Search - Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise :: Out of the Wilderness

Five years after their last studio record, Robert Bradley s Blackwater Surprise delivers Out of the Wilderness, which releases April 21, 2009 on Quarter 2 Three Records. This long-awaited album is the fifth major release from the blind artist who illuminates his listeners with his lyrical and musical vision. A former RCA and Vanguard artist, Robert is returning to his roots in Out of the Wilderness. Across an intriguing selection of new material, Robert performs with a passionate sincerity whether the subject is his daughter leaving home for the first time in the unusually up-tempo Beautiful Girl, or his yearning for true love in the achingly romantic Gotta Find a Woman, or his heartfelt longing for his home in the ballad to his state Alabama, or just a brother living in Americaland. The ten song emotional journey exposes Robert doing what he does best - captivate with his unmistakable soulfully expressive voice that is deepened by a sense of his hard-won personal life experience. This record brings me back to the time when I started out as a singer-songwriter, where the music did not need the New York Philharmonic to make it real. It s just me at the piano with the musicians around me finding my groove. I wanted to just be Robert and sing straight like Jim Reeves on Put Your Sweet Lips a Little Closer to the Phone. I wanted to do a record that was innocent. That s why I say Out of the Wilderness because it is like I ve been reborn, explains Bradley. A year in the making, Out of the Wilderness showcases a brilliant collaboration between artist and producer Bruce Robb with Bradley s raw authentic spirit equally matched by one of music production s purists. Robb s vintage analog recording techniques and a musician s soul create the sublime sonic landscape that pairs the rich gospel-honed vocals and bluesman s undressed piano style with superlative musicianship by guitarists Matthew J. Ruffino and Zachary Throne, bassist Larry Bones Dennison, drummer Oscar Seaton, percussionists Craig Krampf and Scot Little Bihlman, and Robb himself on B3 and Wurlitzer. What makes this record unique is that it is coming from a place that is pure feel, something that is not easy to do. Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles... there just aren t that many of them. It takes a special kind of artist, and that s what makes this record so honest. It s that irresistible groove, describes Robb. With the added magic of being one of the final recordings from the famous Cherokee Studios, the resulting album is best described as classic R&B that is remarkably contemporary, and everything a listener and fan can hope for. The songs Love You in the Daytime, Cryin My Eyes Out, and Everybody Wanna Party are featured in the motion picture Love N Dancing starring Amy Smart and Billy Zane due in US theatres May 2009. Alabama Governor Bob Riley has awarded Robert Bradley a Certificate of Commendation for the song Alabama, which was formally dedicated to the state. To read or download a copy of Robert Bradley s dedication letter, please visit the official website.