Eli 'Paperboy' Reed previews new Merle Haggard salute with "Mama Tried"

Eli 'Paperboy' Reed puts a soulful spin on Merle Haggard's country classics on Down Every Road out April 29th.

Here's the scoop...

Eli “Paperboy” Reed pays homage to country legend Merle Haggard by putting a soulful spin on some classic tunes on Down Every Road set for release April 29th via Yep Roc. Recorded in Brooklyn with longtime collaborator Vince Chiarito (Black Pumas, Charles Bradley), Reed taps into all the heartache of Haggard’s iconic catalog and channels it into explosive, high-octane performances that blur the lines of genre, geography, and race to reveal the common, distinctly American threads tying them all together. 

You can pre-order Down Every Road right here. Listen to "Mama Tried" and "I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can" followed by the tracklisting.

Eli 'Paperboy' Reed – Down Every Road (Yep Roc) 

1. Mama Tried 

2. I'm Bringing Home Good News

3. Somewhere Between

4. Teach Me to Forget

5. It's Not Love, But It's Not Bad

6. If We Make It Through December

7. Silver Wings

8. I'm Gonna Break Every Heart I Can

9. I'm a Lonesome Fugitive

10. One Sweet Hello

11. Workin' Man Blues

12. Eli Paperboy Reed featuring Sabine McCalla & Sabine McCalla - Today I Started Loving You Again

That time Eli 'Paperboy' Reed played La Maroquinerie in Paris

Here's a nicely shot 77-minute performance in Paris by Eli 'Paperboy' Reed and crew from back in 2008. 

Set list:

Ooh We Baby : 00:00:57

Stake Your Claim : 00:04:11

I'm Tired Of Wandering : 00:06:59

I'm Gonna Getcha Back : 00:09:30

It's Easier : 00:15:25

Won't Give Up Without A Fight : 00:20:23

Am I Wasting Your Time : 00:23:57

The Satisfier : 00:27:40

She Walks : 00:30:57

If You Want The Love Of A Man : 00:35:12

(Am I Just) Fooling Myself : 00:39:21

Take My Love With You : 00:44:57

I'll Roll With You : 00:58:18

(Doin' The) Boom Boom : 01:03:23

Everyday (Will Be Like A Holiday) : 01:09:44

Ace Of Spades : 01:13:52

Watch The Masqueraders sing with Eli 'Paperboy' Reed

Celebrating the birthday of The Masqueraders' Tex Wrightsil with a version of "Help Me To Understand" with Eli 'Paperboy' Reed. 

Eli 'Paperboy' Reed shares salute to New Orleans great Johnny Adams

Eli is kindly donating the proceeds from the sale of his recording of "A Losing Battle" to Johnny Adams' widow Judy Adams. 

Here's the scoop from Eli...

Late last week, I was forwarded a message from Judy Adams, the widow of the great New Orleans R&B singer Johnny Adams. Her and her daughter were in dire straits. She lost her home in a flood over the summer and has been living week to week ever since. Since most of Johnny’s great music was made during the time when unfair or exploitative contracts for African-American musicians were common, she told me that royalty payments from his records are close to nonexistent. Johnny Adams has always been one of my all-time favorite singers, and I knew that I had to do something to help Judy. As it happens, I had recorded this version of Johnny’s blues ballad “A Losing Battle” for the Blues Kitchen video series in London in 2019. I reached out to the mastermind behind that series, my friend Liam Hart, to see if we could remix the audio from that session and put the song up for sale, with all proceeds going to benefit Judy Adams and her daughter. He, of course, agreed and now here we are! For the 24 hours that bandcamp is waiving their fee, every penny from the sale of my version of “A Losing Battle" will go directly to Johnny’s widow and daughter. I know many of us are hurting right now, so do what you can to help. Enjoy the music, and if you haven’t already, go listen to Johnny Adams!

Get a digital copy of Eli's version of "A Losing Battle" via Bandcamp right here. Check the clip below. 

Eli Paperboy Reed - Piano and Vocals 

J.B. Flatt - Organ 

Jesse Barnes - Bass 

Attis Clopton - Drums 

Gabriel Medd - Trumpet 

Paul Jones - Tenor Sax