Holy Waters

Country music fans remember Donna Ulisse from her time on Atlantic Records when she released a critically acclaimed traditional country album Trouble at the Door with 3 singles and two videos and appeared on Hee Haw, NBC's Hot Country Nights, Nashville Now and Crook and Chase. Bluegrass fans have been getting to know Donna over the past few years through her own brand of bluegrass; mostly self-written. Her 2007 CD When I Look Back featured the song I'm Calling Heaven Down which won the Top Bluegrass Song in the 2009 Just Plain Folks Awards. The title track from her 2009 release 'Walk This Mountain Down was in the Bluegrass Unlimited charts for six months and in June 2009 she was the #1 artist on Sirius XM Satellite radio's Bluegrass Junction and her song I Lied was #1 five different times during the same year. As a writer she has recently had songs recorded by Claire Lynch, Darin & Brooke Aldridge and also had the title cut to Louise Mosrie's Home which was the #1 Folk album in the nation in January 2010. Ulisse is now offering us twelve original gospel tunes on Holy Waters which she refers to as her own soul journey. This is her third time in the studio with guitarist Keith Sewell as her producer who she credits with 'getting her music' and having the ability to take her songs to a whole new level in production. For the first time she includes an outside song which is the Carter Stanley tune 'Who Will Sing For Me'. After including it in her live shows in 2009 she received constant requests from show attendees for a copy of her singing it and decided to include it on this CD. Once again she surrounds herself with a stellar cast of musicians who have been on her other records: Scott Vestal on banjo, Byron House on upright bass, Rob Ickes on dobro, AndyLeftwich on fiddle and mandolin with Sewell on guitar and adding harmony vocals along with Rick Stanley and Wendy Buckner Sewell. Quotes: 'Donna has already established herself as one of the top songwriters and female vocalists in bluegrass music but on 'Holy Waters' we hear her heart and soul. Bluegrass gospel music doesn't get much better than this.' Wayne Rice/KSON-FM, San Diego 'Donna Ulisse is absolutely consistent. Whether she's singing of matters spiritual or matters very much down to earth, she sings with affecting depth, with thick, rich tones, and with unmistakable conviction.' Barry Mazor/writer for Wall Street Journal & American Songwriter.