Bonnie Raitt's ``Silver Lining'' Slated for April 9th Release Date

Business Wire, Jan 18, 2002

Entertainment Editors

HOLLYWOOD--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Jan. 18, 2002

On the upcoming "Silver Lining," Capitol recording artist Bonnie Raitt tackles some of her most adventurous material to date while showcasing the trademark strengths that have made her a nine-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee: her deft blending of blues sensibility with original and contemporary compositions, all characterized by her evocative singing style and eloquent slide guitar playing.

"Silver Lining," the 16th album of Bonnie Raitt's career, is named for its achingly hopeful title song composed by David Gray. Bonnie pushes herself to extraordinary limits on her new album, which she feels may be her best so far. Known for finding great Pop/R&B songs and making them her own, for this one she's found two treasures in "I Can't Help You Now" and "Time Of Our Lives," both co-written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy and Wayne Kirkpatrick, the winning trio responsible for Eric Clapton's No. 1 hit, "Change the World."

From wrenching love songs ("Wherever You May Be," "Wounded Heart") she shifts gears for a slide guitar shootout with bluesman Roy Rogers on "Gnawin' On It," which they wrote together. "There ain't nobody better blowin' embers on a flame," she tells a lover in the latter, but the line just as aptly describes the way her vocals ignite a song. Bonnie's sexy, sly sense of humor surfaces once more in the self-penned honky-tonk gem "No Gettin' Over You," wherein she itemizes the ways she's tried to forget an old love.

While a formidable writer herself, Bonnie is also known for spotlighting songwriters who haven't yet had widespread exposure. She continues her exploration into African music, covering a song by Zimbabwean artist and Putumayo recording star, Oliver Mtukudzi, with whom she co-wrote a song for her last CD. "Hear Me Lord" has an infectious township vibe propelled by the explosive guitar of Andy Abad (heard most recently on Marc Anthony's "Libre" album), Bonnie's slide guitar playing and the extraordinary versatility of her touring band.

Equally inspired is "Back Around," which she co-wrote with legendary guitarist and Putumayo recording artist Habib Koite (of Mali). Joined by members of Koite's band, Bamada, the song traces a link from West Africa to the Mississippi delta, forging something altogether new in the process. The contrast these songs provide alongside two of the album's toughest blues numbers, the opening track "Fool's Game" and "Monkey Business," bring the astonishing scope of Bonnie Raitt's career into sharp focus, and reveal why she is one of our most important and treasured musical artists.

"Silver Lining" was produced by Raitt, Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, the team who first collaborated on her last record, 1998's "Fundamental." This time Bonnie takes the lead. Grounding the record is Bonnie's longtime rhythm section -- guitarist George Marinelli, bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson and drummer Ricky Fataar. The newest member of the band, legendary New Orleans keyboardist and funkster, Jon Cleary, guests as vocalist as well as contributing two songs on the album.

As Bonnie writes in her liner notes: "This is, above all, a band record. Although Hutch has been with me nearly 20 years, Ricky off and on since '81, and George on "Longing In Their Hearts" and "Road Tested," this particular unit has been together nearly two years. A lot of what makes this record so special is the trench we've dug out on the road...deep and wide."

"Silver Lining" is scheduled for release on April 9th and will be preceded by the single, "I Can't Help You Now." Bonnie and her band will be touring this spring, with dates to be announced shortly.