A relentless road warrior and masterful wordsmith, Ryan Montbleau has spent the better part of thirty years cultivating a devoted audience on the strength of his ecstatic live shows and exhilarating sonic versatility. He’s collaborated with artists as diverse as Trombone Shorty, Galactic, Steel Pulse, Tall Heights, Martin Sexton, Anders Osborne, and George Porter, Jr; shared bills with the likes of Tedeschi Trucks Band, Ani DiFranco, Todd Snider, The Wood Brothers, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Mavis Staples; and racked up more than 150 million streams on Spotify alone. NPR’s Mountain Stage compared his “eloquent, soulful songwriting” to Bill Withers and James Taylor, while Relix celebrated his “poetic Americana,” and The Boston Herald raved that “he’s made a career of confident, danceable positivity.”
Montbleau’s freewheeling new album finds him exploring the full spectrum of his influences like never before, touching on folk, rock, funk, soul, hip-hop, and reggae, all with a preternatural ease that belies the intensely focused craftsmanship behind it. The songs are sprawling and unpredictable, grappling with a modern world perpetually teetering on the edge of chaos, but the performances are relentlessly optimistic, insisting on hope and joy in the face of it all. The result is Montbleau’s most vulnerable and cathartic work yet, an album that acknowledges the inevitability of doubt and pain while at the same time celebrating our limitless capacity for growth and love.
Andre Cruz & Chris Lujan
Releasing “The Real Thing”, which many are calling the “Album Of The Year” for 2022, having sold out of their first three vinyl releases, and playing sold-out shows at legendary venues alongside the likes of Lee Fields, Thee Sacred Souls, and Kelly Finnigan, Andre Cruz & Chris Lujan are bringing their own Bay Area fire to the stage. Backed by The Black Diamond Rhythm Band, Cruz & Lujan bring a unique flavor with their fuzz-heavy, groove-
infused California Soul. They will touch your heart with crooning, sweet souldies and light up the dance floor with their explosive funkiness.
The band is the product of the collaboration between vocalist, Andre Cruz and producer/bandleader, Chris Lujan. Cruz – an energetic, joyful performer
with Donny Hathaway meets Stevie Wonder vocal stylings and Lujan – an award-winning fixture in the Bay Area soul/funk scene, are backed by The Black Diamond Rhythm Band, which features members of some of the Bay Areaʼs best soul & funk bands. Look for their albums, “The Real Thing” and their latest, “Heart Full Of Love” in stores now and be on the lookout for their upcoming single, “Skywriting”, coming out soon on Industry Music Group Records.
