Jonathan Butler Brings New Gospel CD GRACE AND MERCY to Live at The RRazz, Now thru 2/24

Live at The RRazz, San Francisco's premier nightclub, will welcome Jonathan Butler - the singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer - for his debut at the club now through February 24 to celebrate his new CD "Grace and Mercy." Butler has achieved chart-topping success, Grammy nominations and other accolades for his R&B, contemporary jazz, adult pop and gospel recordings. Butler's self-titled debut put him on the map and garnered two Grammy Award nominations for "Lies" and "Going Home". His recent album "So Strong," debuted at #2 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts.

Butler's new release "Grace and Mercy" is filled with the soulful sounds and insightful lyrics fans have come to expect from the veteran performer. His songs come from personal experiences influenced by his religious upbringing. On "Grace and Mercy." Butler delivers a collection of songs that serve as a soothing musical balm in today's troubled times. "This album really speaks about optimism, faith, belief and hope, especially in the light of what everybody has been experiencing in the last two or three years," he says. "There's been a lot of people losing their homes, their jobs, enduring the challenges that life brings. I'm hoping this album will bring hope to people. Songs like "Give it Up To God," "I Stand On Your Word," and "Who is Like the Lord" were written from experiences that I've had to go through myself." The lead single, "I Stand On Your Word," is a soaring ballad that reminds us of the power of God's promises. "I love that song," Butler says. "I hope that it hits home to a lot of people."

Among Butler's favorite tracks are "I Know He Cares." "I love, love, love, love 'He Cares!' I wrote 'He Cares' and it spoke to me," Butler says. "I started with the music and then started writing these lyrics down. We all need to know that God really cares for us. The Bible says, "We are the sheep of his pasture" and he absolutely does care for us. That song really speaks to me a lot."

"Moments of Worship" is another highlight on Butler's new project. "I actually recorded 'Moments Of Worship' in Spain years ago," he says. "I was at a friend's house and he had a studio and an engineer. I sat in front of a piano and started singing my favorite worship songs and I just decided to do that on this album. At The End of all the music, it comes back to worship, which I think is beautiful."

Born in Cape Town, Butler was the youngest of twelve children. He discovered a gift for music early in life and began singing and playing guitar at age seven. Butler signed his first record deal as a teen and became the first black artist played on white South African stations. His song "Please Stay" won a Sarie Award - the South African equivalent of a Grammy - when he was signed with CPP productions.

Live at the RRazz takes place at the Historic Cadillac Building, 1000 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, Calif. Jonathan will play tonight, Feb 19, 8:00pm, Wednesday, Feb 20, 8:00pm, Thursday, Feb 21, 8:00pm, Friday, Feb 22, 9:00pm, Saturday, Feb 23, 9:00pm and Sunday, Feb 24, 7:00pm. Tickets $40 - $47.50. Call 800-380-3095 // 415-394-1189 or visit www.liveattherrazz.com.