“His voice is his careful, meticulous art, a thing of rare and expressive beauty” – Steve Braunias.

There is no singer in this country – perhaps in the world – who can deliver a song with more soulful conviction than Rick Bryant. Starting out in the late 60s with Wellington blues bands Original Sin and Gutbucket, he went on to develop a personal style through various groups including the psychedelic-symphonic Mammal, the rustic-modernist Windy City Strugglers, and The Jive Bombers: the rock’n’soul big band he has fronted since the early 80s.

You will hear the latest evolution of Rick Bryant and the Jive Bombers in The Black Soap From Monkeyburg: a dozen new songs, all written or co-written by Bryant, which glance at the classic templates of soul, gospel and rock’n’roll while presenting a witty, wordy, sometimes surreal world-view which is distinctly his own.

The Jive Bombers for this album includes many veterans of New Zealand music, including drummer Ross Burge (Mutton Birds, Dave Dobbyn), guitarists Neil Watson (Tim Finn) and Geoff Maddock (Goldenhorse) and organist Mike Gubb (Mental As Anything).

Production of The Black Soap From Monkeyburg was overseen by Edmund McWilliams – alias Ed Cake – who has previously produced albums by Anika Moa, Don McGlashan, Haunted Love and The Sami Sisters, along with his own groups Bressa Creeting Cake and Pie Warmer. McWilliams lends his sophisticated sonic touch to the Bombers’ traditional soul groove, resulting in a record that moves effortlessly between the familiar and the unexpected.