Former Jett+Blackhearts guitarist Ricky Byrd makes solo bow

Guitarist/singer Ricky Byrd will release his solo debut Lifer on Feb. 5 via Kayos Records. Executive Produced by Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle), it displays Byrd’s knack for classic hooks and jagged riffs. 

 

The former Blackhearts guitarist's power chords helped define Joan Jett & The Blackhearts'  “I Love Rock & Roll.” Now he delves into British rock and roll, soul, R&B and more. 

 

“My main goal with this record was to try and craft the songs with the same heart and soul that filled the music I listened to as a kid in my parents' Bronx apartment -- the music that even at that young age, made the hair go up on my arms,” states Ricky.

 

The album starts with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Boys,” a tribute to the old glitter glam haunt Max’s Kansas City in New York, where Byrd got his first real taste of the other side of life. “Foolish Kind” comes with sunny organ fills and Byrd’s whiskey-soaked guitars weaving rich tapestries together as they do throughout the entire album.

 

Soulful plea “Wide Open,” the tongue in cheek “Married Man” and the driving “Harlem Rose” all stay true to Byrd’s vision of making the music that first captivated him, but it’s the closer, “Turnstile ‘01” that may give the listener the deepest pause. It’s Byrd coming to grips with post-9/11 New York City, his chiming valentine to the Big Apple, a poignant, plaintive downtown tribute that rings things out exquisitely.

 

Track Listing:

 

1.) Rock ‘N’ Roll Boys

2.) Let’s Get Gone

3.) Foolish Kind

4.) Ways Of A Woman

5.) Wide Open

6.) Dream Big

7.) Harlem Rose

8.) Married Man

9.) One Less Love

10.) Things To Learn

11.) Turnstile ‘01

 

rickybyrd.com