(HUDSON, N.Y.) – New England-based singer-songwriter Ryan Montbleau brings his bluesy, soulful folk-rock to Club Helsinki Hudson on Saturday, August 23, at 9pm.
Like his friend and sometime collaborator, Martin Sexton, Ryan Montbleau is an adept of the more soulful side of folk and rock. The winner of a Boston Music Award, Montbleau sounds equally at home backed by a New Orleans-flavored outfit or covering soul classics by the likes of Bill Withers or Curtis Mayfield. He’s written songs for Trombone Shorty, and he’s recorded with members of Galactic, the Meters and the Neville Brothers.
Montbleau didn’t start singing and playing guitar in earnest until he was in college, at Villanova University. Later, working at the House of Blues in Boston, he began playing solo sets as a warm-up act. His band came together naturally over time, planting strong roots in coffee shops, folk venues and rock clubs before converting audiences on the outdoor festival circuit. Like Sexton, he’s one of those singer-songwriters who can just as easily win over audiences at folk festival stages or at jam-band gatherings.
After a strong run, the Ryan Montbleau Band dissolved last fall, with several members reaching the stage in their lives where they had to commit to staying home to devote time to their families. Always keeping one foot in the world of the solo performer, however, Montbleau hasn’t missed a beat, and is reestablishing himself on the circuit as a solo artist.
For reservations in The Restaurant or in the club call 518.828.4800.