For those unaware, T Bear is a distinctive singer and talented keyboard player who has made his mark as a solo performer and collaborator with many iconic artists -- Crosby Stills and Nash, The Blues Brothers, Billy Squier, Cher, as well as Gene Simmons and Peter Criss of Kiss, to name a few.

His new album, The Way Of The World, was written and recorded as the world emerged from the pandemic. Produced by long-time Grammy-winning collaborators drummer Tony Braunagel and guitarist Laurence Juber, the horn-driven excursions of Fresh Bear Tracks were stripped-down to a small group sound, recording mostly in home studio environments.

Augmenting this core trio was a selection of bass players, including the legendary Reggie McBride, Hutch Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt) and John Mayall-alumnus Ricky Cortez.

The Way Of The World boasts a stunning set of twelve original songs, written and co-written by T Bear. The subject runs from the wry humor of Your Husband’s Got a Gun and A Change Will Do Me Good to the pithy observations of the title song The Way Of The World, the Latin-flavored narrative of Dinner For One and the meditative self-reflection of Breathe.

1. The Way Of The World
2. Sign On The Dotted Line
3. Before The Fall
4. Jewel
5. Walter Mitty’s Glasses
6. A Change Will Do Me Good
7. Your Husband’s Got A Gun
8. This Bird Has Flown
9. Breathe
10. They Can Kill You
11. Dinner For One
12. True Romance
13. Red Harvest

The album opens on the low slung blues of The Way Of The World and the foot-tapping soul of Sign On The Dotted Line and then we get the Americana-hued Before The Fall, the languishing ballad Jewel, the all-embracing Walter Mitty’s Glasses, before both the guitar rocker A Change Will Do Me Good and the laid back, sunsetting AOR of Your Husband’s Got A Gun are brought forth.

Along next is the laid back, mid-tempo balladry of This Bird Has Flown and the delicate piano ballad Breathe and they are in turn backed by the strident blues-rock of They Can Kill You, the smoothly free flowing Dinner For One, the album rounding out on the beautiful True Romance, closing on the rhythmically regimented, drum-led bonus track Red Harvest.

T Bear @ Facebook