GRAMMY-Winning Producer and Piano Virtuoso Matt Rollings Releases New Single "Wade In The Water" Featuring The War and Treaty and The Blind Boys of Alabama
First Album in 30 Years Matt Rollings Mosaic Out August 14 Features Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett,
Willie Nelson, Lukas Nelson, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Molly Tuttle, Vince Gill & More
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May 13, 2020: Today, the GRAMMY Award-winning producer, piano virtuoso and first-call session superstar Matt Rollings released the official video for "Wade In The Water" featuring The War and Treaty and The Blind Boys of Alabama. The song is the second single to be released from Matt Rollings Mosaic, his first solo album in over thirty years out on August 14. The album is now available for pre-order. Rollings spoke with American Songwriter about the origins of his new single and forthcoming album.
Watch the video for "Wade In The Water" via YouTube:
"'Wade in the Water' has always been a favorite of mine. Ramsey Lewis was my first real "jazz piano" influence, and he had an instrumental recording of it from 1966 on a record I cherished when I was a kid. So I guess the song is a part of my musical DNA," explains Rollings. "When we finished tracking 'Take me to the Mardi Gras' with Michael and Tanya, I had a sudden flash of inspiration and asked them if they would like to try another song while we were all there. They readily agreed and within the hour we had their magic and spontaneous take of 'Wade in the Water.' The piano, drums and vocals are all live and unchanged from the tracking day. After that I added upright bass and then, in another inspirational moment, thought of the Blind Boys to sing background vocals. I wound up driving to muscle Shoals and overdubbing them at Fame Studios. A perfect way to cap the track off."
Last month, Rollings announced the album with a cover of "Accentuate The Positive," featuring his longtime friend and collaborator of over thirty years Lyle Lovett. Billboard spoke with Rollings about the new album and said, "Mosaic return[s] Rollings to a position of being an artist in his own right."
Over the past four decades, the GRAMMY-winning producer and piano virtuoso has performed on thousands of recordings across a wide swath of genres, contributing to releases from Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Mavis Staples, Billy Joel, Dolly Parton, The Dixie Chicks, Metallica, and Sheryl Crow among others. On top of his astonishing resume as a session player and sideman, Rollings has also written, produced, and arranged for a whole slew of icons, from Willie Nelson and Lyle Lovett to Keith Urban and Mary Chapin Carpenter, taken home the ACM Award for Pianist of the Year on ten separate occasions, and earned widespread acclaim for his 1990 solo debut, Balconies.
"I’m a piano player," says Rollings. "I’ve made a career out of listening deeply and supporting other artist’s visions, and that’s brought a lot of joy and meaning into my life. With this record, though, it was time for me to explore my own vision."
With Matt Rollings Mosaic, he steps into the spotlight for the first time in thirty years while inviting some of his big-name friends to lend their talents to his remarkable new record. Featuring guest vocals from an all-star cast including Willie Nelson, Lukas Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Molly Tuttle, Buddy Miller, Heidi Talbot, Charlie Greene, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Alison Krauss, and Vince Gill among others, the album mixes Rollings originals with timeless classics and some of the more famous tunes he’s performed on over the years.
"I called this album Matt Rollings Mosaic not only because it’s a mosaic of styles and genres and artists, but because I feel like I’m a mosaic myself," he concludes. "I love being a performer and a writer and an arranger and a producer, but so often, you’re made to feel like you have to pick just one. With this record, I got to choose them all."
Matt Rollings Mosaic tracklist:
1) Take Me To Mardi Gras (ft. The War and Treaty)
2) Accentuate The Positive (ft. Lyle Lovett)
3) Stay (ft. Alison Krauss with Vince Gill)
4) Wade In The Water (ft. The War and Treaty with The Blind Boys of Alabama)
5) If I Had A Boat (ft. Ramblin’ Jack Elliott)
6) Spirits In The Material World (ft. Charlie Greene)
7) When You Loved Me Still (ft. Heidi Talbot)
8) That Lucky Old Sun (ft. Lyle Lovett, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Willie Nelson)
9) I’ll Come Knocking (ft. Lukas Nelson with Molly Tuttle and Buddy Miller)
10) Slumber My Darling (ft. Heidi Talbot with John McCusker)
11) Pontiac
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