
LABEL: CATFOOD RECORDS
RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 19, 2018
Special Guests Include Johnny Rawls, Rocky Athas and Bernard Allison

singer/songwriter/keyboardist Sandy Carroll. Produced by Sandyâs Grammy-winning husband Jim Gaines, âBlues &
Angelsâ
features special guest appearances from Blues Music Award winning singer Johnny Rawls, guitarists
Rocky Athas and Bernard Allison, as well as many members of the famed Muscle Shoals studio crew, including
bassist David Hood and keyboardist Clayton Ivy.
âBlues & Angelsâ is her fourth album for Catfood Records and comes after Carrollâs previous albums focused on
her Americana and country music connections. Her 2016 project, âLast Southern Belle,â hit #1 on the roots charts
for Contemporary Country Song for six weeks straight and was #1 on the Hot Indie 100 Charts.
âReturning to the blues is my comfort zone,â Sandy Carroll says about the new album. âThis album was one of
the hardest to write because I really wanted to say something about whatâs going on around us, while keeping
true to the genre of the musicâs tradition.â
âBlues is not just about a three oâclock in the morning heartbreak or a cheating man ⌠itâs also about giving
worth to the loss of a loved one, the state of oneâs world, depression, mortality, healing the hurt ⌠I think we
experience these to know the true joy of gratitude as in dancing like a child, knowing that LOVE truly is a
wonderful thing,â continues Carroll. âBlues music is universal and lets us know we are never alone in times of
trouble or wonderment.â
SINGERS:
Johnny Rawls - duet lead vox - track 6 * Trey Hardin - Tracks 2, 7, 10 * Reba Russell - Tracks 1,3,5
Daunielle Hill - Tracks 1,3,5 * Barbara Blue - Track 5 * Nancy Apple - Track 5
Lorina McMinn - Track 5 * Trinecia Butler - Tracks 4, 6, 8 * Rachel Robinson - Tracks 6, 8
On âBlues & Angelsâ, Sandy Carroll touches on a wide assortment of universal feelings and truths. âSome of the
songs are written for healing,â she admits. âWrapped In An Angelâ and âHeadinâ Homeâ are two of those; some are
songs of awareness like âRoad Angelsâ and âMovinâ On.â âSlings and Arrowsâ and âBlues All For Myselfâ are about
recognizing the dark and either being prepared with a lifelong armor or letting it run its course. Some of the
songs are joyous: âSomebody Gottaâ Danceâ and âLove Is A Wonderful Thing;â some are tongue-in-cheek songs
about atonement: âSoak Me In The Spiritâ and the timely âMama Donât Like It,â that speaks to the empowerment of
women and a sassy blues warning to anyone ignoring the âme, tooâ movement. âOne, and only one, is a true love
song: âMississippi Meâ is for my husband and its delicate simplicity grants me peace,â states Carroll.
For the songs on her new recording, Carroll collaborated again with Songwriter Hall of Fame member Mark
Narmore, as well as William Lee Ellis and some new writers, including Stephanie C. Brown (âBurning Bridgesâ â
Garth Brooks). From the musician side, Hall of Fame guitarist Will MacFarlane, plus special guests Bernard Allison
and Rocky Athas put the blues licks and tones in their proper place.
âI was honored to write and duet with Johnny Rawls,â she declares. âOnce again we recorded at Bessie Blues but
also took it on the road for a cut at East Avalon Studios in Muscle Shoals and home to Memphis for a dayâs work
at American Studios.â The A-Team rhythm section is Steve Potts, Dave Smith, Rick Steff and Steve Selvidge from
Memphis. The A-Team from Muscle Shoals: David Hood, Clayton Ivy and Justin Holder laid it down for a glorious
cut. Drummer Derrick Young worked in our studio while we were experimenting and did so well he ended up on
two cuts. And I couldnât be luckier than to have singers Reba Russell, Daunielle Hill, Barbara Blue, Nancy Apple,
Lorina McMinn, Trinecia Butler, Rachel Robinson and Trey Hardin give the songs the texture and power they
deserve.
WEBLINKS
OS: www.sandycarroll.com
FB Musician: www.facebook.com/sandycarrollmusic/
TW: @bessyblu
IG: www.instagram.com/sandycarroll2010
Publicist & Radio:
Betsie Brown, Blind Raccoon, betsie@blindraccoon.com