Jennifer Knapp Lay It Down CD

Personnel: Jennifer Knapp (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); Mark Townsend, George Coccini (acoustic & electric guitars); Tyler Burkum (electric & baritone guitars); Chris Thile (mandolin); Larry Hall (melodica); David Alan (Wurlitzer piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Tony Lucido (bass); Greg Harrington (drums, percussion, programming); Javier Solis, Mark Stuart (percussion); Todd Collins (programming); The Nashville Sting Machine.
Recorded at Castle & Dark Horse Studios, Nashville, Tennessee.
LAY IT DOWN was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.
Personnel: Jennifer Knapp (vocals, acoustic guitar); Mark Townsend (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Tyler Burkum (electric guitar); Chris Thile (mandolin); David Davidson , Alan Umstead (violin); Kristin Wilkinson, Jim Grosjean (viola); John Catchings, Robert Mason (cello); Larry Hall (melodica); Greg Harrington (snare drum, programming); Javier Solís (percussion); Todd Collins (drum programming).
Audio Mixer: J.R. McNeely.
Good music involves peaks and valleys, taking the listener to the mountaintop one-minute, and back down to the valley the next. Emotionally and dynamically no contemporary Christian woman does it like Jennifer Knapp. On her second release Lay It Down, Knapp shows the kind of artistic growth expected from a seasoned veteran. One minute it's Carole King in a coffe shop courtesy of "A Little More," The next you're tapping your toe to a snappy Sheryl Crow vibe on "Lay It Down." This disc is rich in texture and lyrically passionate. Knapp has always recognized her own inadequacies, ala her first hit "Undo Me." This time around the tune "Into Me," serves up another humble lyrical reflection. "I wanna know you, better then I do, relieve me from myself, bring me into you..." One of the discs most interesting and memorable tunes was written by Shawn Colvin, a ditty called "Diamond In The Rough." The song builds to a climatic peak with dc Talks guitarist Mark Townsend riffing his acoustic as though he were Allman Brother Dicky Betts. Lay It Down, is a triumph for Jennifer Knapp, she wears the hat of a multi-talented lyricist, songwriter, and vocalist very well. ~ Steve Losey
Kansas native Jennifer Knapp does not look down from an elevated, judgmental plateau. She does not preach. Her music's spirituality is as earnest as it gets, but it is tempered with a humanistic sense of understanding. In her songs, Knapp explores the imperfections, or "glitches in our souls," as she sings in "Lay It Down," the title track on her sophomore album.
Elements of folk, alt-rock, blues, and country blend seamlessly on LAY IT DOWN. Vocally, Knapp forgoes production tricks for a sound that is raw, confident, and dynamic, as displayed in the imagery of "Diamond in the Rough." Gentle mandolin and understated supporting vocals by guest Margaret Becker accentuate the longing described in "When Nothing Satisfies You." Knapp sings from the heart of humility and the feelings of unworthiness associated with sin in "A Little More." With LAY IT DOWN, Jennifer Knapp bridges the gap that so commonly exists between Christian music and mainstream pop with a healthy dose of excellent songs.