Calum Ingram, a versatile songwriter and trained cellist has released The Man, a ten-track musical trek through pop, blues and funk fusion. Showcasing talent on his instrument in ways I’ve never seen before, it’s as entertaining to watch as it is to hear. I have to admit, I dedicated a little more time to watching his performances on YouTube than a straight listen to the album. I enjoyed watching the passion; there’s a lot of it. Ingram is a pure embodiment of spirit and feeling. I particularly felt this when I watched his live performance of Japan.
There’s a great sense of connection and interaction between everyone playing on the album. This was recorded live, with Jose Rojas (drums and percussion), Chatonda Ridley on Bass Guitar and Moss Taylor on Keyboards. They’re all excellent players, and their joint skills make this album shine.
One other juicy morsel—this guy actually puts out vinyls! What a fresh breeze, right? You can get them here at his website store.
Calum was featured in the Sky Arts TV series, Tony Visconti’s “Unsigned Heroes” which saw him performing a duet with Stewart Copeland (The Police) In London UK back in 2017. From what I could find so far, he’s put out a live EP, a debut album, and his Thin Lizzy single cover Dancing In The Moonlight. The Man was released on the 26th of April. Ingram has been around for a while now; he’s headlined the acoustic main stage at The Wicker Man Festival in Scotland, and he’s already toured America and Europe.
The Man unveils several nice ballads as well; Cup of Urafain features beautiful vocals by Michael G. Ronstadt while the music blends and moves like a somber, sentimental fog. It was inspired by the isolation of the first lockdown. Strong and Alone brings the tempo up just enough to deliver that old determination to its story.
I absolutely love the middle eastern feel inside the center of Show Me The Way, which probably makes it one of my favorite songs on the album (also because they totally look like they’re having fun with it).
Give a listen to The Man. It’s nice to see someone maneuver multiple genres while not letting go of that base emotion.
