Stripped

In 2016, Macy Gray arrived at The Hirsch Center, a former Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn, to create Stripped, one of the most unexpected and extraordinary albums in her discography. Produced by the audiophile label Chesky Records, Stripped was captured over two days with Gray accompanied by an elite ensemble of seasoned jazz masters: guitarist Russell Malone, bassist Daryl Johns, drummer Ari Hoenig, and trumpeter Wallace Roney. Unfiltered and deeply intimate, Gray delivers acoustic reinterpretations of her key signature hits, including "I Try" and "Sweet Baby," alongside infectious originals like "Annabelle" and inspired jazz makeovers of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" and Bob Marley's "Redemption Song." With minimalist arrangements that allow her inimitable, rasp-tinted voice to take center stage, Stripped revealed a whole new side of the Grammy-winning vocalist. Gray's debut jazz effort was both a commercial success and a favorite among listeners, taking home "Best Jazz Album with Vocals" at the Independent Music Awards and debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Following it's SACD release, Stripped makes it's return to vinyl, reissued on 180g One-step Pressing Vinyl LP as part of the Chesky Original Masters series.