When discussing how he came to self-release his music after many years on major labels, he says: "A lot of labels wanted to put it out, but I kept hearing things like 'Retail's gonna need you to do this' or 'The artwork has to be like this.' I don't want to be led into those confines anymore. "It's also the name of someone that was close to me when I was growing up, so it just made sense." Like the music therein, the album takes its name from a number of deeply personal sources. Among the musicians accompanying him this time were such studio stars as bassist Preston Crump (OutKast, Organized Noize, Raphael Saadiq), keyboardist James Poyser (D'Angelo, The Roots, Jill Scott, John Legend), percussionist Bashiri Johnson (Whitney Houston, Donald Fagen, Madonna), legendary go-go bassist Michael "Funky Ned" Neal and top DC-scene go-go drummer Paul "Buggy" Edwards. The Rainwater LP, a laidback gumbo of acoustic blues, singer/songwriter rock 'n' roll and deep soul grooves, was recorded over the course of 2009 at both Brooklyn Recording in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, and The Document Room in Malibu, CA, with extensive periods of touring in between sessions. A huge national tour that begins February 2nd in Carrboro, NC, and ends April 17 in Kansas City, MO, has been confirmed. It is his first record in nearly four years and the first on his own label, RainWater Recordings, Inc. As on his past two records, The Rainwater LP was produced by Greenwood himself. The record will be released digitally on February 9th. Citizen Cope, aka Clarence Greenwood, is very excited to announce the release of his new record, The Rainwater LP, on March 2, 2010. Is Ok, if we jam with you a bit longer?” This time, there was resounding “Yes” by all in attendance. Shortly after midnight, Saadiq tells the crowd, “The show is over. All in all, Saadiq played for over two hours. “Did you know this one was me too?,” he asked coyly, as he began stringing “How Does It Feel.” Some of the crowd screamed “Yes!,” while you could hear shock from others. This was Saadiq’s lead in to performing yet another medley, playing on ly tracks that he’d written/composed for others, such as D’Angelo, Mary J. Although his personal catalog has never landed a Grammy, Saadiq has won multiple Grammys for his collaborations with other artists.
He would go on to explain that having people sing along and embrace the music he’s written is the true award for any artist. This time, confessing how he’s never won a Grammy for any of his music. Then, to the delight of the crowd, Saadiq went off into a medley of beloved tracks like “Anniversary,” and “It Feels Good.”Īfter running through his own hits, he once again spoke to the crowd. He acknowledge that some, if not most, came to hear the “classics,” and appreciated them for staying through the whole show. Upon return, Saadiq thanked the crowd for allowing him to play through his entire Jimmy Lee album, as it was very therapeutic for him to do so. Showered with chants of Encore, Raphael Saadiq and band returned to the stage, having just left a few minutes prior. By the end of his set, the crowd got to know Raphael Saadiq, the person, a bit more, and had a greater appreciation for his new music, as a result. This provided much needed context for those in the crowd who had not spent much time with the album, or were just there on the basis of his Tony!, Toni!, Tone! and/or Lucy Pearl days. Saadiq would proceed to play through his entire Jimmy Lee album, sharing personal stories about his brother, and the inspiration behind each track. In that moment, you realize you are experiencing something special that only the other people in attendance can understand and appreciate. Hearing it on record is one thing, but seeing and feeling the emotion in person, on top of the amazing riffs, made for an energy that can’t be explained. The track is punctuated by a soul-piercing guitar solo by Rob Bacon. Shortly after 10pm, Saadiq would do just that, as screams and cheers greeted him and his band, which included the super talented Rob Bacon on guitar.Īfter a few songs, Saadiq would jump into the the album’s lead single, Something Keeps Calling, in which Saadiq speaks about the insidious nature of addiction and the difficulties in overcoming it. Or, perhaps it was the humidity? The night was stupid hot, and unwanted sweat made for a less than ideal wait for the famed multi-instrumentalist-producer-songwriter to hit the stage. With eight years having past since his last album, you could feel the anticipation in the air leading up to his performance. Regardless of the different vibe, it was still a packed house at the Mohawk, filled with 30 and 40-somethings that grew up listen to Saadiq’s music. Released just two weeks prior, Raphael Saadiq’s Jimmy Lee album delves into topics such as drugs, AIDS, and African-American incarceration themes not commonly associated with the classic R&B singer.
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