Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise - Blackwater Surprise

Robert Bradley was a Detroit street singer for years before he was convinced to enter the studio by a group of young alternative rockers. The resulting album, Blackwater Surprise, is indeed surprising -- an effective collaboration between a blind blues musician and a sympathetic detroit rock trio. The band wisely decided to stay in the background and let Bradley do his thing -- namely, improvising blues and soul shuffles and stomps in his extraordinary voice. On paper, the music sounds simple, but there's unexpected depth -- there are shades of gospel, soul, motown and hard rock on the album, and a string section appears on a handful of cuts. Most of the album consists of first takes, and the music has an infectious, spontaneous feeling that is exhilarating. It may have taken Bradley a long time to enter the studio, but this unique record was worth the wait. [The CD was also released with a bonus track.] ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide

Name Credits Al Sitton Mixing Assistant Al Sutton Assistant Engineer Amy Wenzler Art Direction Andrew Nehra Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Cover Design, Piano, Assistant Engineer, Guitar (Rhythm), Bass, Vocals (Background), Producer, Mixing Assistant, Percussion Bobby East Mixing Assistant Bryan Dombrowski Assistant Engineer Dave Plechura Assistant Engineer Ed Hawrysch Organ, Wurlitzer Howie Weinberg Mastering Ian Gittler Photography Jack Nelson Cover Design Jeff Fowlkes Percussion, Vocals (Background), Drums Jimmy Bones Organ John Smerek Assistant Engineer Johnny Evans Saxophone Michael Nehra Mixing, Guitar (Acoustic), Producer, Engineer, Vocals (Background), Guitar Pete d'Agostino Cover Design Robert Bradley Wurlitzer, Organ, Vocals, Piano