Showing posts with label Kara Grainger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kara Grainger. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Kara Grainger - That's How I Got To Memphis

Album: That's How I Got To Memphis
Size: 83,6 MB
Time: 36:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2025
Styles: Blues/Soul mix
Art: Front

1. Texas Blues (4:44)
2. That's How I Got To Memphis (4:07)
3. Light Your Fire (3:32)
4. Wake Up With You (4:20)
5. Mama Said (5:05)
6. Love Played A Game (3:18)
7. Doodle Loop (World Is A Little Bit Under The Weather) (3:23)
8. Same Old River (3:35)
9. Lessons (4:07)

Australian-born, Nashville-based Kara Grainger has been gracing the international blues and roots circuit for almost two decades. Originally hailed as a guitar slinger, for her adept picking and slide skills, Grainger has developed into a triple threat with formidable singer-songwriter skills. As the album title, “That’s How I Got to Memphis,” suggests, Grainger has fulfilled a lifelong dream by recording in Memphis. Not only that, she recorded this, her fifth album, at the iconic Royal Studios under the direction of the celebrated producer, Lawrence “Boo’ Mitchell, while in the company of the Hi Rhythm Section. Grainger points to Al Green and Ann Peebles as two of her all-time favorite artists, obviously honored to be indirectly associated with them on this project, as the Hi Rhythm Section played for both of those artists as well.

Grainger delivers six originals of the nine, with Tom T. Hall’s title track, a Memphis standard co-written by Peebles, and another from NOLA’s The Meters. It’s a short listen, running only for 36 minutes. The backing band has many familiar musicians who have appeared on Memphis albums through the years. Among them are the two Hi Rhythm Section stalwarts Reverend Charles Hodges on the B3 and Leroy Hodges on bass. The Norman sisters (Shontelle and Sharisse) contribute background vocals, along with the modern-day Memphis Horns – trumpeter Marc Franklin and saxophonist Kirk Smothers. All considered, it’s a large cast of 14 in the credits.

Recording under Boo Mitchell’s direction and with the vaunted Hi Rhythm Section makes for a “can’t miss” project. Grainger admirably states her case within these hallowed walls with mostly her own material and adherence to her own style. She rarely allows herself to fall into the trap of R&B cliches, which is tempting in this setting. In short, she does it her way, while honoring the legacy of the Memphis sound. /Jim Hynes, Rock & Blues Muse

That's How I Got To Memphis mc
That's How I Got To Memphis gofile

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Kara Grainger - Living With Your Ghost

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:07
Size: 112.4 MB
Styles: Roots, Blues
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[4:07] 1. Living With Your Ghost
[4:09] 2. Working My Way Back Home
[3:37] 3. Man With Soul
[4:01] 4. Nowhere To Be Found
[3:19] 5. You're In New Orleans
[4:37] 6. Groove Train
[3:41] 7. Reason To My Verse
[3:38] 8. Broken Record
[3:38] 9. Favourite Sin
[4:29] 10. Nobody But You
[3:47] 11. Love Will Get You Through The Door
[5:59] 12. Freedom Song

"Talk about star power, a killer voice and guitar skills. She said to the band as much to the audience, “I think tonight, we’ll just play some blues.” Playing slide guitar, Grainger began with rootsy blues, her voice full-bodied with plenty of soul. There was clarity there too with that unmistakable bell tone mixed with grit. We were in for some serious musicianship with Kara Grainger. Her vocals packed a punch and she played monster guitar solos that had the crowd whooping andclapping. Nice to see a female musician kick some a** like that". ~ Rock & Blues Muse

Her music career began in a small suburban town of Sydney Australia and since then has taken her on an incredible journey throughout the globe. Combining tasteful blues and slide guitar, soulful vocals and a heartfelt approach to songwriting, Kara's truly unique sound will leave you uplifted, inspired and always wanting more.

At the age of 16 Kara joined with her brother Mitch Grainger to form the band "Papa Lips". The band toured consistently throughout Australia and produced two studio albums that received national air play. The band was heavily influenced by the sounds of Stax recording in Memphis, and by the Funky style of blues and soul that derived from New Orleans.

Living With Your Ghost mc
Living With Your Ghost zippy

Monday, October 27, 2014

Kara Grainger - 2 albums: Grand And Green River / Shiver and Sigh

A Australian-born blues singer/guitarist Kara Grainger may draw initial comparisons to Bonnie Raitt -- both play slide guitar and sing soulfully -- but she bears her own distinctive style, one that evenly balances the blues with soul and roots rock, something that can be heard on her solo albums as well as the music she made with her brother as part of two different bands

The Sydney blues band Papa Lips, which also featured her brother Mitch on harmonica, was the first professional outfit for Kara Grainger. During the late '90s, Papa Lips toured the east coast of Australia with regularity and their two albums, Harmony and High Time Now, garnered some acclaim. The band changed their name to Grainger in 2000 and released an EP, then Kara received an opportunity to play guitar with Cold Chisel's Steve Prestwich. This, along with a spot on television, helped elevate her profile and soon she started pursuing a solo career, first releasing an EP called Secret Soul, then following up with the full-length Grand and Green River in 2008. In 2013, she released Shiver & Sigh. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album: Grand And Green River
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 35:27
Size: 81.2 MB
Styles: Contemporary blues
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:36] 1. What You Wanted
[3:05] 2. On My Way
[3:27] 3. Cannot Be Denied
[4:07] 4. Dreamed I Was The Devil
[4:14] 5. I'm Going To Live The Life I Sing About In My Song
[3:05] 6. Sky Is Falling
[3:57] 7. Holding On
[3:42] 8. Bring Me Back
[2:58] 9. Secret Soul
[3:11] 10. Stuck In Love

Grand And Green River

Album: Shiver And Sigh
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 43:15
Size: 99.0 MB
Styles: Contemporay blues
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:27] 1. Little Pack Of Lies
[4:21] 2. Shiver & Sigh
[4:09] 3. Lost In You
[3:35] 4. Shut Down
[3:31] 5. I'm Not Ready
[3:43] 6. No Way You Can Hurt Me Now
[4:07] 7. Holding Out For Love
[3:51] 8. C'mon In My Kitchen
[3:24] 9. You're The One
[4:10] 10. Breaking Up Somebody's Home
[3:52] 11. Overdue For The Blues

Shiver And Sigh