Pianist Victor Wainwright stretches out on Boom Town

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On his wonderful new Blind Pig Records release “Boom Town,” pianist/vocalist/musical raconteur Victor Wainwright wears his influences well.

There are the obvious: vocals and music that bring to mind artists as diverse as Elton John, Jerry Lee Lewis, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Dr. John and the Leons, Russell and Redbone. But listeners who dig deeper into the blues-based collection will recognize touches of genre master B.B. King, traces of the “moaning” gospel blues that were born in the cotton fields of the pre-Civil War South, as well as generous portions of the American honkytonks and speakeasies that flourished during Prohibition.

That all these sounds and influences come together in the works of the gifted Wainwright and his equally talented collection of musical friends, the WildRoots, should not come as a surprise to those who know him and his Savannah upbringing.

“The themes of the songs on ‘Boom Town’ — themes of Southern hospitality with a focus on family — are a big part of Savannah’s charm and culture,” Wainwright said in a phone conversation during a brief break in his and the WildRoots’ touring schedule. “I didn’t leave Savannah until I went away for college, so, yes, the city had an impact on me, just as (songwriting partner) Stephen Dees’ home had on him.

“And even though I was actually raised Catholic, I never turned down the opportunity to listen to the music that was coming out of the various churches in our region.”

A two-time winner of the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year award, Wainwright stretches his vocal muscles on “Boom Town,” easing away from the comfort he and his band have always found just playing the music that they love.

“I’ve always appreciated good music, from the time I was a young kid growing up listening to my grandfather play piano, my dad drums and my uncle guitar,” the artist said. “But Stephen and I both wanted to do more vocals with the new record, get away from the comfort of instrumentals.

“We were able to put together a diverse group of songs. For us, it starts with the blues because it is true American music. And played live, the blues really come alive. We believe, as blues-based musicians, we have a certain responsibility to uphold the traditional values of the music. But that doesn’t mean we’re limited in what we play.”

Indeed, “Boom Town” reaches across any number of musical genres. And while no one would categorize the collection as anything but a blues record, its songs dip into gospel, honkytonk, boogie woogie, Cajun and even rock territory without undermining the overarching theme of the album.

Wainwright is able to pull off this bit of wizardry because of the talented musicians he’s aligned himself with. The WildRoots are as accomplished in their own right as the piano man whose name is on the marquee.

“These guys are amazing musicians,” Wainwright says. “This is not just about me. We are a band in the true sense of the word. Stephen and I have been collaborating for 10 years now, and some of the guys have been a part of the band for six years, five years.

“I generally tour with a four-piece, but sometimes — for certain shows — we’ll bring in some of the other guys that we want to feature.”

In addition to Dees, who produced as well as played guitars on “Boom Town,” the WildRoots include drummer Billy Dean, guitarist Nick Black, bass player Terrence Grayson, tenor saxophonist/vocalist Patricia Ann Dees — who offers perfect sassy counterpoint to Wainwright’s Leon Redbone-ish growl on the album’s “Wild Root Farm” — tenor/baritone saxman Charlie DeChant, saxophonist Ray Guiser and harmonica man supreme Stephen Kampa, who brings to mind Blues Traveler harp wiz John Popper on the wonderful “Boom Town” closer “WildRoot Rumble.”

“Reaper’s on the Prowl,” which features Gibbons-like vocals from Wainwright and a “Munster’s Theme” beat from the WildRoots, is one of “Boom Town’s” many highlights, as is the raucous “Saturday Night Sunday Morning,” in which Wainwright sings around boogie piano, “Sunday morning get yourself right after raising hell on Saturday night.”

Wainwright and the Wildroots will host a “Boom Town” release party on the grounds of the St. Simon’s Island Lighthouse starting at 7 p.m. Sunday on Georgia’s Atlantic Coast. Copies of “Boom Town” are available through Wainwright’s website, http://victorwainwright.com/.