Josh Ritter's 'Tiny Desk' Concert Premiere Today

Josh Ritter's new "Tiny Desk" concert featuring special guests Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires debuts today at NPR Music. The intimate, collaborative performance includes renditions of Ritter's "All Some Kind of Dream" and "Torch Committee" as well as his previously unreleased song, "The Gospel of Mary."

Of the performance, NPR Music's Bob Boilen praises, "Josh Ritter came to the 'Tiny Desk'with the enthusiasm of a young child and the wisdom of an old soul. He arrived armed with a message and musical soulmates...This is Josh Ritter's second appearance at the 'Tiny Desk'; his first was on Valentine's Day 2011. On this day, his heart was on America. Each song was filled with frustrations regarding the treatment of refugees, immigration, politics and our hearts." Boilen continues, "Honestly, it was a draining concert with challenges to who we are and who, as a country and a people, we wish to be. As the applause faded Josh hugged his bandmates, thanked the crowd, smiled and said, 'America, we love you, but you've gotta change!' Music can do that, and Josh Ritter is an agent for that change."

"All Some Kind of Dream" and "Torch Committee" are from Ritter's acclaimed new album,
Fever Breaks, which was produced by Isbell and features Shires along with Isbell's band, the 400 Unit. Released to widespread notice, the album debuted at #4 on Billboard's Americana/ Folk Albums Chart, #5 on Independent Albums Chart, #14 on Top Current Albums Chart and appeared on the Billboard 200. Additionally, Rolling Stone praises, "It's classic Ritter on Muscle Shoals-bred steroids," while the Associated Press heralds, "There have been plenty of highlights in Ritter's nearly 20-year recording career but it's the intensity of the music and imagery that makes Fever Breaks an especially engaging outing."

In celebration of the album, Ritter continues his run of North American tour dates with The Royal City Band this fall, including a performance tomorrow at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now at joshritter.com. See below for complete tour dates.

Fever Breaks was engineered by Matt Ross-Spang with additional recording and mixing at Nashville's Sound Emporium. It features contributions from Isbell (guitar and vocals) and his band the 400 Unit, which includes Derry Deborja (piano, organ and Hohner accordion), Chad Gamble (drums and percussion), Jimbo Hart (fender electric, ukulele and upright bass), Sadler Vaden (electric guitar, acoustic guitar and 12 string acoustic guitar) and Shires (violin and
vocals).

Over the course of his career Ritter has released ten full-length albums including 2017's
Gathering, which debuted at #4 on Billboard's Americana/Folk Albums chart and received widespread critical praise. NPR Music proclaimed, "Josh Ritter remains at the top of his game two decades into a highlight-strewn career. He'd be forgiven for loosening his grip, but his hand has never felt surer," while the HuffPost furthered, "Gathering is beautiful and precise, and most of the beauty, to be certain, arises from a prolonged, often intimate contemplation of Ritter's enormous skill set as an honest bard." In 2015 Ritter began a close collaboration with Bob Weir and went on to write or co-write many of the 12 songs on Weir's acclaimed 2016 solo album, Blue Mountain. Pitchfork called the album "quietly adventurous, wise, and a welcome late-career turn," while Entertainment Weekly described it as "a moving group of tunes worthy of any campfire."

In addition to his work as a musician, Ritter made his debut as a published author in 2011 with his New York Times best-selling novel Bright's Passage (Dial Press/Random House). Stephen King wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Bright's Passage "shines with a
compressed lyricism that recalls Ray Bradbury in his prime...This is the work of a gifted novelist."

JOSH RITTER LIVE

September 27-Asheville, NC-Marcus King Band Family Reunion
September 28-Nashville, TN-Ryman Auditorium
September 29-Philadelphia, PA-City Winery*
October 11-Keene, NH-Colonial Theatre*
October 12-Homer, NY-Center for the Arts of Homer*
October 13-Bethel, NY-Bethel Woods Events Gallery*
November 14-Boston, MA-Shubert Theatre*

*solo

Photo Credit: David McClister

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