Sugaray Rayford - Somebody Save Me (2019)

On "The Revelator", the opening track off his upcoming Forty Below Records release, 'Somebody Save Me', Sugaray Rayford forcefully sings, "I'm a freak of nature / I ain't no honey bee / I'm an unknown creature / The like you've never seen." At 6'5" and 300 pounds, this cigar chompin' ex-Marine with a voice like a delta hurricane and a magnetic personality, holds court in any room he enters. Possessing an old school vocal style that echoes Muddy Waters, Otis Redding and Teddy Pendergrass, Rayford is also a stellar dancer with moves reminiscent of the Legendary James Brown.

Somebody Save Me is an album that slides gracefully between the new blues of Gary Clarke Jr. and Fantastic Negrito and the vintage Daptones soul of the late Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones, bringing a fresh take to classic sounds.

The album was written and produced by Forty Below Records founder Eric Corne. A number of mainstays from Corne productions feature strongly here including guitarist Rick Holmstrom (Mavis Staples), bassist Taras Prodaniuk (Dwight Yoakam) and the horn section from Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

The album is packed with adventurous instrumentation; like the John Barry (James Bond) inspired bridge of "Angels and Devils"; the wobbly 1950s inspired keyboard solo and lush strings of the title track, recorded with The Section Quartet (Ryan Adams, Father John Misty); and the choir, bubbling keyboards and horns of "The Revelator" which seamlessly blends blues, soul and jazz with a hint of reggae. But at the center of it all are the songs themselves and the timeless voice of Rayford. The lyrics and arrangements are measured and precise, yet delivered with a freedom, spontaneity and raw emotion that give the tracks so much life.

Tracklist:
01. Sugaray Rayford - The Revelator
02. Sugaray Rayford - Time To Get Movin'
03. Sugaray Rayford - You and I
04. Sugaray Rayford - My Cards are on the Table
05. Sugaray Rayford - I'd Kill For You, Honey
06. Sugaray Rayford - Angels and Devils
07. Sugaray Rayford - Sometimes You Get The Bear (and Sometimes the Bear Gets You)
08. Sugaray Rayford - Somebody Save Me
09. Sugaray Rayford - Is It Just Me
10. Sugaray Rayford - Dark Night of the Soul