Grand Ole Opry member Travis Tritt and American Idol judge Randy Jackson seem to be an unusual musical pairing, but Tritt has never let his music be dictated by Nashville's standards.
Back in 2006, Tritt, who will play Saturday at the Northwest Ohio Rib-Off, was working on a duet with Sam Moore, whose project was being produced by Jackson. The versatility and soulfulness of Tritt's voice during those recording sessions impressed Jackson, who proposed that he and Tritt work on a project together. The result is "The Storm," which will be in stores later this month. It's the first release for Tritt on Category 5 Records, an independent label.
Tritt's fans know him best for his hits "Help Me Hold On," "Here's a Quarter," "Anymore," "Can I Trust You with My Heart," "Foolish Pride," "Best of Intentions," and "It's a Great Day to Be Alive," but, according to Tritt, his musical allegiance lies in other areas besides pure country.
"Growing up just outside of Atlanta, to the north of us you've got the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville," he said in a release about the album. "A little bit south you've got Macon, Georgia, home of the Allman Brothers, the Marshall Tucker Band, and Capricorn Records. And off to the west, you've got Delta blues. Sprinkle Southern gospel over the top of that, and you're talking about where I come from."
"The Storm" stretches Tritt's musical boundaries. The first single, "You Never Take Me Dancing," has a funky groove. Other songs, like "I Want to Feel Too Much" and "What If Love Hangs On To Us," stray from his country rock sound, but they still are delivered in that same soulful voice his fans love.
The album's a gamble for Tritt, a former darling of country radio, but he's always been about taking risks. Nashville initially turned its back on him in the late 1980s because he wasn't cut out of the cowboy-hat-wearing artist mold. But he was able to win over radio executives with his first single, "Country Club," which soared into the Top 10. He also developed a die-hard fan base, many of whom envied the hard-living, hard-partying lifestyle of the rocker from Marietta, Ga.
But he dramatically changed his personal life when he fell in love with his wife, Theresa. The wild man became a family man when he married her in 1997. They now have three children and live on a farm in Georgia.
He's already reinvented himself as a person; now Tritt's trying to reinvent himself musically after almost 20 years and 25 million albums sold. Don't bet against him.
Travis Tritt will play Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Lucas County Fairgrounds as part of the Northwest Ohio Rib-Off. Admission to the Rib-Off is $5 and includes the show. Reserved seats for the show are $20. Information: 419-381-8851 or 419-474-1333.
Contact Brian Dugger at: bdugger@theblade.com.
First Published August 9, 2007, 10:08 a.m.
