Jonny Lang takes blues, rock to MCA

ORONO – A long time is a relative term when you’re 23, have been on the music scene for seven years and already have two albums under your belt.

But for Jonny Lang, whose new CD is aptly titled “A Long Time Coming,” it has been five years since his last album, the progress of which was slowed by the death of his bass player and his keyboardist’s battle with a brain tumor.

Lang, who will be performing at 7 tonight for a sold-out crowd at the Maine Center for the Arts in Orono, exploded onto the music scene in 1997 when he was only 16, taking many by surprise with his soulful lyrics and intense guitar playing.

He had been influenced by a local blues band he had seen play in his hometown of Fargo, N.D., and at age 12 asked for a guitar for his birthday. Before long, the boy from Fargo was leading his own band in Minneapolis, Kid Jonny Lang and the Big Band, and putting out an independent album, “Smokin.'” The whirlwind continued when A&M Records heard about Lang’s album and the sales it generated, prompting his major-label record contract.

With his first A&M album “Lie to Me,” Lang won over fans with his guitar skills and now-signature gruff voice. Through rigorous touring and opening for Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones, the album eventually went platinum. His sophomore offering, “Wander this World,” also sold over a million copies.

“A Long Time Coming” reaches out to broader rock audiences, although it still has the soulful style that permeated his former albums.

Despite the hype that has circled around the young player’s talent, it is of course the music that matters, especially music rooted in blues, which demands a certain subtle defiance against the sometimes harsh realities of life. Lang’s style is not entirely blues, nor entirely rock ‘n’ roll, but a combination that strings the two together. But for blues purists, the music should stand on its own accord, and that of course is what is yet to be seen from Lang: whether his music is novel because of his age or whether it will stand the test of time.

No matter what direction Lang’s music goes, one thing is for sure: He has time on his side.