The difference between the Cincinnati and Austin area codes is one digit. Austin is 512. Cincinnati is 513. The new album 5123 by The 4Track All-Stars is what you get when the band’s leader, Jay Reynolds, starts out working with Bootsy Collins in one city and ends up gigging with Ray Benson in the next. You get contrasts. Western Swing icon Emily Gimble singing over Moog bass. The Queen City’s Napoleon Maddox trading off with steel guitar. Legendary space cowboy Ray Benson’s voice through a vocoder. 

5123 is the band’s second effort, and it features both alumni and new members. Elizabeth McQueen (KUTX) adds both her writing talent to “Wishful” and her voice to “A Certain Ratio,” which itself is a collaboration between Reynolds and New York Times best-selling author Marya Hornbacher. Napoleon Maddox (IsWhat?!, Napoleon and Sorg) rhymes and sings his way through “Maintain” while State of Texas Treasure Emily Gimble brings her vocal prowess to “Wishful.” As for returning All-Stars, Mista Swift (Dirty Wormz, Freekbass) lends his rhyming talent to “Let Go,” while Nick Barrows (Jack Burton Overdrive, Jetlab) is co-author of the script read by Ray Benson (Asleep At The Wheel) on “Mixed Use.”

The tracks themselves came from a series of recording sessions that Reynolds booked on a whim. Setting up in the living room of his south Austin house, 5123 was born out of a handful of recording dates built around four different players. Reynolds on sax, flute, and clarinet was joined by Kris Brown on guitar (Cyril Neville, Deann René), Matt Jacobs on keyboards (Mau Mau Chaplains) and Curtis Clogston on steel guitar and dobro (Big Cedar Fever, Ray Benson). What started out as single-take group improvisations over electronic instrumentals were refined down to more song-appropriate sizes, eventually becoming the beds to which vocals and other performances were added.

Jay Reynolds will be performing songs from 5123, as well as select tracks from the band’s self-titled debut, during a livestream in support of the album’s release on September 18.

5123 will debut on September 18 on all major streaming platforms. 

Track Listing:
1. Mixed Use (Featuring Ray Benson) 
2. Motain
3. Lido
4. Maintain (Featuring Napoleon Maddox)
5. Wishful (Featuring Emily Gimble)
6. Old School
7. About Six Seven
8. Let Go (Featuring Mista Swift)
9. Let Me
10. Dielmand (Featuring Dennis Ludiker)
11. A Certain Ratio (Featuring Elizabeth McQueen)

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/4TrackAllStars