Kate’s brand new album, 1000 Pound Machine, will be released on Tuesday, April 3rd.
Over the course of thirteen albums, Kate has written, recorded and performed almost exclusively on the acoustic guitar. On 1000 Pound Machine she returns to the instrument (piano) of her childhood and enlists Will Kimbrough (2004 Americana Music Association’s Instrumentalist of the Year) to produce the eleven-song disc.
Campbell’s subtle piano and crystal-clear vocals are complimented by sparse arrangements featuring Kimbrough’s consummate guitar playing and soulful sounds from the legendary Spooner Oldham. Muscle Shoals ace David Hood (electric bass) and Americana stalwarts John Deaderick (keyboards), Dave Jacques (string bass), David Henry (strings), and Paul Griffith (percussion) add to the mix. Emmylou Harris lends haunting harmony on a true narrative about death-row prisoners who find peace through meditation (“Alabama Department of Corrections Meditation Blues”) while Sloan Wainwright adds background vocals to “Wait for Another Day.”
Campbell’s tunes weave a southern-flavored tapestry throughout the album and include a gem that imagines Rosa Parks and George Wallace sitting side by side on a bus ride (“Montgomery to Mobile”), a paean to the Alabama landscape (“Red Clay After Rain”), a tribute to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Spooner Oldham (“Spoonerville”), and a beloved civil rights anthem (“Walk with Me”).
1000 Pound Machine is Kate Campbell’s note of gratitude to piano teachers everywhere who believe that “a simple pair of hands” can inspire and carry the listener to “the music of the spheres.” Kate has several CD Release Celebration Concerts scheduled including Birmingham, Atlanta, Auburn, and Memphis.
