GRAMMY-WINNER CHRISTONE "KINGFISH" INGRAM SURPRISES FANS, DROPS NEW ALBUM, LIVE IN LONDON, ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Third Album From Guitarist, Vocalist And Songwriter, Recorded In June 2023, Hits Digital Services Today
Live In London Will Be Available (With Bonus Tracks) As A 2-CD Set And A 2-LP Set On October 13
Also Today, Video For New Song, Midnight Heat, Premieres At 12:00PM Eastern Time
"Ingram plays guitar with dramatic, searing tone and sure-handed authority. And that’s just in the studio; he’s even scarier live." —NPR Music
"Muscular guitar and gorgeous vocals… [there is] an intense rolling melodicism in Ingram’s singing and soloing" —AllMusic
"Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram has already made his mark as one of the best, and undoubtedly most exciting, blues guitarists in the world." —Guitar World
"Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince." —Rolling Stone
On Friday, September 15, GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram surprised his legions of fans by dropping his third release, Live In London, at all digital services. The album was recorded on June 6, 2023, in front of a sweaty, sold-out, standing-room-only crowd at the famous UK club, The Garage. Live In London is the guitar-driven live album Kingfish’s diehard fans around the world have been clamoring for since they first watched him perform as a teenager on YouTube.
Live In London is now available at all streaming and download services, and can be experienced in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos at Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Qobuz. The album will be released as a 2-CD set and a 2-LP set on Friday, October 13. Both the CD and LP will include encore performances as bonus tracks. Exclusive versions of the physical products with official merchandise from the concert will be available for pre-order on the Kingfish website today, including his signature Fender Kingfish guitar.
Filmed at the concert, a video of the first single from Live In London, the previously unrecorded track Midnight Heat, premieres today, September 15, at 12:00PM Eastern time, on Kingfish's official YouTube Channel.
"This album is a short lifetime in the making," says Kingfish. "I’ve long had an interest in recording a live album and I finally felt the timing was right. Not only do I have a deeper catalog of music to choose from, but I also have been extensively touring with my band, both of which truly made recording a live album seamless. Sprinkle in the opportunity to perform in a city I love, it’s all a no-brainer and something that makes me deeply proud."
Throughout the concert, Kingfish’s command over his instrument is awe-inspiring. He remains in the moment, at times raining down incendiary solos, other times picking poignant, blues-drenched licks, but always playing deeply from his heart. Along with his versatile, tight-knit band – bassist Paul Rogers, drummer Christopher Black and keyboardist Deshawn Alexander – he brings intensity and honesty to each song, moving the audience from hushed disbelief to spontaneous, extended ovations. Guitar World, describing a prior Kingfish live performance, declared, "Ingram sets the bar terrifyingly high, all but setting the fretboard ablaze with nimble but tasteful runs that impress while never losing sight of the song."
Soul-stirring and steeped in energy and excitement, Live In London finds the internationally recognized guitar prodigy and vocalist performing 17 songs, with tracks including material from both of his previous studio albums, 2019’s GRAMMY-nominated debut, Kingfish, and 2021’s GRAMMY-winning 662. Live In London also includes two potent, new original songs, Midnight Heat and Mississippi Night, as well as a blistering version of Michael "Iron Man" Burks’ Empty Promises. Singing with the deepest soul feeling and playing guitar with searing, organic intensity, Kingfish immediately draws fans in via his explosive set opener She Calls Me Kingfish. From the reworked, funk-inspired Hard Times to the tender tribute to his late mother, Rock & Roll, to the electric encore, Long Distance Woman (one of the two bonus tracks), Live In London takes the listener on an unforgettable, exhilarating ride.
In the four short years since the release of his self-titled debut album, Kingfish, Ingram has taken the music world by storm. From his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi to stages around the globe, the young blues star has already headlined multiple U.S. and European tours, and amazed fans in Australia, New Zealand, and India. Selected in summer 2022 to open for The Rolling Stones in London’s Hyde Park, Kingfish has also performed and toured with friends including Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell, Steve Miller and Buddy Guy, a mentor of his, with whom he appeared on Austin City Limits.
Major media has also continued to celebrate Kingfish’s story. In July 2021, NPR’s Morning Edition featured him in a seven-minute story broadcast to its 14 million listeners. In April 2022, Kingfish made his national television debut on CBS Saturday Morning, performing three songs as well as being featured in an in-depth interview segment. In July 2022, The Washington Post Magazine ran a 5000-word feature on the young musician, calling him "a generational talent." He’s appeared on magazine covers including Guitar World, Guitar Player, DownBeat, Living Blues and Blues Music Magazine.
Sparked by his non-stop touring, writing and recording schedule, Kingfish’s natural talent just keeps growing. With his jaw-dropping guitar playing and his reach-out-and-grab-you-by-the-collar vocals, he performs every song with unmatched passion and precision. With both Kingfish and 662, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram delivers contemporary blues music that speaks to his generation and beyond, bringing to bear the full healing and hopeful power of the blues.
Now, Live In London captures Kingfish’s lightning in a bottle. It's an onstage snapshot of the young singer, songwriter and guitarist creating musical magic in real time, leaving his listeners spellbound and always wanting more.
