Raitt and producer find chemistry on new album

By CHRIS TALBOTT

AP Entertainment Writer

Bonnie Raitt had been thinking about working with Grammy-winning producer Joe Henry for years. And Henry had been kicking around the idea of reaching out to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member whose voice he adores.

It wasn’t until mutual friend Allen Toussaint made a cosmic connection that the two finally got together, launching Raitt on the journey to “Slipstream,” her first new album in seven years. During a recording session with Aaron Neville, Toussaint coyly suggested that Henry work with Raitt in the future. And when Toussaint speaks, Henry always listens.

“He’s not like anybody else on this earth,” Henry said. “He’s like Yoda.”

The producer called the performer shortly thereafter and, as the great New Orleans producer and performer suspected, the chemistry between Raitt and Henry was dynamite.

Raitt really didn’t have elaborate expectations when she joined Henry. They thought they’d spend a few days on a handful of songs, but after three days, they had nine.

“It was like the pilot light was on, but he turned the gas up,” Raitt said.

They emerged from those sessions with four new cuts for the album— Henry compositions “God Only Knows” (perhaps the album’s standout) and “You Can’t Fail Me Now” (co-written with Loudon Wainwright III) and the Bob Dylan covers “Million Miles” and “Standing in the Doorway.” Raitt eventually added eight others.