So Many Rivers

WINNER OF THE 2003 BLUES MUSIC AWARD FOR "CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR"

*Three Hundred Pounds Of Hongry, Donnie Fritts & Eddie Hinton (© 1972 Combine Music Corp., BMI) All rights for Combine Music Corp. (BMI) controlled and administered by EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI). All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission.

*If It's Really Got To Be This Way, Donnie Fritts, Arthur Alexander & Gary Nicholson (© 1991 Donnie Fritts Music, admin. by Bug Music, BMI/Arthur Alexander Music, admin. by Bug Music, BMI/ Sony/ATV Tunes/Four Sons Music, ASCAP) All rights on behalf of Sony/ATV Tunes LLC and Four Sons Music admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Produced by Stephen Bruton
Recorded at The Hit Shack, Austin, Texas
Mixed at The Austin School of Music
Engineered and Mixed by Chet Himes
Assistant Engineer, Todd Dillon
Additional Recording at Greenleaf Place, N. Hollywood, CA.
Engineered by Ross Hogarth
Photos by Mary Bruton
Painting by Gordon Fowler
Design by Wendy Parnell

There are so many rivers in my life.  The Sabine, the Mississippi and the Colorado River of Texas where I've lived.  The bottomless Atchafalaya, the Rio Grande, the Calcasieu, the Guadalupe - they plod and they rage, draw lines between us and gather us together, carry us away and home again.  For every river there's a song and for every song, a writer. This record is dedicated to the songwriters.   - Marcia Ball

Marcia Ball - Piano and Vocals
Stephen Bruton - Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin
James Pennebaker - Guitar, Lap Steel, Baritone Guitar, Fiddle
Pat Boyack - Guitar on Didn't You Know, Honeypie, and 300 Pounds Of Hongry
Don Bennett - Bass on Give It Up (Give In), Didn't You Know, Give Me A Chance, 300 Pounds Of Hongry, Honeypie and Baby, Why Not
Yoggie Musgrove - Bass on Foreclose On The House Of Love, Dance With Me, So Many Rivers To Cross, If It Ain't One Thing
Chris Maresh - Bass on If It's Really Got To Be This Way, Hurricane On China Lake, The Lowdown and The Storm
Tom Fillman - Drums
Keith Robinson - Drums on Honeypie
Wayne Toups - Accordion & Vocal on Honeypie
Johnny Nicholas - Harmonica on Give It Up (Give In)
Red Young - Hammond B3 Organ
Deborah Dobkin - Percussion
Background Vocals: - Lisa Tingle on So Many Rivers To Cross; Malford Millican, Randy Jacobs, Alicia Jones and Kai Tolbert on Hurricane On China Lake, Dance With Me and If It Ain't One Thing and Johnny Nicholas, Randy Jacobs, Malford Millican and Stephen Bruton on Give Me A Chance.
Los Angeles Horns: - Lon Price on Alto and Tenor Saxophone, Lee Thornburg on Trumpet, Greg Smith on Tenor and Baritone Saxophone, Nick Lane on Trombone on Baby, Why Not, Give Me A Chance and Foreclose On The House Of Love. Arrangements and saxophone
solo on The Storm by Lon Price.
Texas Horns: - Kaz Kazanoff on Tenor Saxophone, John Mills on Baritone Saxophone and Gary Slechta on Trumpet on The Lowdown. Arrangements by Red Young.

Another fine production from South Austin, Texas.

Marcia wishes to thank... My band and all the players who made this project a pleasure from start to finish. Thanks also to Stephen, Chet, Todd, Mary and Wendy, Dave Sebree, Kesha Dirkson, our Web Gator Page Hite, M.B.I.F.C. Prez Cathie Baker, Nancy Gilkyson, Bruce Iglauer and all the Alligator krewe, the Rosebud Agency, Yamaha, and, of course, Gordon and all our families for their encouragement and support. Thanks especially to the clubs, festivals and radio stations that make it possible for us to go out and play and to the music fans that keep it fun.

The producer wishes to thank... Marcia and all the musicians for their collaborative effort and vibe throughout the sessions. Also, to Chet, Todd, and Ross for their uncanny ability to capture lightning in a bottle. Special thanks to Donnie Wade, Wayne and Belinda Toups, Dumble amplifiers, and Lon Price for knowing the difference between what I wanted and what was needed on the horn arrangements.