James Leg (aka John Wesley Myers of the Black Diamond Heavies) is set to release his second proper solo album, Below The Belt, later this summer. Back in his days with the Heavies, Leg laid the foundation for his solo work with his down-n-dirty keys, fervent live performances and trademark gruff howl mixed with equal measures of bourbon, butane and nicotine.
Following the success of both his acclaimed 2011 solo debut, Solitary Pleasure, and his 2012 joint venture with label-mates Left Lane Cruiser for the equally white-hot studio album, Painkillers, Leg recorded the tracks for Below The Belt earlier this year in the dead of winter with several guest musicians at Johnny Walker’s (Soledad Brothers, Cut In The Hill Gang) studio: Masonic Sounds located in a Masonic Lodge in Dayton, Kentucky. The album was mixed by renowned producer/engineer Jim Diamond at Ghetto Recorders in Detroit.
Leg will be embarking on a number of headlining club tours in support of Below The Belt, including U.S. dates in Jul/Aug, a Deep Blues Festival performance in south Germany in Aug, UK and Ireland dates in Sep/Oct and finishing up the year in Europe in Oct/Nov. Specific tours dates for all of these runs to be announced soon.
James Leg’s Below The Belt will be released on limited vinyl, CD and digital formats on September 4 via Alive Naturalsound Records.
August 1 @ Deep Blues Fest — Riegsee, DE
August 22 @ Whiskey War Fest — St Louis, MO
August 22 @ Whiskey War Fest — St. Charles, MO
August 23 @ The Lift — Dubuque, IA
August 25 @ Phatheadz — Green Bay, WI
August 26 @ Broken World Records — Winona, MN
August 27 @ Red Line Tap — Chicago, IL
August 28 @ Rock Island Brew Co — Rock Island, IL
(more worldwide dates to be announced soon)