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WILD & PRECIOUS LIFE – OUT NOW!
Duane Betts assembled his dream team of musicians — including guitarist Johnny Stachela, bassist Berry Duane Oakley, keyboardist John Ginty, and drummer Tyler Greenwell — and took up his old friends Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks on an offer to record at their own Swamp Raga Studio in Jacksonville. Wild & Precious Life was recorded to two-inch analog tape during a series of live-in-the-recording-studio performances in 2022.
“We set up as a band, tracked everything live, and kept whichever takes had the magic,” says Duane, who co-produced the album with Stachela and Ginty. The band welcomed a number of guests into the fold too, finding room for Marcus King (who swaps guitar solos with Duane on “Cold Dark World”), Nicki Bluhm (whose haunting harmonies run throughout the country-flavored “Colors Fade”), and Derek Trucks (who contributes searing guitar leads to the album highlight “Stare at the Sun”). Bobby Tis handled the album’s engineering duties, while seven-time Grammy winner Jim Scott mixed.
Wild & Precious Life offers up a timeless version of American music — a mix of blues, rock, folk, and country that could’ve blanketed the FM radio airwaves during any number of decades. It’s a modern album inspired by some of the best parts of the past, full of sharply crafted songs written in a state of deep reflection and Duane’s journey toward sobriety.
NEW ALBUM WITH DUANE BETTS COMING SOON
Stay tuned for the record release announcement coming soon!
In session at Swamp Raga Studio – Jacksonville, FL / Photo by Bradley Strickland
Duane Betts & Johnny Stachela Stir Up Memorable Bluesy Jams At The Venice West
A show that started out as an intimate guitar duet between talented blues rockers ended up as delightful friends and family affair in Venice, California. Duane Betts and Johnny Stachela have been playing together for some time and their gig on July 21, 2022 at The Venice West solidified their successful collaboration. Fans in the small venue were treated to surprise guests, extraordinary acoustic guitar forays, and songs that spanned the blues rock catalog. >> Read full review at Glidemagazine.com
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In 2018, Johnny Stachela and Duane Betts partnered with the Devon Allman Project as guests, supporting and sitting-in on a nine-month Allman/Betts World Tour, with stops at such iconic venues as NYC’s Beacon Theater and Colorado’s Red Rocks amphitheater. The European leg took Stachela to Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, UK and Germany. Additionally, he performed on the second single, “Downtown Runaround,” and subsequent video from Betts’ debut EP, Sketches of American Music.
Stachela joined The Allman Betts Band as a charter member- recording at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound studio- for their 2019 debut LP, Down to the River, and their 2020 follow-up, Bless Your Heart, touring internationally with the group, including dates in Europe and multiple summer festival stops. Subsequent tours with the ABB and the Allman Betts Family Revival have included appearances at New Orleans’ famed Jazz Festival, as well as overseas dates in Australia and Japan- at Byron Bay and Fuji Rock, respectively.
Among the myriad guest spots Stachela has made include jams with Little Feat, Gov’t Mule, and North Mississippi Allstars. With Betts, he’s also welcomed Derek Trucks and Mike Campbell (Tom Petty) for notable onstage collaborations. As a solo artist, Stachela joined the legendary Wet Willie on the band’s 2020 Rock Legends cruise. As well, in the spring of 2023, Stachela released the single, “County Farm Blues”, a cover of the 1930s Son House folk blues, across all digital platforms. He is slated to record further solo material estimated for release in 2025.
Additionally, Stachela contributed writing, performing, and production work for Betts’ second solo project. Recording sessions for the new effort commenced in Spring 2022 at Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi’s Swamp Raga Studio in Jacksonville, Florida. The resulting album, “Wild & Precious Life,” issued by Royal Potato Family records, arrived in the summer of 2023 to much critical acclaim, making several year-end “Best of” lists.
Stachela joined Betts as a founding member of his new band, Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel, embarking on an extensive U.S. tour including festival dates and headlining appearances, and a noteworthy night at the Grand Ole Opry. Touring in support of the LP continued throughout 2024. A follow-up LP is slated for 2025.
With his well-crafted style of bottleneck slide evoking favorable comparisons to his heroes- influenced and inspired, never imitating- Johnny Stachela has become one of the more highly respected guitarists in modern blues and rock.
MEDIA
County Farm Blues
by Johnny Stachela
Digital Album Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high quality download in MP3, FLAC, & more. Buy Now $5 USD
1. County Farm Blues
2. Firefly
3. Hard Rain
4. Handle It
released March 21, 2023