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THE ROTATIONS FEAT. SONNY KNIGHT & RAY BARNARD
SONNY KNIGHT:
Sonny Knight and the Lakers exist in the afterglow that soul luminaries like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin created with their raucous, kinetic, and supreme live performances. Sonny Knight and the Lakers Do It Live, from the eponymous group, is a loving return to the height of live Rhythm and Blues, with Knight and his band perfectly capturing the uproarious vibe and rebellious musicianship of an era long gone in their first live album release. A year of steady touring through the US and Europe has allowed the group to create a seamless set, mixing songs from their critically-acclaimed debut studio album, Im Still Here, with a couple covers of classic soul songs from their native Minneapolis, and re-imagined bits from Led Zeppelin and James Brown. Recorded in their hometown of Minneapolis at the Dakota Jazz Club over two nights and four performances, Sonny Knight and the Lakers aim to bring a new focus on the art of the live record. Hoping to add to the rich history of live albums rather than producing something merely derivative, they set out to reconstruct the ephemeral experience of a live concert and earn a permanent place on your record shelf. The double LP/CD release will be available in stores and digitally June 23rd via Secret Stash Records.
Sonny Knight and the Lakers were ready to show their fans just how their live show had evolved and how different it had become from their studio recordings. Knight explains, Were very proud of the studio work we do, and we will continue to do it. But, we want to share the raw energy of our live show with more people. He adds, We want to set ourselves apart from some of the other acts out there playing soul music today.
The hard-soul powerhouse that is Sonny Knight & The Lakers have quickly gained ground in their hometown, from being named one ofThe Best New Minnesota Musicians of 2014 via the City Pages, to topping the Minneapolis Star Tribunes list of the best live act of 2014 due to their high-energy..funk-blasting shows. Accolades for Im Still Here rolled in from top national outlets as well. NPRs World Café professed the album is New old-school soul music, and that it captures the singer sounding as vital as evera wonderful album. WBEZs Sound Opinionseven prophesized that It sounds like a live recordingIt has that sort of vibrancy to it, and Sonny Knight is the goods with his vocal power.
Asked what he thought about his latest achievement of recording a live album after many years outside of the music industry, Sonny Knight muses: Doing this record took away a lot of fears. There is always something to learn. But Im not afraid anymore I feel like we can do anything right now. Knights optimism coincides with the band heading back to the studio this summer to record their second studio album.
RAY BARNARD:
WHERE WOULD I BE WITHOUT YOU is Ray Barnards second solo LP
Its self-produced & largely self-performed. Ray recorded it at the Blatz Litehaus, Barking Jack, RealPhonic, and Horseshoe Road studios.
It continues the direction of Rays last LP, Tinted Windows to the Soul, in a soul/roots vein. This time, though, the performances are more stripped down and intimate, the songs are more direct. The arrangements run a gamut from early 60s pop-soul (i.e. The Impressions) to 70s soul (i.e. Bill Withers) to modern country-blues (i.e. R.L. Burnside re-mixes)
Rat had good help from: guitarist/drummer Jeremy Johnson, arranger/guitarist Erik Koskinen, Mixer/arranger Jared Miller, guitar/dobro/steel player Jim Nee, singer/writers Clark Adams, Frederick Thomas, Bridgette Kelly, Emmaline Muchmore, writer J.J. Longmuir, drummer Richard Medek, and percusssionist Marc Johnson-Pencook.
Before these solo records, Ray led the roots-rock group, The Copperheads, for twelve years. We produced three LPs, Country & Blues Revue, Cold Mississippi, and This Train Is Gainin.
The Copperheads played shows with Junior Brown, Chris Scruggs, Rosie Flores, The Iguanas, Randy Weeks, Charlie Robison, Shooter Jennings, Ty Herndon, Jack Ingram, and the mighty Oak Ridge Boys.
Ray Barnard also played sideman to singer-songwriters, Frederick ONeil Thomas (of Natural Selection), Bill Geezy (of Stoney Lonesome), Molly Maher, and Erik Koskinen.
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LocationIcehouse (View)
2528 Nicollet Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 21 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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