MUSIC NEWS - Hear Music (Starbucks) has announced a June 2, 2009 release of Elvis Costello’s new album ‘Secret, Profane & Sugarcane’ (track list below). The album was produced by T Bone Burnett and recorded by Mike Piersante during a three-day session at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio. With Costello at the sessions were Jerry Douglas (dobro), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Mike Compton (mandolin), Jeff Taylor (accordion) and Dennis Crouch (double bass). These players are some of the most highly regarded recording artists and musicians in traditional American country music, Bluegrass and beyond.
Several of these songs, including “Down Among The Wines and Spirits”, were first played in public during Costello’s solo appearances as part of “The Bob Dylan Show” in late 2007. The album will include ten previously unrecorded songs. “Sulfur to Sugarcane” and “The Crooked Line” were co-written with T Bone Burnett while “I Felt The Chill” marks Costello’s second recorded songwriting collaboration with Loretta Lynn. Elvis takes the opportunity on this release to revisit two songs from his past, in string band style, both of which were originally written for Johnny Cash. “Hidden Shame” was included on Cash’s album, “Boom Chicka Boom” (pick up CD here).
The album title makes reference to “The Secret Songs”, Costello’s unfinished commission for the Royal Danish Opera about the life of Hans Christian Andersen. Seeking a new connection from the author to the Anglophone world, Costello wrote about Andersen’s relationship with the world famous singer Jenny Lind in “She Handed Me A Mirror” and “How Deep Is The Red”. “She Was No Good” relates some of the chaotic details of Lind’s famous “All-American” concert tour of 1850, which was promoted by P.T. Barnum. In its aftermath, “Red Cotton” imagines Barnum reading an Abolitionist pamphlet, while manufacturing cheap souvenirs of the adventure.
(Elvis photo credit: James O'Mara)
These are the first Costello compositions to be heavilly rooted in acoustic music since his 1986 album, “King Of America”, which was produced by T Bone Burnett, as was Elvis's 1989 album, “Spike” (buy Spike here and King of America here) . T Bone adds his distinctive Kay electric guitar to several numbers, the only amplified instrument on the recording.
Select US tour dates featuring musicians from the album, dubbed "The Sugarcanes", will follow in June and August, 2009. Details to be announced. Watch for a April 18th (Independent Record Day) release of "Complicated Shadows" b/w "Dirty Rotten Shame" on 7" vinyl.
Elvis Costello's “SECRET, PROFANE, & SUGARCANE” TRACK LIST
1. Down Among the Wine and Spirits
2. Complicated Shadows
3. I Felt the Chill
4. My All Time Doll
5. Hidden Shame
6. She Handed Me a Mirror
7. I Dreamed of My Old Lover
8. How Deep is the Red
9. She Was No Good
10. Sulfur to Sugarcane
11. Red Cotton
12. The Crooked Line
13. Changing Partners
NOTE - The vinyl edition of the album will contain two additional tracks, an arrangement of Lou Reed’s “Femme Fatale” and Costello’s sequel to the Appalachian murder ballad, “Omie Wise”, entitled, “What Lewis Did Last”.
UPDATE 4/1/09- tour dates announced.
Elvis Costello - 2009 Tour Dates
Elvis Costello 2009 Tour Dates:
|
Date |
City |
State |
Country |
Venue |
|
Apr 22, 2009 |
Basingstoke |
|
GB |
The Anvil (Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet) |
|
Apr 23, 2009 |
London |
|
GB |
The Barbican Centre (Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet) |
|
Apr 24, 2009 |
Birmingham |
|
GB |
Symphony Hall (Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet) |
|
Apr 26, 2009 |
Glasgow |
|
GB |
Royal Concert Hall (Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet) |
|
Apr 27, 2009 |
Manchester |
|
GB |
Bridgewater Hall (Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet) |
|
Apr 29, 2009 |
Bristol |
|
GB |
St George's Hall (Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet) |
|
May 02, 2009 |
Memphis |
TN |
US |
Memphis Beale St Festival (Elvis Costello and The Popular Trend) |
|
Jun 09, 2009 |
Red Bank |
NJ |
US |
Count Basie Theatre |
|
Jun 10, 2009 |
New York |
NY |
US |
Beacon Theatre |
|
Jun 11, 2009 |
Vienna |
VA |
US |
Wolf Trap |
|
Jun 13, 2009 |
Manchester |
TN |
US |
Bonnaroo (Festival runs from 6/11-6/14; Elvis Costello's showdate is 6/13) |
|
Jun 14, 2009 |
Cary |
NC |
US |
Booth Amphitheatre |
|
Jun 16, 2009 |
Nashville |
TN |
US |
Ryman Auditorium |
|
Jun 19, 2009 |
Telluride |
CO |
US |
Telluride Festival |
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