If you follow the Curb Institute or the Levitt Shell online then you have probably seen the release of a new rendition of “America the Beautiful” featuring Bobby Rush, Eddie Cotton, Curb Creative students, and other iconic Memphis performers. Bobby Rush has been a community partner of the Mike Curb Institute for Music, and more generally Rhodes College, for the past several years, and was most recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities by the college after serving as a Curb Visiting Scholar of Music in 2014. Rush is a Grammy Award-winning bluesman originally from the greater Midsouth/Delta region which is reflected in the sound of his new record. Special thanks to Bobby Rush, Eddie Cotton, and the following contributors for helping this project come to life. You can stream the song on all platforms and watch a behind the scenes video by clicking here. Make sure to follow @curbcreative and @newarboretum on all platforms to keep up to date on the newest Curb-related releases.
Art by Brian Dixon
Lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates
Music by Samuel A. Ward
Arranged by John Bass (BMI)
Produced by John Bass and Tracy Sow through the Mike Curb Institute for Music at Rhodes College
Bobby Rush: vocals and harmonica
Eddie Cotton: organ
John Bass: arrangement, guitar, and vocals
Fuzzy Jefferies: Guitar
Shannon Johnson: Drums
Mike D Raeford: keyboard
Cam Napier: Bass
Deborah Thomas: vocals
Emma Dimartini: vocals
Eliza Lieberman: vocals
Julia Blackmon: vocals
Rose Hutcheson: vocals
Malcolm Bryant: vocals
Kevin Houston: vocals
Tom Clary: horn arrangement and trumpet
Hope Clayburn: alto saxophone
Jim Spake: tenor saxophone
Victor Sawyer: trombone
Brian Christman: tenor saxophone
Tim Dasso: Trumpet
Jack McCarthy: trombone
Recorded at Royal Studio, Memphis, TN
March 30, 2021
Engineered by Boo Mitchell and Kevin Houston
Mixed by Kevin Houston
Mastered by Matt Qualls
Album Art: Brian Dixon
Videography: Ethan van Drimmelen, Jackson Hendrix
Photography: Jackson Hendrix, Eli Matlcok, Annelise Swords
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