Al Witham

Blues-based songwriter, singer and guitarist Al Witham is a native Wellingtonian steeped in the music of the deep South, but with his feet firmly located in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

His songs combine a swampy blues feel with finely crafted lyrics that explore the ambiguities and hard facts of relationships and modern life, delivered with a unique bourbon baritone voice and an instantly recognisable guitar style based on feel, not pyrotechnics.

Al's first album, Just Is, was released in 2004 and was well received in the local blues/roots scene, establishing him as a writer and performer to watch.  His second album, Fautlines, was released Mid-November 2009.

The new album finds Al hitting his straps and achieving a fully developed personal voice that goes beyond the tired cliches of blues.

The band on Fautlines includes some of Wellington's finest: Richard Te One (who also produced the album), Wayne Mason, Bob Smith, Dave Murphy, George Barris, and Terry Casey.

Al performs at various venues around Wellington, Wairarapa and the Kapiti Coast, in solo and duo formats, as well as with the Al Witham Band, which usually features drummer Roger Watkins, bassist George Barris, and one of several keyboardists such as Alan Norman, Wayne Mason, and Bob Smith.

Although Al’s repertoire is mainly originals, his performances also include classic blues by artists like John Lee Hooker, Big Bill Broonzy, and Tony Joe White, and sometimes a touch of hard nosed country such as Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues.

Al lives in Paekakariki.


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