John Németh emerges from an extensive health crisis with his music career intact and his sound sharpened. In an industry that squeezes independent artists, and an economy straining venues, touring musicians, and fans alike, it would have been easy for Németh to walk away. Instead, with Illinois Central, he digs deeper and reaches broader, teaming with Nashville GRAMMY winners Gary Nicholson and Colin Linden to deliver a comeback statement rooted in blues and American roots music for everyone.
“John Nemeth plows a wide field right through the middle of American music,” observes Colin Linden. “His voice and harmonica are saturated in the blues, but he’s such an imaginative and thoughtful musician that he pulls in so much more. When he sings ‘Do You Want To Be Happy?‘ (or do you want to be right) you KNOW which one you want to be. And when he sings ‘My Old Friend The Blues’ it carries the gravitas of someone who has sung, played and lived the blues for decades. John is your confidante. He is your empathist. He travels the road from the Delta to Chicagoland and to every place where the Blues reaches somebody’s heart.”