Boomerocity The Fan Experience

Ep. 84 T Bear Talks About "The Way of the World"

T Bear is proud to announce he has released his new album, The Way of the World, on Friday, March 22 on Quarto Valley Records. The first single is A Change Will Do Me Good. T Bear is a distinctive singer and talented keyboard player who has made his mark as a solo performer and collaborator with many iconic artists — Crosby Stills and Nash, The Blues Brothers, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Edgar Winter, Billy Squier, Cher, as well as Gene Simmons and Peter Criss of Kiss, to name just a few, while also releasing several noteworthy solo albums over the years. Most recently he has been touring the world with acclaimed blues guitarist Walter Trout as a member of Walter’s band. Please let me know if interested in speaking with T Bear who can wax eloquently not only about the new album but also about his very colorful life both inside and outside of the music biz. He has loads of great stories from throughout his 40+ career which he will be happy to share with you. If no interest in an interview, a review or mention of the album would be greatly appreciated. His new album, The Way of The World, was written and recorded as the world emerged from the pandemic. Produced by long-time Grammy®-winning collaborators drummer Tony Braunagel (who has performed, toured, and recorded with a host of big names over the years including Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, BB King and many many others) and former Wings guitarist Laurence Juber, the horn-driven excursions of his previous album, Fresh Bear Tracks, were stripped-down to a small group sound, recorded mostly in home studio environments. Augmenting this core trio was a selection of bass players, including the legendary Reggie McBride, Hutch Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt) and John Mayall-alumnus Ricky Cortez. The Way of The World boasts a stunning set of twelve original songs, written and/or co-written by T Bear. T Bear has always excelled at songwriting and this album showcases his big-time talent in that area. Musically, the album is a stirring and infectious melodic mix of blues, rock n roll, Americana, and roots music accented by some occasional touches of tasty soul, jazz, Latin, and funk textures. The songs are a mix of both up-tempo and ballads. Highlighted by T Bears soulful vocal style that ranges from raspy to plaintive & moving, the album is a seamless collection of T Bear’s influences and various talents. The subject matter runs from the wry humor of Your Husband’s Got a Gun and A Change Will Do Me Good to the pithy observations of the title song The Way of The World, the Latin-flavored narrative of Dinner for One along with the meditative self-reflection of Breathe. T Bear boasts a career that spans more than 40 years, one that led to a string of noted solo albums and collaborations with a dizzying list of revered artists. In 1978, he signed with RCA Records and released his debut album, Red, Hot, and Blue, produced by Jack Richardson (Bob Seger, The Guess Who). The album featured a notable group of musicians, including Les Dudek, Billy Squier, Paul Shaffer, and the Becker Brothers. The album spawned the single “Sunshine Hotel.” A remix of the song climbed to number four on the world dance charts before becoming the dance staple that it remains today. He released a second album entitled Bear that includes a rendition of the Rolling Stones classic, Ruby Tuesday, which was followed up with the live album, Captured Alive, a concert recorded in Hamburg, Germany. In 1984, he moved to Teldec Records, which led to the release of The Bear Truth, and the Giorgio Moroder produced album, The Runner. He has appeared on numerous recordings by iconic artists including Crosby, Stills and Nash's Southern Cross, The Blues Brothers Soundtrack, Richie Havens Mixed Bag II, Kiss members Gene Simmons and Peter Criss' solo ventures, as well as Toby Beau’s hit single My Angel Baby, Billy Squier’s solo debut Tale of the Tape, and projects by former Rascals members