Former lead vocalist of the Grammy-nominated Gospel Hummingbirds, Roy Tyler and his band New Directions lace modern R&B, blues, rock and reggae with the common thread of what Roy calls "Swamp Gospel," drawn from his Southern upbringing. Robert Cray producer/keyboardist Jim Pugh produced most of this CD along with pop/R&B star Raphael Saadiq of Tony! Toni! Tone! Fame co-producing and singing on two tracks. Clarence Fountain of the Blind Boys of Alabama joins Roy for a duet on "Leaning" (traditional). Based in Oakland, CA, Roy has worked with John Lee Hooker, BB King, Etta James, Huey Lewis & the News, the Neville Brothers, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. "One of the best gospel albums of the year." - Clarence Fountain.