BlueSoul by Dov Hammer

"Dov Hammer is one tasty, albeit understated, harp player and songwriter who can hold his own with anyone. BlueSoul is modern blues at its best. "- Marty Gunther, "Blues blast magazine "

"Dov Hammer predominates with his metallic dark voice and tasteful
harmonica work. .... Songs that I think deserve an extra mention
are the swinging opener "Make It Count", the jazzy "Bad Luck Charm" and the very special "BlueSoul", in which Hammer raps the lyrics. Great CD, an absolute must."- Eric Campfens, "Barn owl Blues", The Netherlands

Welcome to the Blue Soul of Dov Hammer - and get ready for some some hipshakin’, heartbreakin’, earthquakin’ Blues!
For almost 30 years Dov Hammer has plied his trade as singer, songwriter and harmonica player in various bands such as The Blues Rebels, CG & The Hammer and the Daily Blues, as well as backing top notch artists such as Joe Louis Walker, Lucky Peterson, Bernard Allison and many others.
Now comes “BlueSoul”, Dov Hammer’s new album, the first recorded under his own name since 2004’s “Going deep”. While that album was strictly stripped -down, raw acoustic Blues, “BlueSoul” is a bubbling pot of Blues gumbo - a variety of styles ranging from Chicago to New Orleans, from traditional to modern and all points in between, all anchored by Hammer’s soulful vocals, soaring harmonica and unique songwriting. The songs deal with love and loss, going through challenges and changes and enduring trials and tribulations with grit and determination and some hard earned humor...
The album kicks off with classic Chicago -style Blues shuffle in “Make it count”, then immediately heads south for some New orleans “second line” party music in “I’m gone”
Some heavy blues-rock is at play on “Find a way” and “Magic” (featuring the fantastic lap-steel slide of Ori Beanstock), while Hammer features his chromatic harmonica on the tongue-in-cheek, jump-Blues of “Bad luck charm”
“The fighting Blues” is a stark, Skip James -style Delta Blues, while “Tear it down” rocks and rolls like a freight train rumbling through the Mississippi night…then a brief stylistic detour into country-rock as Hammer and special guest Assaf Rozov pay homage to their late friend and mentor “King” Earnest Baker on “King”.
“Dance the Blues” is another Chicago Blues, paying tribute to the slow grinding pleasure of the Blues dancers.
“Taking my time” is a raunchy, semi-electronic Bluesy love song, then the album signs off with the autobiographical title track, a melding of Blues and hip-hop featuring Dov Hammer’s daughter Naomi Jo Hammer on the soul chorus.

Thanks and praise
Special thanks to Tzafrir Lichtenstein - a great musician, a fine drummer and the best friend a man could ask for. Without him this album might not have been made

Thanks to all the musicians who put their heart, soul and talent into my music, to Sarit Kleinman for great video clips, to Tal Fogel for beautiful art and to Ma’ayan Bar Yoel for wise advice and guidance - I am truly blessed to have such gifted friends!

Finally - much love to my best friend, my soulmate and my favorite person in the world, Michal Drori, and to our wonderful daughters, Naomi Jo, Shira and Ronnie Hammer. You are the best.

This album is dedicated to the memory of two legendary musicians who I was blessed to meet, play with and learn from early in my career. I wouldn't be the same artist without the lessons I learned from these great men who were taken from us much too soon and never achieved the fame and success they deserved:

King Earnest (Earnest Baker ,1939-2000) was one of the great unsung heroes of the Blues, an amazing singer, dancer and performer and an exceptional human being. God bless you, King, wherever you are, I learned so much from you about singing, performing, and living. The song “King” is dedicated to his memory.

Paul deLay (1952-2007) was one of the greatest , most innovative harmonica players to ever walk the earth - but he was much more: a great singer, songwriter, and performer . It was a joy to spend time with him,and I learned so much from him about being honest in your art, and about being part of a musical tradition while avoiding cliches at the same time...RIP

Tracklist

1.	Make it count	3:42

2.	I'm Gone	2:50

3.	Find a way	5:16

4.	Magic	3:22

5.	Bad luck charm	2:41

6.	The fighting Blues	4:17

7.	Tear it down	4:20

8.	Dov Hammer & Assaf Rozov - King	3:54

9.	Dance the Blues	2:57

10.	Taking my time	2:23

11.	BlueSoul	4:27

Credits

released July 10, 2019

All songs written by Dov Hammer
Produced by Dov Hammer © & (P)
Co-producers: Tzafrir Lichtenstein (songs 2,3,4,5,10)
Amir Hacohen (Song 11)

Songs 2,3,4,5,10 recorded by Tzafrir Lichtenstein and mixed by Ori Beanstock
Song 6, 9 recorded and mixed by Matan Ashkenazy
Songs 1, 7, 8 recorded and mixed by Shlomo Deshet
Song 11 recorded and mixed by Amir Hacohen
Mastering by Shlomo Deshet

Cover art and design by Taloosh

Musicians (check track credits for song by song details)

Dov Hammer - vocals, harmonica

Drummers: Tzafrir Lichtenstein, Nir Segal
Bass players: Amos Springer, Oren Laor
Guitarists: Yair Fine, Gil Katzir, Danny Manor, Ori Beanstock, Assaf Rozov
Lap Steel guitar - Ori Beanstock
Keyboards: Kfir Tzairi, Amir Hacohen
Backing vocals: Naomi Jo Hammer, Assaf Rozov
Percussion: Tzafrir Lichtenstein, Shlomo Deshet, Nir Segal
Electronic effects - Amir Hacohen, Tzafrir Lichtenstein

Special guest vocalist: Assaf Rozov (track 8)

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