Patrick Sweany (born April 26, 1974) is an American
blues rock
Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...
musician from
Massillon, Ohio, United States.
Career
Patrick Sweany first gained prominence in the late 1990s as an acoustic
blues guitarist and singer at many Blues Festivals around the U.S. His first CD ''I Wanna Tell You'' was released in 1999 and drew critical acclaim from prominent musicians such as
Roy Book Binder
Roy Book Binder (born October 5, 1943 as Paul Roy Bookbinder) is an American blues guitarist, singer-songwriter and storyteller. A student and friend of the Rev. Gary Davis, he is equally at home with blues and ragtime. He is known to shift ...
and
Jimmy Thackery
Jimmy Thackery (born May 19, 1953, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter.
Career
Thackery spent fourteen years as part of The Nighthawks, the Washington, D.C. based blues and roots rock ...
. In 2001, Sweany formed an electric trio called The Patrick Sweany Band. The band included drummer Clint Alguire, and has featured a revolving cast of
baritone guitar
The baritone guitar is a guitar with a longer scale length, typically a larger body, and heavier internal bracing, so it can be tuned to a lower pitch. Gretsch, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, ESP Guitars, PRS Guitars, Music Man, Danelectro, Sch ...
ists, including
Dan Auerbach
Daniel Quine Auerbach (; born May 14, 1979) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. As a member of the group, Auerbach has ...
from
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing thei ...
,
Ted Pecchio of Col. Bruce Hampton's
The Codetalkers
The Codetalkers were a jazz, rock and roll band from Savannah, Georgia, composed of Bobby Lee Rodgers, (lead vocals, electric banjo, guitar, "air trombone"), Mark Raudabaugh (drums, vocals) and Andrew Altman (bass, vocals). The band was forme ...
, Bob Basone and Jon Finley. Similarly, Sweany has used many drummers, including Nick Fritsch, Brad Porter, Jon Radford, Jimmy Lester, Adam Abrashoff and Jason Edwards. The omission of a bass player was Sweany's attempt to model the sound of the band after
Hound Dog Taylor
Theodore Roosevelt "Hound Dog" Taylor (April 12, 1915 – December 17, 1975) was a Chicago blues guitarist and singer.
Life and career
Taylor was born in Natchez, Mississippi, in 1915, though some sources say 1917. He first played the piano and ...
's HouseRockers.
In 2006, Sweany signed with Nine Mile Records to release ''C'Mon C'Mere.'' The CD was co-produced by
Dan Auerbach
Daniel Quine Auerbach (; born May 14, 1979) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. As a member of the group, Auerbach has ...
and
Jimbo Mathus
James H. Mathis Jr. (born August 1967), known as Jimbo Mathus, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and member of the swing revival band Squirrel Nut Zippers.
Early life and career
He was born in Oxford, Mississippi to Jimmy Mathis and ...
from
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Squirrel Nut Zippers is an American swing and jazz band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, by James "Jimbo" Mathus (vocals and guitar), Tom Maxwell (vocals and guitar), Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo, ukulele), Chris Phillips (dru ...
and incorporated
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...
,
soul music
Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became pop ...
and 50s era
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
into his electric blues stylings.
In June 2007, Sweany released another full-length CD, ''Every Hour Is A Dollar Gone'', again recorded by
Dan Auerbach
Daniel Quine Auerbach (; born May 14, 1979) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. As a member of the group, Auerbach has ...
, this time in his newly fashioned Akron Analog studios. Sweany toured throughout the U.S. in support of this release, both headlining and supporting artists such as
Sonny Landreth
Clide Vernon "Sonny" Landreth (born February 1, 1951) is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He was born in Canton, Mississippi, and settled in Lafayette, Louisiana. He lives in B ...
,
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing thei ...
,
Los Straitjackets
Los Straitjackets is an American instrumental rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, in 1988. Originally comprising guitarists Danny Amis (formerly of the Raybeats), Eddie Angel and drummer L. J. "Jimmy" Lester under the ...
,
The Gourds
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speak ...
and
Paul Thorn
Paul Thorn is an American Southern rock, country, Americana, and blues singer-songwriter, whose style is a mix of blues, country, and rock.
Biography
Thorn was raised in Tupelo, Mississippi. Before his professional music career began he was ...
.
In 2009, Sweany moved to East Nashville. In October that year he showcased during the
Americana Music Association
The Americana Music Association is a not-for-profit trade organization advocating for American Roots Music around the world. It is a network for Americana artists, radio stations, record labels, publishers, and others with the goal of develo ...
's annual conference in Nashville.
In February 2011, Sweany released ''That Old Southern Drag'' again on Nine Mile Records. The initial tracks were engineered by Scott McEwan, bassist for
The Tarbox Ramblers. Additional tracking and overdubs were done at the home studios of Joe V. McMahan, a Nashville guitar player (
Webb Wilder
John Webb McMurry (born May 19, 1954), known as Webb Wilder, is an American country, rock & roll singer, guitarist and actor.
Early life
McMurry was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He started playing guitar at the age of 12 and was playing ...
,
Freedy Johnston
Freedy Johnston (born Frederic John Fatzer in 1961) is a New York City–based singer-songwriter originally from Kinsley, Kansas.
Johnston's songs are often about troubled loners, and cover topics like heartbreak, alienation, and disappoint ...
,
Allison Moorer,
Mike Farris Michael Farris may refer to:
* Michael Farris (lawyer), American constitutional lawyer
* Mike Farris (musician)
Mike Farris (born c. 1968 in Winchester, Tennessee) is an American musician. He was the founder and lead singer of Screamin' Cheet ...
). McMahan also got credit as producer. The record did well within Americana circles and Sweany was again invited to showcase at the
Americana Music Association
The Americana Music Association is a not-for-profit trade organization advocating for American Roots Music around the world. It is a network for Americana artists, radio stations, record labels, publishers, and others with the goal of develo ...
's conference in 2011.
Until 2011 Sweany was endorsed by
Dean Guitars
Dean Guitars, commonly referred to simply as Dean, is an American importer and maker of stringed instruments and musical products with its headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
Its products include solid-body electric guitars, bass guitars, and acoust ...
. In 2012, Sweany signed with
Fender Guitars
The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC, or simply Fender) is an American manufacturer of instruments and amplifiers. Fender produces acoustic guitars, bass amplifiers and public address equipment, however it is best known for its sol ...
.
In June 2013, Sweany released ''Close To The Floor'' on Nine Mile Records. Many of the songs on the record deal with the loss of two close family members the year before. On ''Close To The Floor'', Sweany also continues his association with Joe V. McMahan, with MacMahan acting as engineer and producer and also adding some guitar parts. Other musicians appearing on the record are Ryan Norris on keyboards, Ron Eoff on bass, and Jon Radford on drums.
Discography
*''I Wanna Tell You'' CD (1999 Ayao Records, re-released in 2006 on Nine Mile Records)
*''Patrick Sweany Band'' CD (year unknown - Self-released)
*''Merlefest - Live'' CD (year unknown - Self-released)
*''henryfordbedroom'' CD (2003 Ayao Records)
*''Sleeping Bag EP'' CD (2005 Ayao Records) currently out-of-print
*''C'mon C'mere'' CD (2006 Nine Mile Records)
*''Every Hour Is A Dollar Gone'' CD (2007 Nine Mile Records)
*''That Old Southern Drag'' CD & LP (2011 Nine Mile Records)
*''Every Hour Is A Dollar Gone'' LP (2012 Nine Mile Records)
*''Close To The Floor'' CD & LP (2013 Nine Mile Records)
*''Daytime Turned To Nightime'' CD (2015 Nine Mile Records)
*''Ancient Noise'' CD (2018 Nine Mile Records)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweany, Patrick
1974 births
Living people
American blues guitarists
American male guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
21st-century American male musicians