Steve Forbert & The New Renditions

Years before Americana music earned its own category at the Grammy Awards, Steve Forbert helped pioneer the genre's mix of folk, roots rock, and richly delivered storytelling. He's been a torchbearer of that sound for more than four decades since, navigating the twists and turns of an acclaimed career that's taken him from gold records to Grammy nominations, from New York City's CBGB to Nashville's Bluebird Cafe, from his 1978 debut album to 2022's vital and versatile “Moving Through America.”
The songs take centerstage once again with “Moving Through America.” Filled with character portraits and quirky insights, the album unfolds like a mosaic of modern day American life, delivered by someone who's been crisscrossing the country for nearly half a century. With an author's nuance and a humorist's wit, Forbert offer glimpses into the everyday lives of his characters. He inhabits each character, turning their storylines into first person narratives that blur the lines between subject and scribe. He sounds every bit as spirited as he did in the late 1970s, back when he left his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, and headed to New York in search of new horizons.
When New Wave bands began to dominate the FM airwaves, Forbert stuck to his guns, continuing to fly the flag for organic roots music that proudly blurred the lines between genres. “Romeo's Tune,” a track from Forbert's 1979 breakthrough album, became a hit, climbing to Number 11 in the U.S Forbert has remained prolific, serving as an elder statesman of Americana music while still writing music that's spry and steadfast. His older songs continue to resonate in today's world, with Keith Urban recording his own version of “Romeo's Tune” on the artist's platinum certified album "Greatest Hits: 18 Kids."