There was a time during the 1990s when Bernard Allison was looked upon as one of the hottest young guns on the contemporary blues scene. The son of blues legend Luther Allison has roots in Chicago and Europe. He is heavily influenced by his father, of course, and Texas guitar giants Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan, adding funk and R&B flavors to the mix to create his recognizable sound. With his first string of solo albums in the mid-90s, he stepped out of his father's shadow and quickly found his ownaudience, voice, and style.

Now, after more than three decades on the circuit, Allison is a seasoned veteran with countless tours and festivals and more than twenty albums under his belt. He's made quite a few musical friends during that time and has chosen his newest release, Loving You, to celebrate those friendships and the vibrant spirit of the blues community. Among the album's distinguished guest musicians are guitarists Larry McCray, Devon Allman and Matthew Curry; violinist Heather Hardy; piano virtuoso Victor Wainwright; as well as Bernard's nephew Jasper Allison and niece Lyndsey Allison, adding soulful backing vocals. Allison also welcomes a vital new contributor to the fold in rhythm guitarist Stephen Johnson (aka Stevie J Blues), who co-wrote five of the album's seven original songs. The Jackson, Mississippi native and former Bobby Rush band member adds new vigour to Allison's excellent rhythm section, which also includes drummer Sam Butts Jr. III, keyboardist Eric Roberts, and long-time
bassist, George Moye.

I"ve always wanted to record an album, bringing family and friends together!! Loving You is simply showing my appreciation and respect for my family and friends. So, 1 decided to invite and collaborate with a selected group of musicians and family members. I placed them on tracks where I felt they could bring out their true emotions and musical passions. We created a well-rounded album full of surprises, while showing our appreciation to all of our musical influences and genres. We laid down my blues foundation, with a taste of Funk, R&B, and Rock! And we did it, The Allison Way!!," explains Bernard Allison (aka "BA" on the
circuit).

Stylistically, Loving You is, on the one hand, familiar. And yet, thanks to the numerous guests, the reshuffling within the band's lineup and Allison's openness to collaboration, the sound and vibe is quite new compared to anything he has released before. For Bernard, it's always been about singing the blues, playing his axe, traveling the world, and giving you the best blues you can use.