Swedish shows, Ted Russell Kamp will be accompanied by Thomas Ponten. Besides finding his new release "Flying Solo" at his shows, the disc and/or download is also available on CD Baby and itunes. For more info on TRK, check out his website Ted Russell Kamp.

European Tour Dates

APR 20 WED - Kulturhaus Schlachthof, Soest (G)
APR 22 FRI - Carty Bar, Gaildorf (G)
APR 23 SAT - Pier 99, Nordhorn (G)
APR 24 SUN - Sijf, Rotterdam (NL)
APR 25 MON - KOFA, Vlaardingen (NL)
APR 26 TUE - Cultuurhuis, Heerlen (NL)
APR 27 WED - Paddy's, Leeuwarden (NL)
APR 28 THU - Autoprobaat, Tilburg (NL)
APR 29 FRI - Podium Peter en Leni, Steendam (NL)
APR 30 SAT - Zur Scharfen Ecke, Sande (G)
MAY 01 SUN - July's, Wilhelmshaven (G)
MAY 04 WED - KoM Bar, Göteborg (S)
MAY 05 THU - The Tea Room, Orsjo (S)
MAY 06 FRI - Kontoret, Uddevalla (S)
MAY 07 SAT - Kulturhuset, Jönköping (S)
MAY 08 SUN - Soulstore, Göteborg (S)