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Listen and Share “River / White Socks & Drawers” 

“Plain and simple, Davell Crawford is one of the most talented musicians alive!”
– Bill Taylor, Blues Access

It has been thirteen years since New Orleans pianist and vocalist Davell Crawford has graced the world with an album, and the grandson of James “Sugarboy” Crawford (of “Jock-A-Mo” fame) who has been living in New York since 2005 wants to make it clear where his musical allegiance lies with My Gift To You (out June 11, 2013), a heartfelt tribute to his birthplace and home, Louisiana. Crawford has partnered for the first time with Basin Street Records to produce this heavily orchestrated opus to the place that shaped him into the “Piano Prince of New Orleans.”

The first funky and fantastic track to surface from the album is “River / White Socks & Drawers” featuring Dr. JohnBig Freedia The Queen Diva, and Donald Harrison, Jr.Called ‘soulful and celebratory’ by SPIN, you can check out the premiere of the trackHERE.

Self-produced and recorded at various studios throughout Louisiana, My Gift To Youfeatures a slew of the biggest names including Donald Harrison, Jr.Bobbi Humphrey,Nicholas PaytonSteve RileyWalter ‘Wolfman’ Washington, and the Davell Crawford Singers. Crawford’s boundless musical ties are evident, as he features in addition to the list above: Detroit Brooks, Bernard Grobman, Clarence Johnson III, Norwood ‘Geechie’ Johnson, Marlon Jordan, Bill Summers, Derwin ‘Big D’ Perkins, June Yamagishi and many others. Mark Brooks (bass) and Joseph Dyson, Jr. (drums) hold down the rhythm for this truly collaborative project.

Influenced by his experiences growing up in Louisiana attending Baptist and Catholic churches, his godmother, Roberta Flack, and the many tight-knit musical circles of New Orleans that he fell into due to his preternatural talent Crawford has decided to bring the focus of this work to the experiences, emotions, and memories associated with Louisiana. He pays respect to the greats of New Orleans composition and piano with re-workings of Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights” and the James Booker rendition of“Junco Partner.” He shows his flair for re-invention of pop hits with covers of “The River of Dreams” (Billy Joel), and stirring renditions of “Can’t Find My Way Home” (Steve Winwood) and “Fire & Rain” (James Taylor). While My Gift To You celebrates the immeasurable experiences of Louisiana with songs like “Southern Woman (Ain’t Nothin’ Like A),” and “Louisiana Sunday Afternoon” it reveals itself as a deeply personal account of Crawford’s unique experiences with originals like the celebratory“Creole Man” and the ballad “Until I See You In A While.” The album fittingly concludes with the gospel-tinged “Ode to Louisiana” an inspiring love letter that sums up the album in its opening line, “Louisiana, I love you.”

Upcoming Shows:
April 18 – New Orleans, LA – Davell Crawford at The Prime Example
April 22 – Harrah’s Casino Theater, New Orleans, LA – Big Easy Awards Host and Presenter
April 26 – Guadeloupe, Martinique – Festival de Voix de Baie Mahault
April 30 – New Orleans, LA – Peaches Record Store (In-store performance)
April 30 – New Orleans, LA – Snug Harbor
May 1 – New Orleans, LA – Louisiana Music Factory (In-store performance)
May 1 – New Orleans, LA – The New Orleans Museum of Art
May 4 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
May 11 – New Orleans, LA – Snug Harbor
June 1 – Augusta, NJ – Michael Arnone’s NJ Crawfish Festival
June 4 – New Orleans, LA – Snug Harbor
June 11 – New Orleans, LA – Snug Harbor
June 25 – New Orleans, LA – Snug Harbor
September 7 – Grenoble, France – Happy Days Festival

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