Columbia Records is set to release “Play It As It Lays,” the eagerly-anticipated new album from American singer-songwriter-musician Patti Scialfa, on Tuesday, September 4.
Patti Scialfa will make a series of rare live TV appearances the week of her album launch including both “The Today Show” (NBC-TV) and the “Late Show with David Letterman” (CBS-TV) on Tuesday, September 4 as well as “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (NBC-TV) and “The View” (ABC-TV) on Thursday, September 6. Patti will also be performing her new song “Looking For Elvis” on the ABC-TV Special Elvis: Viva Las Vegas, airing September 18th. (Please check your local listings).
“Play It As It Lays” is the first album of new music from Patti Scialfa since the release of her critically acclaimed “23rd Street Lullaby” in 2004 and is the artist’s third solo album since the release of her debut, “Rumble Doll,” 1993.
“Play It As It Lays” premieres 10 new songs, written and performed by Patti Scialfa, showcasing the artist’s soulful command of melody and language in a series of expressive and intimate musical narratives incorporating elements of roots rock, folk, country, street corner doo-wop, girl groups and more into a sound and sensibility uniquely her own.
Tracks on “Play It As It Lays” include: “Looking For Elvis,” “Like Any Woman Would,” “Town Called Heartbreak,” Play Around,” “Rainy Day Man,” “The Word,” “Bad For You,” “Run, Run, Run,” “Play It As It Lays,” and “Black Ladder.”
The album is produced by Patti Scialfa, Steve Jordan (Patti’s co-producer on “23rd Street Lullaby,” Jordan served as musical director for the PBS series “Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues” and has produced albums by Keith Richards, John Mayer, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and others), and Ron Aniello (Lifehouse, Guster, Barenaked Ladies).
“Play It As It Lays” features Patti (vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo, Wurlitzer organ) backed by the ‘Whack Brothers’ Rhythm Section: Clifford Carter (keyboards), Steve Jordon… (drums and percussion, acoustic guitar), Nils Lofgren (guitars, pedal steel guitar, dobro), Bruce Springsteen (Hammond B3 organ, acoustic guitars, electric guitar, harmonica) and Willie Weeks (bass). Additional players on the album include co-producer Ron Aniello (guitar, keyboards), Crusher Bennet (percussion), Jeremy Chatzky (bass), Mark Stewart (cello, guitar, banjo), Scott Tibbs (synthesized strings), and Soozie Tyrell (violin, background vocals), with whom Patti gigged back in her early musical busking days. Other background vocals are provided by Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Cindy Mizelle and Curtis King.
Each of Patti Scialfa’s previous solo albums – “Rumble Doll” (1993) and “23rd Street Lullaby” (2004) – received four-star reviews in Rolling Stone magazine who praised her “…clear-eyed joyfulness and unpretentious appeal…(evoking)…a woman not haunted by her past but enriched by it.”