“There’s an emotive style and essence to his set…the playing comes from the heart and mind, not just well practiced fingers.” – Americana Highways A child out of Chester, Connecticut – the birthplace and home of John Mayer and Keith Richards respectively – at age 7, RYAN ‘BLUWRATH’ NEWMAN picked up the guitar and taught himself every Beatles song that he had heard. At an early age, it was discovered that Ryan had a unique way of exploring the world and music and the guitar became his greatest salvation, to the point of outplaying his early teachers who started learning his riffs.
At age 8, a friend introduced Ryan to the music of Jimi Hendrix, specifically the tune “Wind Cries Mary” and his love of Blues Rock was born. Ryan’s skill and style were so mature and his fondness for music was so developed that he and his first band were constantly booked at clubs, fairs and festivals. Along the way, ironically, rumor has it, he was “quietly” asked to leave Berklee School of Music for playing “too loud.” The music of Stevie Ray, Jimi, Clapton, John Mayall, BB King and other guitar greats etched their way into his soul. At 16, John Mayall invited Ryan to the stage and jam they did!
Ryan’s astonishing technique and performances have been making the blues fun again for young and old. Ryan has already become a fixture on the Connecticut music scene, featured at the legendary clubs Black Eyed Sally’s in Hartford, and the Knickerbocker Music Center, Westerly, RI, with Jeff Pitchell. This youthful, award-winning, guitarist, already named “Best New Artist” by the New England Music Hall Of Fame, artfully backed by funky, soulful session gurus, including alumni of Edgar and Johnny Winter, Eric Clapton and Lenny Kravitz, with a New York first-call live horn section to die for, uniquely interpreting Jimi, Stevie, Hoagie, BB and Keith plus unique arrangements of Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and Jeff Beck, including Ryan’s own haunting “Leaving This World Tonight,” all of which coalesce to engender Ryan’s first full-length studio album: Wrath Of Blues.
Ryan feels his passion for music sustains him on a daily basis and his life is forever enriched by this love. This “softspoken” prodigy is destined to “blow the roof ” off the modern blues scene. Ryan’s star is ascending. Whether stripped down acoustic or with a live electric band—Dig Ryan!
