SANDY CARROLL - BLUES & ANGELSLABEL: CATFOOD RECORDS
RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 19, 2018
Special Guests Include Johnny Rawls, Rocky Athas and Bernard Allison
Catfood Records announces an October 19 release date for “Blues & Angels”, the new album fromsinger/songwriter/keyboardist Sandy Carroll. Produced by Sandy’s Grammy-winning husband Jim Gaines, “Blues &
Angels”
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.
“Blues & Angels” is her fourth album for Catfood Records and comes after Carroll’s previous albums focused on
her Americana and country music connections. Her 2016 project, “Last Southern Belle,” hit #1 on the roots charts
for Contemporary Country Song for six weeks straight and was #1 on the Hot Indie 100 Charts.
“Returning to the blues is my comfort zone,” Sandy Carroll says about the new album. “This album was one of
the hardest to write because I really wanted to say something about what’s going on around us, while keeping
true to the genre of the music’s tradition.”
“Blues is not just about a three o’clock in the morning heartbreak or a cheating man … it’s also about giving
worth to the loss of a loved one, the state of one’s 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,” continues Carroll. “Blues music is universal and lets us know we are never alone in times of
trouble or wonderment.”
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 “Blues & Angels”, Sandy Carroll touches on a wide assortment of universal feelings and truths. “Some of the
songs are written for healing,” she admits. ‘Wrapped In An Angel’ and ‘Headin’ Home’ are two of those; some are
songs of awareness like ‘Road Angels’ and ‘Movin’ On.’ ‘Slings and Arrows’ and ‘Blues All For Myself’ 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: ‘Somebody Gotta’ Dance’ and ‘Love Is A Wonderful Thing;’ some are tongue-in-cheek songs
about atonement: ‘Soak Me In The Spirit’ and the timely ‘Mama Don’t Like It,’ that speaks to the empowerment of
women and a sassy blues warning to anyone ignoring the ‘me, too’ movement. “One, and only one, is a true love
song: ‘Mississippi Me’ is for my husband and its delicate simplicity grants me peace,” 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 (“Burning Bridges” –
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.
“I was honored to write and duet with Johnny Rawls,” she declares. “Once 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 day’s work
at American Studios.” 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 couldn’t 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
Betsie Brown, Blind Raccoon, betsie@blindraccoon.com
