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| Robert Randolph's New Album "We Walk This Road" Grammy-nominated Robert Randolph & The Family Band's highly anticipated new album "We Walk This Road" - the first since the band's acclaimed 2006 effort, "Colorblind" - is set for release this June on Warner Bros. Records. Produced by the legendary T-Bone Burnett, the album continues the Sacred Steel tradition for which Randolph has earned wide praise, including the New York Times, which applauds "his rip-roaring virtuosity and his gift for making his instrument sing without a word." Randolph is also renowned for his passionate live performance - called "a spiritual celebration complete with audience participation and animated dancing" by the Chicago Tribune. Accompanied by his Sacred Steel mentors, Randolph will embark on the "Experience Hendrix Tour" beginning March 10 in San Francisco. The tour also features Los Lobos, Ernie Isley, Joe Satriani, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and others. Throughout the recording of "We Walk This Road, " Randolph and Burnett worked closely together as archivists, discovering songs - decade by decade - from the 20th century American music canon. The songs they uncovered, ranging from blues and rock to field recordings and gospel, serve as the inspiration for the 11 songs on "We Walk This Road." Recorded at the Village Recorders and Electro Magnetic Studio, the album includes "If I Had My Way" (featuring Ben Harper), "Salvation" (featuring Leon Russell), and reinterpretations of Prince's "Walk Don't Walk, " Bob Dylan's "Shot Of Love, " (featuring Jim Keltner, who played drums on the original version) and John Lennon's "I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama" (featuring Doyle Bramhall II). Of the album, Randolph says, "T-Bone and I drew a lot from the past while we were making this record, but I think it really is a record for these times. I think the fact that I, as a young guy who likes hip-hop and gospel, am reaching back into this rich history of American roots music will appeal to people who are fifteen, and people who are seventy-five years old. T-Bone opened my eyes to great archival music. He's a link between the past and the present." Listed among Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, Robert Randolph first rose to national prominence with the release of Robert Randolph & the Family Band's 2003 studio debut, "Unclassified." The album earned acclaim from the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly and USA Today and attracted the attention of Eric Clapton, who invited the band to tour as a supporting act. 2006's "Colorblind" picked up where its predecessor left off, receiving praise from Vanity Fair, Associated Press and the New York Times and spawning the hit "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That, " which has been featured in the television shows "Grey's Anatomy" and "Undercover Boss, " as well as the films Stomp The Yard and The Game Plan. Most recently, Randolph received a Grammy nomination for "Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals" for his collaboration with The Clark Sisters on the track "Higher Ground" from the all-star collaboration album "Oh Happy Day." write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Jazz News :: home page |