New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Louisiana Red Hot Records is pleased to announce the release of Lilli Lewis' "The Henderson Sessions." The launch of the jazz rock diva's intimate solo acoustic project is set for February 16, 2018.
"The Henderson Sessions" is a nine song CD featuring socially conscious and inspirational original compositions, insightful interpretations of folk rock classics, and fresh takes on traditional blues and jazz songs. It is an exquisite self-portrait with Lewis' exceptionally soulful and powerful vocals set to the barest of piano accompaniment. Co-produced by Lewis, with
James "Jimbo" Walsh and Mark Bingham, the album takes its title from Walsh's country recording studio built in Henderson, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.
Original songs on "The Henderson Sessions" are "Blue Rock," which foretells the consequences of materialism if redemption isn't found, "Our Short Walk Through This Life," a reminder about being kind and gracious to one another, "One Shoe," with its jazzy R&B groove is based on a true story about a young immigrant soccer player and the one thing that gave him an advantage, and "Coffee Shop Girl," which explores three women's underlying motives for toting their guns. As devastating attacks on human-kind continue around the world, the album's finale "
Turn It Around" calls for personal responsibility and self-exploration by trying to make internal peace out of external chaos.
Cover songs include a slow blues version of the Mississippi Sheiks tune "Sitting on Top of the World," a buoyant jazz-waltz interpretation of
Blind Willie Johnson's gospel blues song "Nobody's Fault But Mine," a haunting homage to
Laura Nyro's call to action hit "Save the Country" and
Anais Mitchell's eerily prophetic "Why We Build the Wall."
Lilli Lewis is an award-winning classically trained singer and songwriter. A prolific writer, composer, pianist and producer, she began playing piano at the age of three. The social injustice themes and human rights messages that filter into her lyrics, as well as gospel tinged vocals and instrumentation, are a direct result of her upbringing spent listening to her father's sermons and southern choirs in rural Georgia churches while learning the northern sensibilities of her civil rights activist mother.
Co-producer of "The Henderson Sessions" is
James "Jimbo" Walsh. A jazz performer, multi-instrumentalist and decorated composer he is vice president of the New York City Guild of Composers and currently teaches music theory at Loyola's College of
Music and Fine Arts in New Orleans. Walsh has scored award-winning motion pictures and made multiple appearances in HBO's critically acclaimed show "Treme." After Hurricane Katrina he purchased a house in Henderson, Louisiana while waiting to return to New Orleans. Soon thereafter he invited Mark Bingham to set up a recording studio in the rural town and thus the "The Henderson Sessions" emerged.
Engineer and Co-producer Mark Bingham has worked with Louisiana music industry icons that include Dr. John,
Little Freddie King and Dr. Michael White, as well as mainstream artists Marianne Faithfull, Allen Ginsberg, REM and Sun-Ra, to name a few. A music producer, composer, musician, and engineer, Bingham moved to New Orleans in 1982 and in 2001 opened Piety Street Recording, which was also featured in HBO's "Treme." At the request of Walsh, he moved some of his recording gear to Henderson, Louisiana and began recording and producing numerous artists in addition to preparing "Joy
Unspeakable Joy," a compilation release of 20 songs covering his recording career from 1970 to 2016.
Additional credits for Lilli Lewis' "The Henderson Sessions" release are Anna Frick as mastering engineer for Airshow Mastering and cover art by Nonney Oddlokken.
Lilli Lewis is a sought after featured performer on main stages across the United States and abroad. In 2013, she made New Orleans her home and performs regularly as a soloist and with her acoustic soul orchestra, The Lilli Lewis Project. She is also the current lead singer of sousaphone master Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove. Prior releases by Lewis are "The Promised Land: Songs of the Sacred South" and "Orange Music, Volumes I & II" from which the feminist folk trio The Malvinas recorded Lilli's single "O, Let Your Light
Shine Bright" (Louisiana Red Hot, 2016) on their Soona Songs release of "God Bless the Grass."
"The Henderson Sessions" CD Release party is scheduled for Friday, February 16th from 8-11pm at the historic
Little Gem Saloon, featuring Kirk Joseph and Dr. Michael White. Performance dates in Louisiana in support of "The Henderson Sessions" release include Friday, February 9 at MidCity Ball Room in Baton Rouge, Saturday, February 10 at New Orleans' oldest listening room, Neutral Ground Coffeehouse and an in-store event on Saturday, February 17 at Louisiana
Music Factory. Tour dates will be announced shortly.
Lilli Lewis' "The Henderson Sessions" UPC number is 608691118624 and Louisiana Red Hot Records' Catalog number is LRHR1186. The CD is currently available for pre-sales at Amazon.com. For additional information on the release please visit https://www.louisianaredhotrecords.com. For more information on tour dates please go to https://www.lillilewis.com.
