Ted Russell Kamp is the latest of talented sidemen stepping out to the front lines, joining the ranks of Will Kimbrough, Jedd Hughes, and Keith Gattis. Ted's worked for the past several years as Shooter Jenning's bass player, and last month, released his sophomore solo CD Divisadero.

Ted's been smart enough to take what he's learned from Shooter, but develop his own style within that. Like Shooter, Ted's sound is roots-rock, but unlike Shooter, Ted's emphasis is on the roots, and less on the rock, and much more informed by the likes of Gram Parsons. And indeed, Ted's been involved in the LA music scene much longer than he's been known as "Shooter Jennings' bass player;" Ted was previously the lead singer for a band called Ponticello (perhaps you heard this band play live on my show on KUCI back in the day).

Ted celebrated with a CD release party at the world-famous Derby on Friday, January 31st, and for me, it marked a "rediscovery" of TRK. Shooter Jennings (who provides guest vocals on one track of Ted's new album, as does Shooter's mom - Jessi Colter - not bad company to keep on one's sophomore album, eh?) made an appearance for a song, and Mike Stinson kept the beat for Ted, before taking the lead on his own set, which followed Ted's.

I think most of the crowd was there to see Mike Stinson, but if that's the avenue that gets them exposed to Ted Russell Kamp, I can certainly live with that.