“Each
album is a page of your life and this is the season of Jonathan Butler, the season of me,” said the South African
singer-songwriter-guitarist about his just released “Living My Dream.” The
two-time Grammy nominee and crossover chart-topper has always worn his heart on
his sleeve while ruminating about his colorful life in his musical tales. He
puts it all out there lyrically and on emotionally-charged instrumentals with
the new set of original songs that he produced chronicling his struggles over
the past couple of years.
Embodying
his native land’s sound and spirit, “African Breeze,” the first instrumental
serviced to radio from the new session, is No. 6 on this week’s Billboard
Smooth Jazz Singles chart. The tune featuring Butler’s crafty nylon string
guitar work was originally penned by the artist 30 years ago for “The Jewel of
the Nile” soundtrack and was completely overhauled for the new disc. Fans of
Butler’s impassioned vocal numbers will soon hear “Heart and Soul” on the air
at urban adult contemporary radio stations. His music has been a staple at
multiple radio formats ever since he inked with Jive Records in the mid-1980s.
But Butler’s recording career dates back even earlier to when he grew up under
Apartheid and won two South African Grammy Awards as a child star, the first
black artist played on white radio stations.
“Living
My Dream” is a balanced mix of soulful R&B vocals and expressive guitar
poetry - love songs, spirituals and melodic meditations on family, country and
faith. Butler has come through the fire tested yet never more aware of his
blessed life thus the material conveys a profound sense of gratitude. The
tracks were recorded using a live band in the House of Blues studio in Los
Angeles and includes collaborations with George Duke, Marcus Miller and Elan
Trotman.
Butler
is performing music from the new release while touring the U.S. with Grammy
winner Norman Brown and keyboardist Alex Bugnon. Next week, he will tape an
interview and a performance to air on PBS’s Tavis Smiley Show.
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