Jason Gray Releases 'Greatest Hits (Acoustic)' Album, New Recordings of Gray's Biggest Hits Accumulating Over 131 Million Streams
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Jason Gray releases his Greatest Hits (Acoustic) album (July 11) at streaming and digital outlets globally. The album includes all new, re-imagined acoustic performances of Gray’s 12 biggest-ever hits spanning his acclaimed, 19-year career as a Centricity Music artist. All 12 of the original recordings, which have accumulated over 131 Million streams to date, are also now available in Dolby Atmos.
Splitting producing responsibilities evenly with his son, Kipper Gray, the acoustic album includes Gray’s first hit radio single from his 2007 debut album All the Lovely Losers, “Blessed Be;” one of his highest streaming songs from 2011’s A Way to See in the Dark, “Remind Me Who I Am;” the award-winning track from 2016’s Where the Light Gets In, “Sparrows;” and nine more favorites spanning Gray’s eight full-length Centricity Music albums.
“The acoustic Greatest Hits album started simply: I wanted to re-record a stripped-down version of ‘Sparrows’ to go with my children’s book [Sparrows],” says Gray. “When my son Kipper came by to help, he offered some ideas that took the concept of ‘acoustic’ to a whole new level. Before long, we were reimagining a full album together, each of us producing half.
“Though the album is acoustic, we wanted it to feel full-rhythm, low end, some sparkle-with the acoustic guitar at the center: percussion from the guitar body, discreet bass and a little kick where it made sense,” continues Gray. “The sparkle came from organic instruments such as dulcimers, banjos, strings, piano, etc. Each of these songs came alive in a new way.”
“Remind Me Who I Am,” for instance, was rebuilt around a banjo part that felt magical and emotional to the producers as a hammered dulcimer lifts the chorus. On the song, “Blessed Be,” Gray shares that there’s a moment on the simple, guitar/piano track that took on a Peanuts vibe. “Who better to embody the idea of the ‘lovely loser’ than Charlie Brown?” he asks.
“Frederick Buechner once said, ‘The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.’ That’s what my new album celebrates: the holy ground where my deep gladness-sharing these songs and stories, mining meaning together—meets the deep hunger of those who find something nourishing in what I have to offer,” says Gray. “I hope we’ve made something you can fall in love with all over again.”
