Americana A-List Backs Roger Street Friedman on Debut

Roger Street Friedman brings together an A-list of folk, blues and Americana players -- including Bob Dylan and Levon Helm guitarist Larry Campbell -- with the release of his debut album, 'The Waiting Sky,' on January 14. A sprawling set of rootsy ramblers and full-band ballads in the spirit of Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and Van Morrison, the album is anchored by Friedman's acute observations on life, love and loss.

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After pursuing a successful non-musical career for more than 20 years, Brooklyn-based Friedman made songwriting his focus following two major life events: the death of his parents and the birth of his children. Friedman reflects on this decision — and urges listeners to stop delaying the pursuit of their own dreams — on opener "Time to Fly," a blaze of pristinely produced acoustic guitar, piano, organ and Campbell's dazzling Nashville-style picking. In a voice recalling Paul Simon and Evan Dando, Friedman sings, "This gale has stirred the blood within your veins, your very own private hurricane / Staring at three decades in the rearview, wondering how those dreams all slid away from you."

"Life is Hard," with its freewheeling railroad rhythm and tongue-in-cheek horn section, shows Friedman's offbeat humor in a look back at his professional days -- "I got beat up by my mother, I got beat up at my school," and now he's getting beat up by the daily grind, he sings. The title track, one of the album's mellow moments, feels like an instant Americana classic, with stirring strings and rich female harmonies.

'The Waiting Sky' was recorded by Felix McTeigue in Brooklyn. In addition to Campbell, the album features performances by Byron Isaacs (Levon Helm), Jason Crosby (Susan Tedeschi, Phil Lesh), Tony Leone, (Ollabelle, Phil Lesh), Dawn Landes (Hem) and rising Boston-based Americana duo Ari and Mia. 

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For more information on Roger Street Friedman, please contact Jon Bleicher (jbleicher@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media: (718) 522-7171