Grammy-winners Eric Krasno and Stanton Moore offered a glimpse of their new duo project with a cover of “Stay High” by Brittany Howard featuring organist Cory Henry. The track will appear on the Krasno/Moore Project‘s newly announced album, Krasno Moore Project: Book of Queens, out on March 17th via Concord Jazz.
Friends and collaborators for nearly a quarter century, Krasno and Moore’s artistic relationship stretches back to the early ’90s. Still attending college in Northampton, MA, Krasno passed Moore CDs of his latest guitar work when the drummer came through town on tour. Moore recognized Krasno’s then-budding talent, and the two have remained musical compatriots ever since, watching each other go on to find success with Lettuce and Soulive (Krasno) and Galactic and Garage a Trois (Moore).
Despite the fact that they have shared the stage countless times over the past 25 years, Book of Queens marks the collaborators’ first joint release. To mark the occasion, they wanted to do something significant and chose to look outside themselves to the women who have influenced modern music. Their debut release features nine covers by a wide array of female artists including Amy Winehouse, Nina Simone, Billie Eilish, Sharon Jones, H.E.R., Kacey Musgraves, Brittany Howard, Peggy Lee, and Aretha Franklin.
“When Stanton and I got together and decided to make a record we knew we wanted to focus on a concept that we both believed in,” Krasno said. “With the help of our wives (Lauren and Lauren), we started discussing a few ideas and agreed that a tribute to our favorite female singers and songwriters would be perfect. There are so many amazing songs to choose from spanning every genre and every era. Stanton and I zoned in on songs that had the right melodies and moods for an organ trio format. As soon as we started adapting the songs, adding grooves, and making demos with Eric Finland (organ/keys) we knew we had something special.”
Aiding Krasno and Moore in their tribute to women—which arrives in the midst of Women’s History Month—are a string of guests like Cory Henry, Branford Marsalis, and Robert Randolph. Henry takes over on keys for Finland on “Stay High”, from Howard’s seminal solo debut Jaime, which lets Krasno’s guitar do the talking as it emulates the Alabama Shakes frontwoman’s serene vocals.
“With this record, we wanted to create an album that we would be proud to play for our wives…something that we could listen to while making dinner or hanging on the beach,” Moore added. “Our goal was to assemble a collection of songs that created an instant vibe from beginning to end, and could be enjoyed with family and friends time and time again.”
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Check out Eric Krasno and Stanton Moore’s cover of “Stay High” by Brittany Howard featuring Cory Henry. Krasno Moore Project: Book of Queens is available here for pre-order, with CD and vinyl packages set to drop on October 6th. See below for the full tracklisting and album artwork. The duo will take their project on the road for a run of tour dates set to kick off on March 10th at Ardmore Music Hall in Ardmore, PA. For tickets and a list of dates visit either Krasno or Moore‘s website.
Krasno/Moore Project – “Stay High” (Brittany Howard) (ft. Cory Henry)
