Marc Broussard releases “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” video
It’s hardly surprising that Marc Broussard would tap “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination,” a cover of a Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland soul standard, as the new single from his forthcoming studio album S.O.S. 4: Blues For Your Soul. Given his seminal roots in Louisiana and a distinctive southern sound mined from funk, blues, rock, and R&B — he easily conveys a similar sensibility while giving his own unique spin on this classic track penned by the legendary Gerry Goffin and Barry Goldberg. With Broussard lending a powerful and dynamic vocal, underscored by Eric Krasno on guitar and a searing solo by none other than Joe Bonamassa, it’s given a pronounced interpretation that takes its cue from Bland’s original while, at the same time, delving deeper into the darker desires inherent in the song’s meaning and messaging.
“He [Bland] was the first blues singer that I really responded to,” Broussard reflects. “That howl that Bland did, that bark that he does in his songs, really got me. His recordings are all up in my heart. I just have to dig into them to try to do them my own way, but I still listen to his music to get true inspiration for what a singer can share.”
“I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” is the second single and one of twelve tracks from Broussard’s upcoming new album S.O.S.4: Blues For Your Soul, a selection of distinctive renditions of blues and soul classics including Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s “Cuttin’ In,” Al Green’s “Driving Wheel,” the first single, a sizzling take of Little Milton’s “That’s What Love Will Make You Do,” featuring Joe Bonamassa, to the sole original, “When Will I Let Her Go, produced by Bonamassa and longtime collaborator Josh Smith. The new album is the fourth installment of Broussard’s S.O.S. (Save our Soul) series of benefit albums, with proceeds going to the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation to support youth rehabilitation through music. This includes a partnership with the nonprofit organization Guitars Over Guns, which offers students from the most vulnerable communities a powerful combination of music education and mentorship.
S.O.S. 4: Blues For Your Soul is available on March 3 via Bonamassa’s Keeping The Blues Alive Records.
2023 Tour Dates
February 11 – Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips
February 12 – The Woodlands, TX @ Dosey Doe
February 16 – Gulf Shores, AL @ Erica H. Meyer Civic Center
March 8 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Manship Theatre
March 9 – Memphis, TN @ Lafayette’s Music Room
March 10 – Chattanooga, TN @ Walker Theatre
March 11 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
March 14 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
March 15 – Charleston, SC @ The Riviera Theater
March 17 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
March 18 – Birmingham, AL @ The Lyric Theatre
April 5 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theatre
April 6 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
April 7 – Ardmore, PA @ Ardmore Music Hall
April 8 – New York, NY @ Sony Hall
April 11 – Old Saybrook, CT @ Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center
April 12 – Fall River, MA @ Narrows Center for the Arts
April 14 – Portsmouth, NH @ Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club
April 15 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
April 16 – Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
April 18 – Cincinnati, OH @ Memorial Hall
April 21 – Louisville, KY @ Bomhard Theater
April 22 – Huntingdon, TN @ Dixie Carter PAC
