Larry's first new album in 7 years has Derek, Dickey, David Hidalgo and Jimmy Herring playing on it. The link has (or will have soon once our web folks get it posted) some video of Larry talking about the album too.

http://www.abc12.com/story/27182431/larry-mccray-turns-the-classics-into-his-own

Larry McCray turns the classics into his own

Posted: Nov 01, 2014 10:48 AM EDT
By Josh Daunt

Mid-Michigan Music Scene Home
BAY CITY (WJRT) - "It's just a lot of pressure off to have somethin' new out there again."

But Mid-Michigan bluesman Larry McCray didn't make it easy on himself in the making of The Gibson Sessions, his first album since 2007 which he's releasing tonight at a show at Arbeitoer Hall in Bay City. The GM worker turned internationally touring blues musician actually says this project of recording some of his favorite songs might have been his most challenging yet.

"You don't mess with an icon or classic," McCray says. "You can't improve on the idea, so the only thing you can do is alter it. And if you alter it too much then that's not gonna be a good thing. But still you don't wanna be a carbon copy."

That said, McCray didn't let that deter him from turning hits by the likes of The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, Crosby, Stills and Nash and Bob Seger into his own. Opening track, Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Needle and the Spoon" eases into the concept by not straying too far from the original. But Larry's vocals are obviously more bluesy and less rocking when compared to Ronnie Van Zant's. But what really stands out is the dueling guitar licks between McCray and the slide of Allman Brothers Band and Tedeschi Trucks Band guitarist Derek Trucks, one of a handful of special guest appearances on the album.

The following track alters quite drastically from the original. McCray's take on Bob Seger's "Night Moves" turns the deeply ingrained strummed acoustic chords into a crunchy riff that stays recognizable, but is definitely Larry-fied. This trend continues throughout the album, tempos change a bit here and there, but there's nothing too drastic, which is what Larry says his goal was in working with such well known songs like "Can't You See," "Born On The Bayou" and "Listen To The Music."

"It was hard for me to find my own approach to a lot of these songs, because the vocal ranges were so much different than my vocal approach. Rhythmically you wanna make subtle changes to make it your own thing. In terms of lead guitar and stuff like that, there's such a thin line in terms of what people who know the classics will and will not accept."

As mentioned before, Larry had a bit of help with some of these tunes too. His band, made up of his brother Steve on drums, Noel Neal on bass and Johnny Neel on keyboards, got a hand from not only Trucks, but Widespread Panic axeman Jimmy Herring on "Wild Horses" and Los Lobos' David Hidalgo for Gregg Allman's "I'm No Angel." But the guest spot that stands out the most is former Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts taking over Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See" and giving it a drive and energy that puts it on par with the more subdued original. McCray still can't believe he was able to bring in some of his favorite players to join him in recording his favorite songs.

"Them are the guys that I listen to for myself when I have a chance to listen to and enjoy music. So it's big for me."

And there's one other guest that's even more special to Larry on the album. His son Bleau Otis McCray joined in on background vocals for several songs. The proud papa says he loves the fact that Bleau has taken a liking to his line of work, but he's trying to ease the teenager into it.

"I'm just trtryin'o slowly introduce my son into somethin' I have loved and dealt with a big part of my life. And I don't want to force him to do anything, by no means. But he has a keen interest in music himself, he loves playin' drums, I think he has a really, really decent singin' voice, and I think he has potential to be a decent musician, if he chooses to do so. But, his mom gonna make sure that he does school and all the other essentials prior to gettin' involved in that, so that's an option and not somethin' he's forced to do."