Time: 39:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Blues, Country, Jazz
Art: Full
01. Lollie Bottoms (4:43)
02. Washed Away (4:44)
03. Oh Devil (3:20)
04. I Dream Of Water (2:56)
05. House Divided (4:23)
06. Dirty Water (4:38)
07. Little Chidren's Blues (2:42)
08. Des Allemands (5:02)
09. That Really Matters (2:47)
10. Kings, Queens, And Jesters (4:06)
When you hear the term “Southern Blues and Soul,” the sound of big horn sections and wailing guitars over a big beat comes to mind. The duo of Katy Hobgood Ray and Dave Ray reminds us there is a softer side to the music that comes up from the Delta. The pair spend equal time between New Orleans and Memphis, so their new release, “I Dream Of Water,” is a collection of ten songs reflecting that mixture of elements and influences. Because life in the Deep South is always at the crossroads, with one foot rooted in the past and the other working towards the future.
The sweet swing and whimsical title of the opening track, ‘Lollie Bottoms,’ hides the deeper meaning of this lamentation on the realities’ folks face living and working in precarious river valley regions and how water can be both its life blood and destruction. The theme continues on the hymn for lost souls ‘Washed Away,’ with Katy Ray delivering an emotional eulogy on the album’s strongest radio-ready track. The up-tempo shuffle, ‘Oh Devil,’ speaks of the dark days of the Jim Crow South with Katy’s vocals punctuated by gritty slide guitar and trumpet stabs. The ethereal title track, ‘I Dream Of Water,’ is set to sparse gently throbbing accompaniment from Chuck Dodson on keys and drummer Dave Hoffpauir, as Katy recounts a life lived in constant fear and preparation for doomsday, growing up in the floodplain.
Dave Ray joins her for a duet on the slow-rolling rumba, ‘House Divided.’ The song is both an examination of trouble between two lovers and the state of our nation today. Katy delivers a bittersweet testament for her beloved New Orleans on the gospel infused ‘Dirty Water,’ pulling no punches on who she blames for leaving the city to rebuild on its own. Greg Spradlin picks sweet dobro for Katy on a heartfelt reading of Lead Belly’s ‘Little Children’s Blues,’ giving a little zip to the tune the master recorded in the 1940s for Folkways Records. Trumpet from Scott Frock, and saxophone from Brad Walker, spice up the breezy track ‘Des Allemands,’ that recalls a road trip across the bayou south of New Orleans, for a family reunion in a small parish town. Dave Ray shares a few of life’s more important lessons on the loping blues, ‘That Really Matters.’ The final track of the album, ‘Kings, Queens And Jesters,’ is a bonus live recording with Katy sitting next to the piano in a smoky cabaret playing the role of Edith Piaf during the Great War, encouraging us all to celebrate the joie de vivre, (joy of living), while we still have time.
Recorded at Fellowship Hall Sound in Little Rock, Arkansas, “I Dream Of Water,” from Katy Hobgood Ray featuring Dave Ray is a sweet-sounding achievement from an artist who has made the unusual shift from writing and producing a successful series of children’s songs to a foray into adult contemporary music. The album proves they have the talent to speak to the hearts and minds of all ages.
The sweet swing and whimsical title of the opening track, ‘Lollie Bottoms,’ hides the deeper meaning of this lamentation on the realities’ folks face living and working in precarious river valley regions and how water can be both its life blood and destruction. The theme continues on the hymn for lost souls ‘Washed Away,’ with Katy Ray delivering an emotional eulogy on the album’s strongest radio-ready track. The up-tempo shuffle, ‘Oh Devil,’ speaks of the dark days of the Jim Crow South with Katy’s vocals punctuated by gritty slide guitar and trumpet stabs. The ethereal title track, ‘I Dream Of Water,’ is set to sparse gently throbbing accompaniment from Chuck Dodson on keys and drummer Dave Hoffpauir, as Katy recounts a life lived in constant fear and preparation for doomsday, growing up in the floodplain.
Dave Ray joins her for a duet on the slow-rolling rumba, ‘House Divided.’ The song is both an examination of trouble between two lovers and the state of our nation today. Katy delivers a bittersweet testament for her beloved New Orleans on the gospel infused ‘Dirty Water,’ pulling no punches on who she blames for leaving the city to rebuild on its own. Greg Spradlin picks sweet dobro for Katy on a heartfelt reading of Lead Belly’s ‘Little Children’s Blues,’ giving a little zip to the tune the master recorded in the 1940s for Folkways Records. Trumpet from Scott Frock, and saxophone from Brad Walker, spice up the breezy track ‘Des Allemands,’ that recalls a road trip across the bayou south of New Orleans, for a family reunion in a small parish town. Dave Ray shares a few of life’s more important lessons on the loping blues, ‘That Really Matters.’ The final track of the album, ‘Kings, Queens And Jesters,’ is a bonus live recording with Katy sitting next to the piano in a smoky cabaret playing the role of Edith Piaf during the Great War, encouraging us all to celebrate the joie de vivre, (joy of living), while we still have time.
Recorded at Fellowship Hall Sound in Little Rock, Arkansas, “I Dream Of Water,” from Katy Hobgood Ray featuring Dave Ray is a sweet-sounding achievement from an artist who has made the unusual shift from writing and producing a successful series of children’s songs to a foray into adult contemporary music. The album proves they have the talent to speak to the hearts and minds of all ages.
I Dream Of Water
No comments:
Post a Comment