Award-winning singer Jim Byrnes got back to the business of the blues with St. Louis Times. Produced by Black Hen label owner and musician Steve Dawson, St. Louis Times features Dawson's elegant fretwork and Byrnes’ rich, sonorous voice. Although he's lived in Vancouver for decades, Byrnes was born and raised in St. Louis and St. Louis Times honors the blues and R&B music he listened to as he grew up in the city. The album features Byrnes' interpretation of songs from such St. Louis icons as Albert King, Little Milton, and Chuck Berry as well as covers of songs originally by Lonnie Johnson and W.C. Handy. St. Louis Times also includes four new original songs written by Byrnes and Dawson, as well as special guests like John Hammond and Colin James. If you haven’t discovered Jim Byrnes by now, it’s entirely your loss.