Jessi Colter will return with her first new studio album since 2006’s Out Of The Ashes, when she releases The Psalms, a collection of spontaneous musical interpretations of sacred poems from the Old Testament.
Colter, who offered piano and vocals for the album, collaborated with Lenny Kaye on electric and acoustic guitar. Kaye also co-authored Waylon: An Autobiography, which was published in 2012. The book chronicled the life of Colter’s late husband and creative partner, Waylon Jennings.
The core tracks for The Psalms were recorded nearly a decade ago during two separate two-day sessions in 2007 and 2008, at Dubway studios in Manhattan.
“One morning in 1995, while working with Waylon Jennings on his autobiography in Nashville, I came into the living room to find Jessi Colter at the piano, singing the Psalms,” Kaye recalls in the liner notes for the project. “She would place her fingers on the keys, forming simple chords and expressing melodies as they came to her. There was no forethought, no conception of composition; only the intuitive expression of the spirituality behind these most ancient of sacred poems, the divinity they wellspring within each of us. I listened transfixed while she paged through the Old Testament, choosing each Psalm, finding within them the emotive voice of the Shepherd Boy, the Warrior, ultimately the King that is David. It was one of the most beautiful expressions of belief I had ever witnessed.
“In the early months of 2007 I secured a studio with a good piano. There was no rehearsal. We would select a Psalm. She sat behind the keyboard, gathered herself, and then began to sing. There were one, perhaps two takes of each. Sometimes I accompanied her on guitar. Over the years I decorated them with chosen musicians, careful not to disturb their intimacy or their moment of improvised creation and inspiration.”
“I am thrilled to work with Lenny Kaye and sing King David’s Psalms, the most creative music I’ve ever done,” says Colter, “…and the greatest challenge!!”
Colter is best-known for her collaborations with late husband Jennings, for her 1975 country-pop crossover hit “I’m Not Lisa,” and for her contributions to the platinum-selling Wanted: The Outlaws. A singer and songwriter, Colter has written songs for Dottie West, Nancy Sinatra, Hank Locklin and others, and has released 15 major label albums.
The Psalms will release March 24, 2017 via Legacy Recordings. Colter will also release her autobiography, An Outlaw and a Lady: A Memoir of Music, Life with Waylon, and the Faith That Brought Me Home, April 11.
The Psalms Track Listing:
- PSALM 150 Praise Ye The Lord
- PSALM 75 Unto Thee
- PSALM 114 And The Mountains Skip Like Rams
- PSALM 99 He Is Holy
- PSALM 24 Who Is The King of Glory
- PSALM 136 Mercy and Loving Kindness
- PSALM 151 King David’s Last Psalm
- PSALM 21 Be Thou Exalted
- PSALM 45 My Song To A King
- PSALM 73 Like A Beast
- PSALM 23 The Lord Is My Shepherd
- PSALM 72 Arise O King of Old
About the Author
Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.View Author Profile
