“Since Robert Randolph’s been making his joyful noise, the distance between heaven and Earth has measurably narrowed.”—Los Angeles Times
Throughout the recording of We Walk This Road, Randolph and Burnett worked closely together as archivists, discovering songs—decade by decade—from the 20th century American music canon. The songs they uncovered, ranging from blues and rock to field recordings and gospel, serve as the inspiration for the 11 songs on We Walk This Road. Recorded at the Village Recorders and Electro Magnetic Studio, the album includes “If I Had My Way” (featuring Ben Harper), “Salvation” (featuring Leon Russell), and reinterpretations of Prince’s “Walk Don’t Walk,” Bob Dylan’s “Shot Of Love,” (featuring Jim Keltner, who played drums on the original version) and John Lennon’s “I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama” (featuring Doyle Bramhall II).
Of the album, Randolph says “T-Bone and I drew a lot from the past while we were making this record, but I think it really is a record for these times. I think the fact that I, as a young guy who likes hip-hop and gospel, am reaching back into this rich history of American roots music will appeal to people who are fifteen, and people who are seventy-five years old. T-Bone opened my eyes to great archival music. He’s a link between the past and the present.”
Listed among Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, Robert Randolph first rose to national prominence with the release of Robert Randolph & the Family Band’s 2003 studio debut, Unclassified. The album earned acclaim from the Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly and USA Today and attracted the attention of Eric Clapton, who invited the band to tour as a supporting act. 2006’s Colorblind picked up where it’s predecessor left off, receiving praise from Vanity Fair, Associated Press and the New York Times and spawning the hit “Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That,” which has been featured in the television shows “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Undercover Boss,” as well as the films Stomp The Yard and The Game Plan. Most recently, Randolph received a Grammy nomination for “Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals” for his collaboration with The Clark Sisters on the track “Higher Ground” from the all-star collaboration album Oh Happy Day.
About the Author
