Tribute To - Featuring Songs by George Harrison; Due August 4 on ATO
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John Lennon once said he didn't believe that musicians created emotions in their listeners. Rather, he believed that an artist's role is to bring feelings to the surface that already live deep within us. Thus, while all human beings are connected to one another in some way, there is a special bond we feel with the artists that help us shine a light within our own core.
A few days after George Harrison passed away in 2001, Yim Yames (Jim James (of My Morning Jacket)) was moved to record this six-song EP of Harrison covers, paying tribute to a man that he never met, but with whom he felt a special connection. The tracks have a serene quality that mourn the loss of a legendary spirit while celebrating his enduring influence.
On the EP, Yames performs beautiful renditions of four cuts from Harrison's classic album All Things Pass as well as two of The Beatles tunes that he penned. These six tracks have a raw, minimalist feel - featuring little more than Yames' vocals and acoustic guitar. With all the space, the room in which the tracks were recorded truly serves as another instrument in the mix, creating an ethereal aura for a backdrop.
From his warm, multi-layered vocals on opening track “Long Long Long" to his near-whisper at the end of album closer “All Things Must Pass," Yames sings in a fittingly intimate manner. In the album's liner notes, he refers to Harrison as “a prime example of the healing power of music." These words apply just as much to this EP. As the final chords on Tribute To ring out, one can't help but feel a deep, satisfying sense of catharsis.
Tribute To Track List:
1.) Long Long Long
2.) Behind That Locked Door
3.) Love You To
4.) My Sweet Lord
5.) Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
6.) All Things Must Pass
For those who can't wait until August to hear Tribute To, you can get a taste by checking out “Behind That Locked Door," currently available for download on YimYames.com.
Topspin will also give fans the opportunity to download the entire EP via YimYames.com a full month before it hits stores. Beginning on July 7 fans can purchase and download a digital copy of the album immediately, and pre-order the CD and a limited edition vinyl for delivery on the August 4 release date.
A portion of the proceeds from the EP will go to the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, an organization that provides shelter to farm animals that have been rescued from cases of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. For more information, please visit the WFAS website: Woodstockfas.org. Fans who order the limited edition vinyl will also receive a t-shirt and brochure from WFAS so they can learn more about the charity.
