Album Cover: 'Kings and Queens' by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings – Kings and Queens

What do you get when you take one of best bands to ever come out of Canada and make a record with an all-star cast of singers? Perhaps the best album of the year, that’s what.

Kings & Queens pairs the band with some of their favorite female singers and friends – and some of the biggest names in roots, blues and jazz – Roseanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, Pam Tillis, Serena Ryder, Lucinda Williams, Cassandra Wilson, Amy Helm, Janiva Magness, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Sam Phillips, Sara Watkins, Exene Cervenka, Patti Scialfa and Holly Cole. Grammy- and Juno-winning producer Colin Linden (Bruce Cockburn, Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing, Colin James) took the helm for the new album, and the new recordings have taken the Kings from Nashville to Toronto to New York City to New Orleans, Los Angeles, Woodstock and back again. As the band explains, “No destination is too far for love….”

“Three years in the making, it’s a varied, inspired, and often moving collection that’s never forced or predictable. Hopefully it will provide much deserved American exposure for this talented but thus far under-the-(US) radar male threesome. ****” – American Songwriter

“Kings and Queens is the type of album you can’t help but want to hear. The band decided to try to wrangle a list of female singers they would love to sing with, and hot damn, is that list fantastic.” – Hero Hill

Here are some of the promo photos for the album:

Tom Wilson, guitarist (photo by Brian O'Brien)

Colin Linden, guitarist (photo by Brian O'Brien)