- Music
- 13 Jan 16
Sinéad O'Connor to feature alongside Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams and a number of other artist's to contribute newly recorded versions of Blind Willie Johnson tracks on new tribute compilation
Aligator Records are set to release God Don't Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson on February 26th. The record will feature newly reworked versions of the legendary slide guitarist and vocalists songs by artist such as Sinéad O'Connor, Tom Waits and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
Jeffrey Gaskill who also produced Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan produces the record that work began on it back in 2008. A Kickstarter campaign was set up to partially fund the project back in 2013 and received almost 1000 donations allowing Gaskill more time to complete the record.
Gaskill stated in a press release that the Blind Willie Johnson project would be about his life's work. Johnson's music has been cited as an influence by many artists such as Ry Cooder, Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton to name a few with many artists also covering his material.
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Speaking about the record Derek Trucks who contributes said, "I never heard a slide player, even to this day, play with that much emotion. I've only heard a few things that have hit me quite that strongly. There's something so honest about his recordings. He's one of the few handful of musicians whose music really feels sacred to me."
The album, which is due for release next month will feature Sinéad O'Connor, Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Cowboy Junkies, Luther Dickinson, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Maria McKee and Rickie Lee Jones.