Tarrus to release Mecoustic in Sept

SINGER Tarrus Riley's new album, Mecoustic, is scheduled to be released in September.

The set is a semi-acoustic rendition of some of Riley's best-known songs including She's Royal, Pick up the Pieces, and System Set.

Those songs are from Riley's breakthrough 2006 album, Parables, which was produced by saxophonist Dean Fraser who shares production duties with Riley on Mecoustic.

A song of interest on Mecoustic is Black Mother Pray, which was written and originally recorded in the 1980s by Jimmy Riley, Tarrus' father.

In addition to Fraser, guitarists Mitchum 'Khan' Chin and Lamont Savory played on Mecoustic. So did bass players Glen Browne and Michael Fletcher, keyboardists Carol McLaughlin and Andrew Marsh, and Denver Smith, Oral Broen and Sydney Watson, who played percussion and drums.

Riley, who is among the acts for the Respect Jamaica shows at the O2 Arena being held in London, breached local charts three years ago with the big-selling She's Royal.

The song helped make Parables a solid seller for VP Records. He followed up with Challenges, which was actually his first album but was re-released by VP in 2008.

Soulbeat Records in France will distribute Mecoustic in Europe. Tads Record will handle local distribution.

(from Jamaica Observer)