Alison Krauss to Release Classics Project on Capitol in February

Alison Krauss has recorded a new solo project of classics for Capitol Records, Windy City, which is due out Feb. 17. The CD is her debut effort for Capitol, and her first project separate from her band Union Station since 2007’s Raising Sand. The 10-song collection was produced by Buddy Cannon, and features the album’s lead track, “Losing You,” which is out now and is available as an instant download to fans who preorder the new album.

Krauss first became inspired to record the collection of standards when she went into the studio with Cannon to record her lines on Hank Cochran’s “Make The World Go Away” for Jamey Johnson’s 2012 album Living For A Song. The two selected well-known classics like “Gentle On My Mind,” and “You Don’t Know Me,” along with more obscure tracks such as “Poison Love,” a B-side track on a Bill Monroe single released in 1951 and “River In The Rain,” penned by Roger Miller for his 1985 Broadway musical Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The collection has a melancholy thread that runs through it, but exudes strength thanks to Krauss’ delivery.

“It’s almost like you didn’t know it was sad,” Alison says, “because it doesn’t sound weak. It doesn’t have a pitiful part to it, where so many sad songs do. But these don’t. And I love that about it. I love that there’s strength underneath there. That whatever those stories are, they didn’t destroy. That that person made it right through it. I love that.”

The new CD also includes a track written by Cannon himself, “Dream of Me,”  that features Cannon on backing vocals along with his daughter Melonie Cannon. Others lending backing vocals to the tracks include Jamey Johnson, Dan Tyminski, Teddy Gentry, and Hank Williams Jr.

Windy City Track Listings:

1. Losing You – Written by Pierre Havet, Jean Renard and Carl Sigman. Originally recorded by Brenda Lee for her 1963 album Let Me Sing.
2. It’s Goodbye And So Long To You (background vocals by Dan Tyminski and Hank Williams Jr.) – Written by Raymond Couture and Harold J. Breau in 1952. Originally recorded by The Osborne Brothers with Mac Wiseman, it appears on their 1979 collection The Essential Bluegrass Album.
3. Windy City (background vocals by Suzanne Cox and Jamey Johnson) – Written by Pete Goble and Bobby Osborne. Originally recorded by The Osborne Brothers for their 1972 albumBobby and Sonny.
4. I Never Cared For You (background vocals by Suzanne Cox and Sidney Cox) – Written and originally recorded by Willie Nelson in 1964 as a single for Monument Records.
5. River In The Rain – Written by Roger Miller for the 1985 Broadway musical Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
6. Dream Of Me (background vocals by Buddy Cannon and Melonie Cannon) – Written by Buddy Cannon, Jimmy Darrell & Raleigh Squires.  Was a top 10 single on Vern Gosdin’s 1981 album Today My World Slipped Away.  Alison originally heard the song performed live by Jim & Jesse McReynold’s in the early 80’s.
7. Gentle On My Mind (background vocals by Teddy Gentry and Suzanne Cox) – Written and recorded by John Hartford for his 1967 album Earthwords & Music. It was popularized by Glen Campbell as the title track of his GRAMMY Award-winning 1967 Capitol Records album.
8. All Alone Am I – Originally written by Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis for the film The Island of the Brave, the song was later given English lyrics by Arthur Altman and popularized by Brenda Lee as the title track of her 1962 album.
9. Poison Love (background vocals by Dan Tyminski and Jamey Johnson) – Written by Elmer Laird. Originally recorded by Bill Monroe as the b-side to his “On the Old Kentucky Shore” single released in 1951.
10. You Don’t Know Me – Written by Cindy Walker & Eddy Arnold. Originally recorded by Arnold in 1955 as a single, it was later popularized by Ray Charles on his 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.