• BLACKIE AND THE RODEO KINGS with SAM PHILLIPS-LOVE LAY ME DOWN-KINGS AND QUEENS

    LEE HARVEY OSMOND Posted On May 18, 2011
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    A short film by LeE HARVeY OsMOND
    BLACKIE AND THE RODEO KINGS TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF KINGS AND QUEENS JUNE 14 AT THE LIVING ROOM IN NEW YORK CITY May 11th, 2011 Blackie and the Rodeo Kin…
    Blackie and the Rodeo Kings—Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson—will celebrate the June 14 release of their long-awaited collaborative album, Kings And Queens, with a performance at The Living Room (154 Ludlow Street) in New York City. Three years in the making for the acclaimed Canadian supergroup, Kings & Queens (File Under: Music/Dramatico/Universal) pairs the band with legendary and iconic female artists including Rosanne Cash, Exene Cervenka, Holy Cole, Emmylou Harris, Amy Helm, Janiva Magness, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Sam Phillips, Serena Ryder, Pam Tillis, Sara Watkins, Lucinda Williams, Cassandra Wilson and Patti Scialfa.

    The concept for Kings And Queens was a random idea that came out of a late-night conversation in a van about “various artists we’ve all had the privilege of working with,” says Colin Linden. “We began with a page torn out of a notebook and a lot of ‘hey, what about’ and ‘wouldn’t it be great to work with’ interjections.” Some three years later, they transformed that wish list into Kings And Queens.

    Produced by Grammy-and Juno-winning producer Colin Linden (Bruce Cockburn, Tom Wilson, Colin James), the album was recorded in various cities from Nashville, Toronto and New York to New Orleans, Los Angeles and Woodstock. “No destination was too far for love,” says Stephen Fearing. “Colin flew around North America with hard drives and files on his computer, and when we had an artist agree to be involved like Lucinda Williams, he flew to L.A. and recorded in the studio in L.A. with her.”

    Formed as a one-off side project for a tribute album to the late Willie P. Bennett, whose 1978 album Blackie and the Rodeo King is their namesake, the band has organically evolved into a roots-oriented band in North America. After the release of the critically acclaimed High or Hurtin, The Songs of Willie P. Bennett (1996), singer/songwriters Tom Wilson, Colin Linden, and Stephen Fearing became a full-fledged band releasing nine album to dates. The folk-rock/blues trio has garnered a Juno Award for Best Roots & Traditional Album for Kings of Love (1999) and Juno nominations for BARK (2003) and Let s Frolic (2007). Swinging From The Chains Of Love (2009) featured a collection of tracks from the Blackie catalogue.




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