Biography

Tim Gartland is a genuine triple threat, and this new album finds him in peak form as a totally natural singer, tasty harmonica player, and first class songwriter. Tim cut his teeth in the Chicago clubs, then moved East to become a staple of the Boston blues scene. Now Nashville feels like the perfect place to hone his already sharp songwriting chops while working with some of the city’s top musicians.

Tim’s new album, IF YOU WANT A GOOD WOMAN, was recorded and co-produced by one very busy Nashville cat, former Delbert McClinton band mate Kevin McKendree. The songs are all original Tim Gartland compositions, some co-written with his longtime musical collaborator, keyboard player Tom West.

You can tell that Tim Gartland is serious about his songwriting. His songs are beautifully crafted pieces – soulful, bluesy and melodic compositions with lyrics that address real feelings with memorable hooks and a wink of irony. He songs tell us “What The Blues Look Like”, ponder what he will do with an “Hour’s Worth” of money and time, and lament that “I Had it All”, but I had it all wrong. His smooth, relaxed baritone wraps itself around a song like a warm blanket, and is nicely offset offset by some crisp and soulful background singers on many of the tracks. This is one singer that doesn’t need to yell to get his point across.

As a harp player, Tim favors a largely acoustic or punchy but clean amplified tone, which fits in perfectly with the intimate and natural feel of the record. He’s adept at diatonic and chromatic harmonicas, and as you would expect, he is guided by the same relaxed musical sensibility and taste that defines his vocals. Never showing off with his virtuosity, Tim plays just the right notes, and leaves all the right spaces.

This is Tim’s third album of original music, and it’s his best by far. What a pleasure it is to hear him hit his stride.

— Richard Rosenblatt