Biography

ROBERT KRAFT TRIO'S NORTH BISHOP AVE
SET FOR RELEASE ON JULY 14

Long anticipated collection from Central Texas-based singer features
original vintage R&B and Pop tunes from Austin's Soulful Song Spinners

AUSTIN, Texas – The Robert Kraft Trio’s North Bishop Avenue, the highly anticipated follow-up to last year’s vinyl single release, features remixes of both songs (“Gotta Have You” and “I Want to Show You”), plus a string of new tunes written in the tradition of the soulful R&B and Pop music that first influenced singer and songwriter Robert Ashker Kraft in his callow youth.

“It's like he hired The Wrecking Crew for these sessions,” legendary singer-songwriter James McMurtry says, referring to band members JD Pendley on guitar and Lindsay Greene on bass, (with guest artists Robb Kidd on drums and Producer David Boyle on Wurlitzer and B3 organ), who lay down the foundation for Kraft's singular vocals. JD Pendley also serves as Music Director and Arranger for the band and he brings his own charm, wit and musical mastery to each composition.

Rapidly rising Austin-based singer-songwriter Brennen Leigh is a fan. “Robert Kraft makes smart music that's also irresistably danceable. Everything he touches becomes an instant classic,” she says.

The title – North Bishop Ave – is a nod to Kraft’s late older brother, Stuart Kraft.

“Stu was one of the first artists to move into the Oak Cliff neighborhood between West Davis and West Colorado Blvd in Dallas,” Robert Kraft says. “I would stay with him occasionally, when things got bad at home, and worked for him as a welder, steel cutter, and finisher in his sculpture studio, off and on, for years. The stereo was always blasting, and it was there that I discovered KKDA – 730 AM, “Soul 73”. I guess I was 15 or 16 years old. I listened to that station all day, sometimes.

“Deep Ellum wasn’t far away. There were just a few beer joints open back then. The rest was used tire stores, pawnshops, warehouses and vacant storefronts. I would wander that direction after work to do some underage drinking (never got carded!) and listen to juke boxes stuffed with Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies R&B, or sit at the feet of venerated local bluesmen performing live on tiny stages for tips and ‘old time’s sake.'

“That whole area around Downtown Dallas - Oak Cliff, Fair Park, Deep Ellum - was a steaming mix of Tejano music, Blues, Honky Tonk, Rhythm and Blues, and Soul music, drifting from the open doors of barber shops, cafes, from bars and night clubs. It was in the air, if you knew where to find it, back in the days before the Prophet Bar and the revitalization of Deep Ellum, or the realization of The Bishop Arts District. I guess all of that music got under my teenaged skin, and it has sweated out of me in almost all the music I’ve made over the years, and it infuses this latest project. I hope we capture the feeling of the world back then, and the hopeful belief that music truly could take us somewhere better, together.”

For information, contact Jenni Finlay, jenni@jennifinlay.com