Amani Burnham

Roots & Wings

Blind Pig Records

Amani Burnham was born in Ethiopia, adopted at an early age, and raised in Connecticut. Seventy years after its initial recording, Amani posted a video of himself playing Muddy Waters’ “Hoochie Coochie Man.” It was surreal to see a 19-year-old on Instagram wielding a white Fender Stratocaster with such dexterous ferocity and sensual charisma. In his hands, the Willie Dixon blues standard sounded sexy and dangerous again. At the time, Amani hadn’t been playing guitar for very long, and the post was simply a natural extension of his love for blues-rock. Yet his fluid soloing and electrifying showmanship captured the imagination of blues fans and seasoned professional musicians alike, inadvertently heralding the arrival of a new blues dynamo.

Amani’s father’s passion for music shaped his early exposure to artists like Chuck Berry, his first guitar hero. Initially starting on drums, inspired by Gene Krupa, Amani dabbled in guitar before fully committing during the COVID lockdown, spending years practicing intensely and writing songs that would form the basis of this debut album. Amani’s viral social media video, played with dexterous ferocity using his right-hand thumb instead of a pick, captivated millions and propelled him from obscurity to signing with Blind Pig Records in under two years. Amani’s musical style, rooted in blues-rock, blends groovy riffs, cosmic solos, stinging vibrato, soulful vocals, and introspective lyrics influenced by icons like Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Robin Trower, Bob Dylan, and Wes Montgomery.

Roots & Wings will be officially released on May 29th, 2026. It is a 12-track effort recorded October 24-28, 2025, at Carriage House Studios in Stamford, CT. It was produced and co-written by label head Jeff Schroedl. The power trio is rounded out by bassist Matt Raymond and drummer Ray Hangen. Amani shifts seamlessly between rhythm and lead with a laid-back groove and wise-beyond-his-years phrasing.

Amani opens with the wicked instrumental “Fastlane,” featuring the rhythm section. “I Wanna Know” is the first of ten songs co-written with Schroedl and one of the first singles released in March, as Amani sings about his search for meaning: “I wanna know, if I follow my dreams, will I make a difference that the world can see, I wanna know ev’ry answer on my mind and in my soul”.

Next is the title track, “Roots & Wings,” as Amani reflects on both his adoption and Ethiopian heritage as he chimes, “Life for me had just begun, angels carried me far away to see, I got roots & wings, that’s why I fly, I got roots & wings, touch the earth and kiss the sky”.

On “The Last Thing I Remember,” Amani sings about sleep paralysis as he cries, “the last thing I remember was a whisper in the night, cold breath on my neck, but with no one in sight, eyes wide open, I couldn’t move a limb, shadows by my bed slowly creeping in”.

“Bluejay” finds Amani as he chirps, “I’m a bluejay, fly away from him here, spread these wings and try to disappear”. On “You Can’t Heal What You Hide,” Amani chants, “tell me what’s wrong, don’t hold it all inside; sometimes you stumble, sometimes you fall, you can’t heal what you hide, I know your hurtin’ but you won’t say why?, you can’t heal what you hide”.

“Sideways Thru Time” is another single scheduled to be released on May 1st, as Amani bursts, “Take me back, I wanna go sideways in time to make it right, I want to go sideways thru time, to be by your side”.

On “Waiting by the Window,” Amani wails, “I’m waiting by the window, I missin’ you so bad; Headlights down the street, I hopin’ it’s your car, I wonder where you are…I’ve been waiting by the window”.

“Lovers Till They Die” features Amani as he howls, “they say they’re lovers, lovers till they die; when she’s sad she takes it out on you him…can’t say no, can’t say goodbye, they’re lovers till they die, can’t let go they’re lovers until they die”.

On “Midnight Waterfall,” Amani moans, “I walked the edge of darkness like there’s with nothing left to lose; the moon was hiding silent, the truth passed thru me like a midnight waterfall”. “Some Sorta Love” features Amani as he groans, “can’t you hear me, this some sorta love”, with Amani’s screeching guitar.

On the closer, the slow eight-minute “Bleeding Heart,” a.k.a. “My Bleeding Heart,” recorded by Elmore James in 1961 but not released until 1965, Amani croons, “Not even a call on my telephone, understanding and a little loving is all I really need”.

Amani Burnham has captivated viewers with his raw talent and magnetic presence, and he is ready to take flight with Roots & Wings. “Blues, like nature, has to keep evolving…I want to be part of that evolution”.

Richard Ludmerer

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