Internationally known Black Mountain songwriter David LaMotte celebrates 25 years as a professional musician with the release of a new album, The Other Way Around. LaMotte and a large backing band will mark the occasion with a Release Concert and Celebration on Friday, September 2, 8pm, at the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville. The Other Way Around is a collection of twelve songs reflecting the last decade of David’s life journey, which has literally taken him around the world.
On this, his 12 album, LaMotte explores new musical territory through collaboration with musicians from six continents, representing genres from blues to bluegrass, from jazz to gospel to Southern rock. Some of the songs are inflected with Latin, African, Middle Eastern, Indian and Appalachian influences and instruments. Representing most of that cultural spread, 15 musicians, play on one track alone, Drink Deeply. “It’s an ambitious project,” LaMotte says. “It’s like we’re preparing the most delicious meal we can create, with the ingredients and spice racks of the whole world in our kitchen.”
In the 10 years since LaMotte’s most recent album, he has earned a master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution in Australia and published his third book, Worldchanging 101: Challenging the Myth of Powerlessness. Informed by that side of LaMotte’s work, his song You May Do That, a haunting, piano-based ballad, is built around a quotation from Rosa Parks. Give God the Blues stakes out the rock’n’roll corner of the record’s wide boundaries, featuring Ed King of Lynyrd Skynyrd on lead guitar. Musicians from India, Senegal, Brazil, Germany, Uganda, Canada, Guatemala, and Australia contribute to the global sound of the record, as well.
Along with geographic exploration, LaMotte has explored other new ground in the last decade, becoming a father to his now seven-year-old son, growing into his marriage, and deepening his commitment and involvement with social change efforts. Through these songs, he both celebrates and wrestles with those roles, sharing stories that seem to be equal parts comfort and challenge. Stellar musicians will accompany LaMotte on the Diana Wortham stage, including BJ Leiderman,
Michael Hynes, Lyric, Tom Leiner, Jamie and Ian Ridenhour, Tom Prasada-Rao, James Kylen, Leeda ‘Lyric’ Jones, and several special guests yet to be announced. Tickets are $25 and are available online at dwtheatre.com