Album Review – Ted Russell Kamp’s “Walkin’ Shoes”
There’s not a lot of space carved out in the music sphere for guys like Ted Russell Kamp. Music is a career path where aggressiveness, arrogance, and self-aggrandization are rewarded, and those who put the music before themselves often get left behind. But nothing gets very far in music if it isn’t for guys like Ted Russell Kamp—the side players and behind-the-scenes songwriters that make the guys or girls at center stage look and sound so good.
Most will recognize Ted Russell Kamp as the long-time bass player for Shooter Jennings, starting off with Shooter way back in the .357 days with Leroy Powell and Bryan Keeling in what many consider as one of the best backing bands of the era. To folks in the Southern California country rock scene, Ted Russell Kamp is like a one man musical auxiliary, playing bass and guitar in a host of projects, teaching and mentoring when in town, playing in the studio when called upon, producing records, and writing songs for himself and others.
On tour, Ted Russell Kamp is the rock behind the bass. When the sound is bad, when the crowd is unruly, he’s the one on the stage holding it all together. Chaos may ensue all around, but Ted Russell Kamp will be smiling behind his soul patch, giving everyone else a compass, and a beat to follow. When it comes time each year for annual showcase events such as SXSW or AmericanaFest, Ted Russell Kamp can be seen all over the place playing with a host of other performers, learning their repertoires on the fly, rushing around town to help give solo artists some more color to their shows.
But Ted Russell Kamp is so much more than just someone’s bass player. People really attune with the music and Kamp’s importance in the Southern California scene know this to be true, but it’s criminal how many others don’t. He’s released an entire catalog of solid albums going all the way back to the late 90’s, sometimes veering more in the roots rock direction, other times remaining a bit more country, but always combining a little bit of both in a true expression of country music’s Southern California roots. His latest record Walkin’ Shoes is no different, except it starts out pretty twangy, making it easy for a country fan to slide into, and then makes it hard to stop listening as Kamp delivers one solid song after another.
Where a few of Ted Russell’s previous albums center around the Southern California state-of-mind, Walkin’ Shoes is decidedly a road record. It finds Ted coming and going, and the only time really feeling at home is when he’s leaving. Whether it’s the hot twang of the opening number “Home Away From Home,” or the solemn and lonely bass-only moments of “Highway Whisper,” Walkin’ Shoes is Ted Russell Kamp reveling in the adventure travel can afford, but acknowledging the hardships and heartbreak often underpinning what can be a lonely life.
Just as it seems Ted Russell Kamp has never hit a sour note on the 4-string while on stage, if he’s every written a bad song, it’s hasn’t made it on a record. He’s not some troubled soul who will make you double over with “feels,” but his penmanship is just as quality as his musicianship, with a consistency of output many headliners could learn from. “We Don’t Have To Be Alone” and “Tail Light Shine” could, and probably should end up on some major independent country release.
Why Kamp’s songwriting credits haven’t populated more projects is kind of a wonder. Perhaps it’s because he’s primarily based in L.A. as opposed to Nashville. That also may be why he might be one of the most prolific artists regularly ignored by the music media centralized in Music City. It’s also a wonder how Kamp finds time to craft his own music with everything else he has going on, and how it’s not at the expense of the depth and expansiveness of his work. The song “Paid By The Mile” from Walkin’ Shoes is so true. The service time this guy has put in is incredible, even if the pay and recognition hasn’t been.
But that’s not why Ted Russell Kamp makes music. He does it from a love beyond whatever personal recognition he may be afforded. Like any of us, of course he would like more accolades for his efforts. But most important is the music. Whether it’s in a producer’s chair tweaking at knobs, playing bass on stage, or the time he gets to write and perform his own music in between, Ted Russell Kamp is just grateful to be a part of it. We should be grateful for what he’s been a part of, because without Ted Russell, some things he’s been a part of may not have been possible.
Give a listen to Walkin’ Shoes. You may be surprised just how good that bass player guy with the curly hair and soul patch you see everywhere is when he steps up to the mic himself.
“I didn’t come here for the money. I didn’t come here for the fame. I just hope it makes you smile every time you hear my name.”
1 1/2 Guns Up (7.5/10)
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December 19, 2018 @ 9:43 am
First time I’ve heard this guy’s stuff. Good stuff indeed. I’m finalizing my CDBaby purchase of this album right now.
December 19, 2018 @ 10:13 am
Damn that’s good.
December 19, 2018 @ 11:10 am
Corb Lund vibe to the music.
December 19, 2018 @ 11:17 am
Curious how you only left this with 7.5/10. I know I know I know, you don’t want to get caught up in the numbers you assign…but there is a pattern to your ratings. Usually a review that ends up with a 7.5/10 comes with some caveats, but there are none here. I would have expected this to end up above an 8 based on the write up. Just curious, not asking you to defend yourself.
December 19, 2018 @ 12:17 pm
That’s a fair question.
I always try to find something wrong even with the greatest efforts, not just to be negative, but to give constructive criticism in hopes for creative growth. This is the point of writing objective reviews. I honestly don’t think there’s anything wrong with this record, and so that’s why I didn’t have anything really negative to say. That said—and I touched on it in the review—Ted Russell Kamp is also not one of these “troubled souls” that writes songs that shake you to your core. That is not a criticism of him whatsoever. That’s one of the reasons he’s such an asset to music. It’s his consistency that makes him remarkable. But at the same time, without that troubled perspective that breeds appeal in many artists, I can understand if some put other performers above Ted Russell Kamp in the pantheon of current musicians. Kamp is a journeyman, not a superstar. And that’s what makes him cool, especially seeing that he’s not bitter about that, he’s proud of it. Because it usually takes four or five people to make music, including people that despite their talent, are willing to play second fiddle for the benefit of others for the love of the music.
December 19, 2018 @ 2:42 pm
I like him-
December 19, 2018 @ 5:18 pm
Good stuff, thanks for sharing.
December 19, 2018 @ 11:56 pm
We talk a lot on these web pages about the schlock that is thrown at genuine country music fans. But this is when I feel the pay-off of discovering really good lesser-known artists – almost invariably unearthed by Trigger and the SCM site. This is great stuff.
December 20, 2018 @ 10:37 am
Pretty damn good album.
December 20, 2018 @ 3:16 pm
Listened to him for years. He has some great albums. Divisadero is a great album. He always stays after shooter shows and meets with fans. Real class act. He can play anything. And man, him, Leroy and Bryan on drums were awesome. I think shooter really suffered when leroy left and things changed. You cant help but root for a guy like this. He should be more well known.
December 20, 2018 @ 6:05 pm
Trigger, Thanks for listening and for writing a great review. And everyone else, thanks for commenting and checking out the music too.
December 22, 2018 @ 10:22 pm
This is really good, definitely going to check out all his albums.
December 23, 2018 @ 5:01 pm
Ted is an amazing musician, producer, songwriting partner and most of all, person. I’m honored to work with him on so many projects. I knew the first time I heard him play that he was one of the best songwriters I’d ever heard. Definitely check out this artist’s music!