Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
Related Articles
“Tulsa” from The Blues Project’s Live 2025 album release, is a track by Mark Newman (co-written by Walter Roberti) for inclusion on the long running all- star blues outfit’s return to the fore with a new energy and some other genre influences, most notably funk and R&B, but also an overall strong New Orleans vibe to their sound. The Blues Project remains in force with co-founding and original drummer, Roy Blumenfeld, and Mark Newman added song “Tulsa” is grounded in traditional blues, keeping it simple but effective. The track list is full of great uplifting live performances.
Mark Newman adds to the picture by referencing an event of the past to catch up with the present about racism, and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre was that event. If you like songs like “Tulsa Time” you’re in for something completely different in retrospect to it and the city. Newman’s “Tulsa” provides a whole different story on this gritty blues number that tackles what can be considered uncomfortable topics to some, and that is the point made through the modern lens opposed to the past and how different the times are when education about it is adjusting for a clearer view on the subject.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfFKrcig1A
“Tulsa” is not as important to the subject matter as the lyrics. It’s just where Newman learned and now reflects from the perspective of, which can open a lot of closed eyes when looking futher into what inspired the songwriting. This is where the song is met with significant historical patterns of human behavior reflected through the story to remind us of how far we’ve come and how we shouldn’t forget it. And once you’re aligned with the story, the song does the rest to help heal from such reflection, with some fantastically arranged playing by everyone involved.
The Blues Project chose a good all-star addition in Newman, as he adds remarkably well to the show it portrays, which tends to cover the musical map within the blues and currently added genres which include R&B, zydeco and lots of funk. But make no mistake concerning ‘Tulsa” as it sticks to traditional blues with a swampy slide guitar from Newman, keeping The Blues Project grounded in their roots. “Tulsa” also provides a lot of emotion and feeling in just the right place on the Live 2025 album, which reaches around the spectrum of tempos.
https://open.spotify.com/album/0C5jmf9owAxqLX7yL0JRMP
If readers aren’t familiar with Newman, he’s been around as a songwriter and multi-instrumental player, collaborating with John Oates (Hall & Oates), Jim McCarty, Willy DeVille, Sam The Sham, Bobby Whitlock and Sam Moore, and shared the stages with Sting, Elvis Costello, Travis Tritt and Carla Thomas as an opening act, also including many dates with Delbert McClinton, Les Dudek, The Doobie Brothers, Don Felder of The Eagles, David Bromberg and many others. And The Blues Project also need no introduction to their audience, having been down the musical pike for decades, and the two collaborate with the utmost respect for each other, and the blues is the common denominator.
Jennifer Munoz
