IRA DEAN & RONNIE DUNN FT. VINCE GILL, JOHN OSBORNE, & BRENT MASON - Tele-Man- 8-Track Entertainment

Already boasting a decorated resume that’s written with storied accomplishments, the one thing that’s always eluded singer-songwriter Ira Dean was his dream to be part of a country version of the Traveling Wilburys…until now!

Joined by a featured lineup of Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, John Osborne, and Brent Mason, Dean continues to tease his forthcoming album I Got Roads by paying homage to the genre’s most beloved instrument and tipping his hat to the players who bring it to life.

“Tele-Man” is available now on all digital and streaming platforms via 8-Track Entertainment.

Following his highly regarded singles “Missin’ How It Used To Be” and “1 to Hank,” the song written by Jeffrey Steele and Tony Mullins barn burns its way through a rip-roaring, honky-tonk fuel that immediately gets your hips popping and boot heels clicking as the smooth slickness of the telecaster radiates your speakers.

Rapidly firing the lyrics, Dean paints the Friday night juke joint picture as he and his better half “Betty Lou” are quickly taken aback by the band on stage, who on the sign outside in the parking lot were dubbed as being a “country band” but failed miserably to meet the criteria with their out of tune fiddle and no telecaster slinging the sauce.

Ronnie Dunn places his unmistakable vocal on the second verse, becoming the listening ear to the bartender who tells him the rumors of the keyboardist, who could play anything, being the one who taught Jerry Lee to play; end resulting in an audible eyeroll as Dunn retorts that he couldn’t care less if there ain’t a tele in the band.

Namechecking the legendary guitar greats who paved the country music path throughout the chorus, while appropriately allowing plenty of space for the famed sound of the instrument to shine brightly in the spotlight, the licks attractively lead you through the instrumental breaks with inducing slides as you kick up the sawdust.

“Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Willie, and Waylon

Johnny Cash, Jerry Reed, Patsy, and The Possum

Ain’t none of them stars ever woulda ever got ahead

If it wasn’t for a finger lickin’ chicken pickin’ tele-man”

A song that’s clearly built by design to tickle the innards of the musicians and guitar aficionados, Ira Dean raises a cold one to his honky-tonk heroes while striking the right chord with the country loving audience who is looking for a little bit more of a classic flare to cut through the static.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)