Rick Fowler

"Athens, Georgia's Rick Fowler is a midnight stalker on guitar, steady when called for, but fearless when he rips into the moment. As a vocalist he's spooky-smooth. Randall Bramblett, along with a few others, mixes up tasty blues/rock cocktails behind Fowler on Back On My Good Foot. There's a distinct Brit-invasion vibe to several of the songs, but the production and the deft, exciting performances root the album firmly in the here and now. “You've got skeletons in your closet; well mine's out walkin' 'round; and when that jawbone starts to rattle; it spreads the news all over town.” That line alone, on top of a stomping beat, distinguishes Fowler as one hell of a writer. The timely political outrage in “Running from the Truth” and the chic blues in “Walk Softly” are two more cases in point. As a perfect conclusion to the album, the band all but one-ups Savoy Brown in ten agile minutes of sheer “Hellbound Train.” ... Hittin' the Note magazine, June 2008 "...actual soul makes this an incredibly solid blues record. Fowler, as anyone who listens to this can hear, is about music, not popularity, and plays his music that way." ... John Shelton Ivany's Top 21, June, 2008 "His lyrically and melodically sharp, swampy songs are sung with a dusky, husky edge and his guitar solos stay taut and sharp. He sounds infected with the blues, as one of his tunes is titled, and he's ready to spread the disease." ... Creative Loafing, June, 2008 "As a writer, Rick Fowler pens songs that reach out and literally grab the listener by the lapels. Add to that his stinging guitar attack and a red-hot backing band, and Back On My Good Foot makes for a highly-recommended listen!!!" ... Don Crow - The Music City Blues Society "With so many blues guitarists aping the Vaughns, it's refreshing to hear somebody wear his British blues influences on his sleeve. . . Fowler achieving a fat sound that would do Kim Simmonds proud. . . Road to Nowhere and the Strat-y Walk Softly are good, old-fashioned, unadorned blues." ... Dan Forte - Vintage Guitar Magazine “Fowler sings with an understated intensity and his playing isn't showy, but brims over with a dark soulful power. Fowler's also a superior songwriter, and while his scenarios are unremittingly bleak they're also imbued with a self-effacing humor that keeps things from getting too grim. The opener, "Infected With the Blues", likens the blues to a fatal disease. Fowler's observations on his condition here mirror the lives of many as he sings "I'm worried 'bout the future, I'm haunted by the past, ain't crazy 'bout the present, I pray that it can't last" His solo is full of fire and brimstone that belies his protestation of helplessness.” ... j.poet – Billboard.com, All Music Guide "Classic white boy blues guitarist that's happy to be a well regarded journeyman in search of the ultimate riff. The kind of cat that knows his stuff, doesn't make a big deal out of it and lets the good times roll. Fun stuff for blues guitar fans ready to let it rock." ... Chris Spector - Midwest Record "The thing I loved the most about this record is the subtlety of the playing. Understated, but yet still able to deliver a king hit without you even realising you're being set up for a sucker punch! Though this is a guitar rocking album, take nothing away from the lovely hammond organ playing of Tim 'Drawbar' White (great nickname!) and Randall Bramlett. Sometimes to be effective, you don't have to display ample amounts of flash. It's the complete honesty and tradition of the style that is important, and without doubt, Rick Fowler has that covered easily." ... Glory Daze magazine Jammates Records announced a March 25, 2008 release date for "Back on My Good Foot," the label debut CD from Athens, Georgia-based blues/rock singer and guitarist Rick Fowler. Among those joining him on the album are Randall Bramblett (Hammond organ), Gerry Hansen (drums) and Michael C. Steele (bass and backing vocals), as well as original R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry, who guests on the song, "Road to Nowhere." Back on My Good Foot showcases Rick Fowler's main influences of classic raw blues and British blues/rock, which make for an exciting and powerful mix. The new CD features nine original songs either written or co-written by Fowler, as well as a 10-minute rail-shaking version of the Savoy Brown classic, "Hellbound Train." It was recorded at several studios in Atlanta and Athens, produced by Pat Patten and mastered by the legendary Rodney Mills (Atlanta Rhythm Section, Gregg Allman). _______________________________________________________________ Fowler's earlier bands included Ziggurat, Deacon Little, and Fortnox. Fowler also recorded with pop singer Bertie Higgins, whose hit single, "Key Largo," reached platinum sales in several countries. In 1982, the Fortnox song, "Storm Inside My Head," went to #44 in US airplay and the band's video reached the top 20 on MTV. The band toured non-stop for a year in support of the record, headlining medium venues and performing in stadiums as support for such top rock acts as Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, George Thorogood, Joan Jett, The Ramones and The Outlaws. In 1984, Rick's band Bombay recorded an album with legendary British producer Eddie Offord (John Lennon, Yes, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer), supported by the MTV video, "Rumble Tonight." Rick moved to Athens in 1991 and began performing with a number of Athens-based artists, including Ralph Roddenberry, Redneck Greece and The Lonely White Boys (a band he formed with Drivin' N' Cryin' guitarist Buren Fowler, Dreams So Real drummer Drew Worsham, and Normaltown Flyers bassist Greg Veale). He also regularly played guitar in side band projects with Bill Berry (R.E.M.), Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Randall Bramblett (Sea Level, Traffic), and many other top musicians from the area. In 1997, Rick put together a band of well-known musicians to perform the first rock concert benefit for Tourette Syndrome awareness. Bill Berry, who was at the time retiring from the mega-star band R.E.M., made the show his farewell performance, allowing his drums to be auctioned off for charity at the end of the night. The event received international coverage including MTV, CNN, VH-1, AOL, Rolling Stone, Spin and a number of other music news outlets. Welcome Companions, a CD recorded by the benefit concert band, was released by Polyglot Records as Rick Fowler and Friends. Prior to signing with Jammates Records in 2007, Rick played guitar on dozens of CDs, performed hundreds of shows spanning several countries, and produced and performed the music track for the Sundance Film Festival award-winning movie, Dirty Work. Rick Fowler will tour nationally in support of the release of "Back On My Good Foot."