Kip Boardman, a longtime session keyboard player and member of the L.A. roots scene, has performed alongside artists such as Randy Weeks, Mike Stinson, Tony Gilkyson and Ramsay Midwood. Nelson Bragg, who produced Boardman’s new album Boardman (out April 28), has served as vocalist and percussionist in Beach Boys cofounder Brian Wilson’s band for over ten years. The two musical veterans crossed paths by chance at the Cinema Bar, a revered live music dive, on a night when Boardman’s own band was playing and Bragg happened to stop in. Bragg was blown away, and a new collaborative project was born.
Boardman the album is Boardman the songwriter’s fourth studio album and the first venture for Bragg’s new label, Steel Derrick Music. With a distinctive ’70s L.A. country rock feel, the songs are captured live and put on display a perfect symmetry of Wurlitzer grooves from Boardman, tasty back-and-forth guitar licks from Eric Heywood (Ray LaMontagne’s pedal steel player), and California country gunslinger Dave Gleason. Rob Douglas (Nick Waterhouse, Apex Manor) is on bass, and Steve Mugalian (Dave Alvin) plays drums. Catch the band at the album release party Thursday at El Cid.
