Walter Parks & The Unlawful Assembly is a harmonious mix of race, repertoire and result. Old-school spirituals, gospel, blues, swamp hollers, shaped-note European hymns, work chants are all presented in a swampy style that borrows from the blues, southern rock and gospel and that occasionally rests upon modern electronic loops. Reimagined covers and traditionals include: “Wade in the Water”, “Follow The Drinking Gourd”, “Down By The Riverside”, “Steal Away”, “Old Blind Barnabus”, “Amazing Grace”, “Higher Ground” and “Early In The Mornin’”. Walter contributes “Georgia Rice” and a co-write “Shoulder It” with Stan Lynch (Tom Petty/Heartbreakers).
Video Clip: Wade in the Water
Ray Bonneville is a Juno Award-winning songwriter and native French Canadian. Known for sparse, evocative story-telling riding on his deep and unique groove, Bonneville’s acclaimed performance style is the product of greasy, percussive electric guitar, smoky, gritty vocal, unrivaled harmonica tone, and unwavering foot percussion. Ray’s songs and sounds are influenced by his nomadic lifestyle, relentless touring, and the years he spent living in New Orleans, immersed in it’s music and culture.
Bonneville strips his bluesy Americana down to its essentials and steeps it in a humid, Southern vibe, creating a compelling poetry of hard living and deep feeling.
Video Clip: Waiting on the Night