Janiva Magness, opening David Luning

“I have to, I must, I want to bring myself, always, to anything I’m singing. I’m not going to choose a song, ever, if I cannot bring myself to the story. I have to be able to do that. I have to be able to be authentic in it, even if I didn’t pen the words.”

That cuts to the heart of the force guiding Janiva Magness as she sought out songs for her new album, Back for Me. Produced by her longtime friend, Producer and collaborator Dave Darling, the album is a powerfully engaging, emotionally rich collection from a dynamic artist who continues to renew and redefine her widely celebrated relationship with the blues. Janiva’s far-ranging search for songs has unearthed a treasure chest of lesser-known gems by well-known artists (Bill Withers, Ray LaMontagne, Allen Toussaint, Doyle Bramhall II, Tracy Nelson, Irma Thomas) and deep-dive discoveries that connect with the rich feelings embodied in her voice and music, cherished by her fans.

Back for Me is the 17th album for Magness, who has been honored with seven Blues Music Awards (including being named B.B. King Artist of the Year in 2009) and a Grammy Awards Contemporary Blues nomination for her 2016 album, Love Wins Again.

David Luning

With the intuitive sense and emotional depth of a filmmaker, Americana artist David Luning looks deeply into the human condition in his music. He spent a few years studying film scoring at the Berklee College of Music, then John Prine changed his life. “Some friends shared Prine’s music with me… I discovered there were other ways to express emotions and make you feel things. There are layers in lyrical content in a song, and with the right lyric you can create a thousand images in your head.”