sandy carroll A proud outgrowth of Memphis’ musical melting pot, where the blues, soul, rock and country genres bleed into each other to produce a mesmerizing hybrid that’s both captivating and unique. Growing up in Stantonville, Tennessee, a small town with only one yellow flashing light, she started playing the piano at the age of five and began performing professionally in her high school rock band at age 15. She continued acting through college and graduate school, and she did gigs in bars before hitting the road.
When Carroll moved back to Memphis in 82-83, Beale Street had just reopened and Lafayette Corner needed music. She worked there for more than a year, playing five or six nights a week, singing and playing the grand piano in the window facing Beale Street, the music being amplified into the street. In 1984, Carroll hit a couple of 45s with the Memphis Horns backing him up. “If You Got It” (set on the trendy Street People) and “Memphis In May” were produced by local icon Jim Dickinson at Ardent Studios.
The great Albert King co-wrote “If You Got It” with Dickinson and Bobby Keel on his 1991 album Red House. Despite the move to San Francisco, Memphis kept calling her home. She began working with legendary producer Willie Mitchell and flew back to the Royal Studios to work with him. Sadly, nothing was published from these sessions. In 1992, Carol returned to Memphis full-time and produced her first full-length album, southern woman. Her 1997 album, memphis rain, produced by Jim Solberg. Solberg, blues legend Luther Allison’s longtime rhythm guitarist, co-wrote some songs with Carroll and brought them to Allison, who loves “Just As I Am.” He rewrote Bridges and included their collaboration on his Grammy-nominated 1997 CD, recklessproduced by Gaines.
Sandy’s “Forecast Blues” was included in 2002 Inside Sounds Anthology Memphis Belles: Past, Present, and Future, sharing groove space with Ann Peebles, Carla Thomas and Jessie Mae Hemphill.Carroll’s husband, Grammy Award winner Jim Gaines, who specializes in blues and similar roots music genres, took over the production in 2006 Delta Technology. Rhythm of the river, Carroll’s 2007 EP, followed. In 2011, she signed with Bob Trenchard’s Catfood brand and released just like me. Its title track is a haunting song written by Luther Ellison a few years ago. “Bob loves the way I write with him. I write for several of his artists,” she says.
2013’s next unnatural blonde.Catfood unlocks Carol’s potential as Gaines stays on as producer last southern belle 2015, 2018 blues and angels An all-star backing band includes guitarist Will McFarlane, Muscle Shoals mainstay bassist David Hood and keyboardist Clayton Ivey. One of the guests was guitarist Bernard Allison (Luther’s son).
Like many others, the dynamic musical team of singer/songwriter and keyboardist Sandy Carroll and her husband, Grammy Award winner Jim Gaines, have found ample time for creative expression during the pandemic.
Exclusively premiering the video for her new album and the title track from Blue Heart Record’s debut album, love it. “Some people like to preach, some people like to pray / Some people like to sing, but you better not stop at it.”
love it About Joy, Sadness, Betrayal, Hope, Social Awareness, Faith, Humor and most of all, Love. Emerging from COVID-19 restrictions with exciting new material, she assembled an all-star backing band, including guitarist Will McFarlane, bassist Dave Smith and drummer Steve Potts, to bring her trove of new songs to life.
