Zicazic France ·
·By Fred Delforge, August 6, 2026
Wrath of blues
(Feverbarn Recordings – Blind Raccoon – 2026)
Duration 58'00 – 14 Tracks
Ryan “Bluwrath” Newman belongs to that rare category of musicians whose path seems to have been laid out from childhood. Born in Chester, Connecticut, he picked up a guitar at the age of seven, taught himself entire sections of the Beatles' repertoire, and transformed a learning disability into a creative driving force. Very quickly, his teachers themselves began to play his riffs, a harbinger of a talent just waiting to explode.
A year later, a friend played him Jimi Hendrix's "Wind Cries Mary." It was a pivotal moment, the one that permanently imprinted the incandescent blues-rock of the masters—Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Clapton, John Mayall, and B.B. King—into his musical DNA. From his teenage years, Newman played in clubs, fairs, and festivals, honing a surprisingly mature style. Legend has it that he was asked to leave Berklee for playing too loudly, an anecdote that, true or not, perfectly suits his character.
At sixteen, John Mayall invited him on stage to jam. The young prodigy then became a rising star on the Connecticut blues scene, frequenting Black Eyed Sally's in Hartford, the Knickerbocker Music Center in Westerly, and surrounding himself with solid supporters like Jeff Pitchell and Jeff Prevar. Today, Newman leads several projects: the power-blues trio Righteous Continental, The Incredible Amplifiers with Dave Robbins on harmonica, and the duo Katmanduo with singer-keyboardist Kat Madrak.
Named Best New Artist by the New England Music Hall of Fame, Newman is a guitarist who is both soft-spoken and incandescent, a musician whose passion seems to drive him every day. His first album, "Wrath Of Blues," is shining proof of this.
For his debut album, Ryan “Bluwrath” Newman didn't choose the easy path. Indeed, “Wrath Of Blues” is an ambitious, eclectic record, built around thirteen carefully chosen covers and one original song. It's an album that never tries to imitate, but rather to absorb, filter, reinvent, and above all, let a guitar of rare expressiveness speak for itself.
From the opening track, Newman attacks "Dust My Broom" with an intensity reminiscent of Elmore James while asserting his own signature sound. The slide guitar is sharp, the groove edgy, and it's immediately clear why producer Jon Grossbard calls him a dynamic force on the blues scene.
His sole composition, "Leaving This World Tonight," is a searing slow blues, an electric lament where the guitar weeps, roars, then recedes like a dark wave. Newman reveals a surprising emotional maturity for a debut album.
The album then navigates between the guitarist's major influences. "Texas Flood" is revisited with respect but without paralyzing reverence; Newman alternates sensual silences with lightning-fast bursts. He toughens things up slightly on "Your Mind Is On Vacation," transforming Mose Allison's mischievousness into a gritty blues-rock. "The Thrill Is Gone," sung by Vic Washington, allows Newman to weave a network of clear and vibrant lines behind the vocals. We also relish "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "Be Careful With A Fool," two tributes to B.B. King where the guitarist's playing becomes incisive, almost feline.
Newman then surprised listeners by venturing beyond the strict confines of blues with "Get Up Stand Up," featuring the vocals of Anita Antoinette, where he injected electric energy into the original reggae sound, followed by "Miss You," with Arlene Wow adding an unexpected Latin touch. Finally, "Baltimore Oriole" proved to be an unlikely but successful choice, where Newman blended jazz ballad, incandescent blues, and guitar effects reminiscent of birdsong.
The end of the album is a firework display with "Come On", muscular and jubilant R&B, with "Highway 61 Revisited" where Newman ignites Dylan with an almost punk-blues energy, and finally with "Good To Me As I Am To You", magnified by Arlene Wow, where Newman's guitar weeps with strength and sensitivity.
More than just a covers album, "Wrath Of Blues" is an artistic identity card, a manifesto, a declaration of intent. Newman proves that he is capable of navigating between styles, of respecting the masters without ever getting lost in imitation, and above all of making a guitar speak that already possesses a singular voice.
Ryan “Bluwrath” Newman bursts onto the contemporary blues scene like an electric shock: young, passionate, technically formidable, but above all, profoundly musical. His star is rising, and this album is its first bright glimmer.