Each time Ryan Shaw’s single “Do the 45” would dance its way onto my radio, I could never resist the urge to shake it to this infectious track that had undoubtedly came from the Golden Age of Rhythm & Blues. Suffice to say, my mouth was agape and my once awkwardly grooving body at a standstill when I discovered that 1. Not only was this song penned in this century, but that 2. The man behind it wasn’t at all a classic soul powerhouse, but was instead a young and fresh 26-year-old singer-songwriter. Having been raised in a deeply religious Pentecostal family in Decatur, GA., gospel music was an integral part of Shaw’s everyday life in both a performing sense and a listening experience. It wasn’t until he moved to New York in 1998 to pursue his dream of performing that he began to envelop himself in the soul-enriched classics of the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies. It was at this time that Shaw became aware of the missing ingredients in the mainstream music of today, such as full-bodied music rich in melody, arrangements and lyrical quality, all of which were fundamental aspects of the soul music of yesteryear. For his debut album, This Is Ryan Shaw, he drew upon these old-school song-writing values to create originals that sound like instant and modernized classics which flow seamlessly with his covers from Golden Age inspirations themselves Jackie Wilson and Bobby Womack. Although his influences are apparent, Ryan Shaw has created his own current twist on soul that ensures he too will be as timeless as the songs that he sings. -Bailey Boykan
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