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Elvis Costello Teams With T Bone Burnett For New Acoustic Record

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by David J. Prince, N.Y.  |   March 23, 2009 11:15 EDT

Elvis Costello goes back to Americana for "Sugarcane."

Elvis Costello's newest album, "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane," sees the prolific singer-songwriter-composer returning to acoustic American roots music for the first time since his 1986 album "King of America."  "Sugarcane" will be released June 2 on Hear Music.

"Sugarcane" was produced by T Bone Burnett and recorded during a three-day session at Nashville's Sound Emporium Studio.  Costello and Burnett have previously collaborated on "King of America" and "Spike."

Costello's band for the project includes such Bluegrass and traditional country musicians as erry Douglas (dobro), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Mike Compton (mandolin), Jeff Taylo (accordion) and Dennis Crouch (double bass).  Emmylou Harris sings on one song, and Burnett adds his Kay electric guitar sound to several songs, the only amplified instrument on the album.

Ten of the album's tracks are new Costello compositions, including two written with Burnett.  One song, " I Felt The Chill," was written by Costello and Loretta Lynn, while two of the album's tracks -- "Hidden Same" and "Boom Chicka Boom -- were originally written by Costello for Johnny Cash. 

The vinyl version of the album will feature two additional songs:  an acoustic a arrangement of Lou Reed's "Femme Fatale" and Costello's sequel to an old Appalachian murder ballad entitled, "What Lewis Did Last".

Costello will do select tour dates with "The Sugarcanes," a band featuring musicians who played on the album, in June and August.

Here is the "Secret, Profane Sugarcane" track list:

1. Down Among the Wine and Spirits
2. Complicated Shadows
3. I Felt the Chill
4. My All Time Doll
5. Hidden Shame
6. She Handed Me a Mirror
7. I Dreamed of My Old Lover
8. How Deep is the Red
9. She Was No Good
10. Sulfur to Sugarcane
11. Red Cotton
12. The Crooked Line
13. Changing Partners

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