The bald and buff Bruce Willis can rap, or the bluesy jam band equivalent of rapping, when he’s getting down with Blues Traveler.
A longtime fan and friend of the band, Willis is the surprise ending on “North Hollywood Shootout,” Blues Traveler’s latest album, set to hit shelves Aug. 26.
Grammy winner David Bianco, who’s worked with Mick Jagger and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, produced the 12-track effort.
“Things went so fast in the studio recording this album, we hardly know the tunes we’re playing,” said keyboardist Ben Wilson, calling from an Ohio parking lot while touring.
“In the past, we spent a great deal of time writing songs before we got to the studio so we could go in ready to rock. This time, we tried to catch our gut reactions and instinct with the idea that maybe we’ve overthought things before and subsequently took the life out of them.”
Wilson described the monthlong songwriting and recording sessions: “Show up at 11 or 12, make the coffee, say what are we going to do today. Once we came up with the kernel of an idea, the note instrument would go in, and we’d try anything that stuck. Then John [Popper] would see if he had any melodic ideas worth pursuing. Often by that night, we’d have a finished sketch of song, maybe 85 or 95 percent of a song done by the end of the day.”
Tuesday, a Baltimore audience can decide for itself whether Blues Traveler’s studio plan worked when the Grammy-winning quintet takes the Pier 6 stage. Sharing the bill are Live and Collective Soul, two post-grunge bands that enjoyed radio success in the ’90s along with Blues Traveler’s catchy “Hook” and “Run-Around.”
“It’s a completely different world out there than in the ’90s,” Wilson said. “There’s a lot more competition for entertainment dollars, and pirating music keeps record sales down.”
But the broken record industry and the thought that maybe Blues Traveler has peaked doesn’t tempt Wilson to move on. “It’s always an option, but I never considered it because playing music is a great life, and I wouldn’t want to change it. There’s very much a vitality to this band, and you know we’re young enough and motivated enough to keep pursuing.”
IF YOU GO
Live, Collective Soul and Blues Traveler
- When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
- Where: Pier 6 Pavilion
- 731 Eastern Ave., Baltimore
- Cost: $30 to $55
- Info: 410-783-4189
