Tag Archives: Country

Andy Friedman: Laserbeams and Dreams

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A beguiling album of thoughtful country, folk and blues

Friedman’s latest, recorded in 24 hours with only one overdub, fits even more deeply into the singer-songwriter realm than 2009’s Weary Things. His strummed acoustic guitar is backed by the electric leads of producer David Goodrich and the fingered and bowed stand-up bass of Stephan Crump. Friedman’s narrative vocal tone brings to mind Leonard Cohen, but the instrumental conversations lean to languid improvisation, and his lyrics aren’t as poetically elusively. Friedman’s a Brooklyn hillbilly whose hard-scrabble living in the outer boroughs leads him to the old-timey string band sound employed on “Old Pennsylvania,” and lyrics that imagine the city’s genteel yesteryear.

The opener, “It’s Time for Church,” provides a microcosm of Friedman’s talent – a vocal that resonates with hints of Dave Alvin, and a lyric that cleverly turns away from the title’s implication, feints back and then lands its final rejection. It’s a song about religion, but not the endorsement you’d expect. Friedman is a keen observer of his own days and the details of imagined lives and places. “Nothing with My Time” and “Quiet Blues” each contemplate what Friedman’s doing when he’s doing nothing, and “Pretty Great” offers the clear-eyed view of youth that’s only visible in rear view mirror. Friedman’s earlier years as a spoken-word poet are reflected in the short “Schroon Lake,” and his father-in-law’s poetry, written shortly before his passing, forms the core of “May I Rest When Death Approaches.”

Death also hovers over the electric blues “Roll On, John Herald,” with Goodrich raging away on electric guitar. More idyllic are Friedman’s dreams of long-gone summer retreats in the faded snapshots of “Motel on the Lake,” the warmth of a tour’s end in “Going Home (Drifter’s Blessing),” and the nostalgic “Down by the Willow.” The latter features a hypnotic, psych-inflected guitar jam by Goodrich. Friedman’s always been a fine songwriter and compelling performer, but on his third album there’s a heightened symbiosis between the two. The trio is terrifically sympathetic to his songs, adding emotional color and texture without overshadowing the lyrics, and Friedman’s vocals fit fluidly into the music. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | It’s Time for Church
Andy Friedman’s Home Page

Kermit Lynch: Kitty Fur

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The blossoming of a wine master’s music career

Kermit Lynch is well-known to oenophiles for his unique wine importing business; but even his most ardent customers would be surprised to find he’s also a gifted musician. Throughout the sixties, Lynch fronted bands in the Berkeley area, only giving it up in the early ‘70s when his travels through Europe begat a career in wine. With the encouragement of vintner/musician Boz Scaggs, Lynch returned to music in 2005, and with co-producer Ricky Fataar, released the album Quicksand Blues. In 2009 he followed-up with Man’s Temptation, mixing literate, world-traveled originals with well-selected covers that included a terrific old-timey take on Lee Hazlewood’s rockabilly classic “The Fool.”

With Fataar once again in the producer’s seat (and drummer’s throne), Lynch offers up his third course, adding an original title track to ten covers. Much like his taste in wines, Lynch’s music is varied and at times eclectic. He sings country, rock, blues, folk, reggae, Cole Porter’s “Every Time We Say Goodbye,” and even the romantic WWII-era “It’s Been a Long, Long Time.” His voice is a bluesy instrument with the weathered edges of someone more partial to grain than grape, and it adds new shades to each interpretation. The opening original “Kitty Fur” has the blue jazz feel of Mose Allison, the Rolling Stones’ “Winter” is played more like Sticky Fingers than Goats Head Soup, and Dylan’s slight “Winterlude” (from 1970’s New Morning) is slowed into a luscious waltz that’s more classic country than the original’s old-timey vibe.

Lynch is backed by top-notch players, including Rick Vito on guitar, Michael Omartian on piano, Dennis Crouch, Michael Rhodes on bass, Glen Duncan on fiddle and Lloyd Green on pedal steel. The core players are augmented by a horn section for Bobby Blue Bland’s “She’s Puttin’ Something in My Food,” and sound really together as a band, suggesting Lynch is as accomplished at leading a band as he is leading a business. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Kitty Fur
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant

Amy Black: One Time

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New England singer/songwriter with Southern roots

For a New Englander, Amy Black sounds quite down home. Her Southern roots (she was reared in Missouri and Alabama until the age of sixteen) clearly packed their bags and traveled along in the relocation North and East, and have been renewed through visits to her family’s home town. Black sings in a folk-styled country voice that suggests bits of Patty Loveless, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Judy Collins, edged by the blues of Bonnie Raitt and a hint of Jennifer Nettle’s sass. It’s a voice that sat largely idle during a ten-year career outside the music industry, and one that wasn’t stirred back into action until a few years ago. Her 2009 debut with the Red Clay Rascals was stocked with covers, but on this sophomore outing she expands her artistic reach with nine originals that mix electric and acoustic, including guitar, fiddle (courtesy of Stuart Duncan), dobro, mandolin, dulcimer, bass (electric and upright), and drums. Though the album opens with a compelling tale of an imagined killer fleeing the law, the bulk of Black’s songs are about the lives of women. There’s straight-talking relationship advice in “One Time,” the lonely machinations of one who’s been left in “You Lied,” and tough realizations in “Whiskey and Wine” and “I Can’t Play This Game.” Black offers romantic optimism too, as she flirts with loving arms that remain just out of reach, potential yet to be realized. Among the three covers, Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough (to Take My Man),” despite a nice dobro solo, sounds least comfortable among Black’s originals, but Claude Ely’s gospel “Ain’t No Grave (Gonna Hold My Body Down),” provides blue notes for Black and Duncan to really dig into. This is a nice step forward for a singer-songwriter with an ingratiating voice and a pen that’s just warming up. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | One Time
Amy Black’s Home Page

Little Faith: Spirituals

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Hammond organ spirituals flavored with sounds of Nashville and New Orleans

The Hammond organ is no stranger to spiritual music, but seasoned with jazz, blues and country flavors of second line drumming, saxophone, fiddle, and lap steel, Little Faith delivers on what it calls “Madri Gras erupting at a tent revival behind the Grand Ol’ Opry.” The material also mixes things up, ranging from the nineteenth century African-American spiritual “Wade in the Water” (led here by the violin of Leah Zeger) to Christian hymns “I’ll Fly Away” and “How Great Thou Art” to the traditional New Orleans funeral dirge “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” (with a terrific blues guitar solo by Nelson Blanton) to the Hebrew “Kol Dodi” and the Carter Family staple “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” The album includes only two vocal tracks, a full gospel chorus on “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” and a reprise of “I’ll Fly Away” that complements the opening instrumental. Organist Jack Maeby’s pulled together an assortment of Los Angeles roots musicians who take these tracks to interesting new places anchored by the rock-solid soul of the Hammond. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

Stream Spirituals on Bandcamp
Little Faith’s Home Page
Little Faith’s Facebook Page

Ashton Shepherd and Drinking and Boating

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Where Ashton Shepherd comes from, drinking and boating apparently go together like “Beer on a Boat.” She has this to say about her new song:

Buddy Cannon, the people at the record company and I all really, really liked this song. We just weren’t sure how it would come across coming out of a female’s mouth. Each song on the record has its own little spot. Well, down where I live in the summertime, everybody goes to the river and hangs out. That’s going to be their song, I can tell you. When I listen to it, I just want to turn it up.

But a few seemingly harmless drinks can quickly lead to intoxication, and BUI (“boating under the influence”) can be just as deadly as DUI to the intoxicated, their passengers, and those who have the misfortune to cross paths with a drunken boater. Alcohol is reported to be the “leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents.” Public awareness organizations such as BADD work to get the message out, but it’s an uphill battle when major label music stars like Shepherd celebrate drinking and boating as harmless weekend revelry. Shepherd’s home state of Alabama recognizes that boaters can be impaired long before they get to 0.8 blood alcohol content, and that even a couple of beers can be a problem. How many weekend skippers really wait for their buzz to fully clear before throttling up? Shepherd’s not endorsing or promoting boating under the influence, and would no doubt disavow such behavior, but do we really need to celebrate the combination of alcohol and boats?

Johnny Cash: Bootleg Vol. II – From Memphis to Hollywood

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‘50s and ‘60s rarities, demos and radio performances

Five years ago the archive of recordings left behind at the House of Cash was cracked open for the two-disc Personal File, which itself has been reissued as Bootleg Volume 1: Personal File in parallel with this second two-disc helping. Where the previous volume focused on Cash’s mid-70s home recordings, volume two reaches back further to explore Cash’s 1950s beginnings in Memphis and his transition to country superstardom in the 1960s. Along the way the set collects live performances, continuity and commercial pitches (for his employer Home Equipment Company) from Cash’s first radio appearance, on KWEM in 1955, mid-50s Sun demos and rarities, and a deep cache of 1960s studio recordings. Eleven of these tracks have never been officially released in the U.S., and fifteen, including eleven Sun-era demos, have never been officially released anywhere.

As on the earlier volume, Cash lays down his demos without the fire of master takes, but even when just feeling out his songs or recording them as a record of copyright, his authority and magnetism as a performer shines through. The mid-50s demos are sung to an acoustic guitar, lending them the intimate and unguarded feel of Cash singing more for himself than an imagined audience. Alongside early demos of Cash classics (“I Walk the Line,” “Get Rhythm,” “Belshazzar”) are the rare, proto-rockabilly “You’re My Baby” and the wonderfully primitive “Rock and Roll Ruby.” Seven Sun outtakes capture Cash’s classic tic-tac rhythm, as well as false starts and a rough guitar solo that finds the group seeking the groove of “Big River.” Cash’s commanding baritone is magnified by the terrific atmosphere of Sun’s production sound.

The 1960s recordings are more polished, waxed in Nashville for Columbia, with a band, backing chorus and at times in stereo. The tracks include non-album singles, B-sides and demos, including several proposed theme songs for television and film. Cash’s “Johnny Yuma Theme” fits with his many other Western-themed songs, but went unused for ABC’s The Rebel, as did a title theme for Cash’s 1961 film Five Minutes to Live, and most surprising of all (that is, for its existence, rather than it’s lack of use), a Western-tinged title song Cash proposed for the James Bond film Thunderball. Additional treats include a vibraphone led rendition of the nineteenth century “There’s a Mother Always Waiting,” a duet with Bonanza’s Lorne Greene on “Shifting, Whispering Sands,” and a solo cover of Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings,” all previously unreleased in the U.S.

Cash’s interest in folk music is heard in a selection of traditional material, chiming twelve-string guitar, and the elegy of “The Folk Singer.” His powerful recitations underscore the gravity of “On the Line” and “Roll Call,” and his humor shines on the wry “Foolish Questions.” Disc two closes with Cash’s original demo of “Six White Horses,” recorded before his brother Tommy made it a hit, and the full length demo of his television show’s “Come Along and Ride This Train.” The set includes a 24-page booklet filled with period photos and liner notes by Ashley Kahn. Producer Gregg Geller has done a superb job of selecting and sequencing the material, drawing an arc from Cash’s earliest radio performance, through his development as a songwriter, singer and one-of-a-kind American stylist. Vic Anesini’s mastering ties it neatly together into a surprisingly consistent listening experience. With 57 tracks clocking in at two hours, this is a rich and fulfilling treat for Johnny Cash fans. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

Johnny Cash’s Home Page

Perry Como: Seattle

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Easy listening vocalist rocks out, but only momentarily

Como’s 1969 LP opens with a number, “Happiness Comes, Happiness Goes,” that suggests the easy listening pop vocalist was late getting to a groovy party hosted by Esquivel. But after only one groovy concoction of fuzz guitars and organ, the album reverts to the light, warm pop that Mister C had been landing on the charts since the early 1940s. The album’s hit was a remake of “Seattle,” the theme to television’s Here Come the Brides. It’s upbeat harpsichord, organ and horns cracked the Top 40 and reached #2 on the adult contemporary chart. The album’s other period piece is “That’s All This Old World Needs,” whose optimism was a better fit for August’s Woodstock than December’s Altamont. Working with RCA staff producers Andy Wiswell and Chet Atkins, Como selected a range of material, including the Brothers Four’s melancholy hit, “Turnaround,” the cheery, Mitch Miller-y “Deep in Your Heart,” and the bluesy “Beady Eyed Buzzard.” Como also recorded a pair of tunes from the legendary Cindy Walker, and his work with Atkins in the famed “Nashville Sound” studio gives several tracks a pop-country feel. Como was perhaps the very easiest of easy listening vocalists, but the lack of pyrotechnics in his vocal style made records recorded in his late ‘50s as smoothly ingratiating as those waxed in his younger years. Don’t be fooled by the opening track, this is a solid easy-pop album with ‘60s pop-country colors. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

Perry Como Discography

Bobby Wayne: Big Guitar

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Twangin’ early-60s boogie-woogie from the Northwest

Bobby Wayne remains a rather obscure country and rockabilly guitarist, despite his prolific release schedule in the early ‘60s. Originally from Spokane, Wayne spent time as a youth in California and Atlanta, and it was during this latter stay, as a teenager in 1955, that he picked up the rockabilly style. Returned once again to Spokane, he played the clubs of the Northwest and eventually hooked up with Jerry Dennon and his Jerden record label. Beginning in 1963, Wayne released a string of singles, including a number of instrumentals anthologized on this 1964 LP. He was a talented picker whose twangy tone showed his original grounding in country music, but whose energy and rhythms were heavily indebted to boogie-woogie, as heard on his “Bobby’s Boogie #1.” If you like the twang of Duane Eddy, Carl Perkins or Chet Atkins, you might like to check out Bobby Wayne; for his rockabilly sides (such as “Sally Ann,” featured below), check the Sundazed EP ’55 Spokane Rockabilly. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

Bobby Wayne at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame

Bobby Osborne: Memories

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Legendary bluegrass vocalist and mandolinist celebrates 60 years

Vocalist and mandolin player Bobby Osborne has been a legend in the bluegrass world for over sixty years, starting with his radio debut in 1948. With his sights set initially on becoming a country singer, he learned guitar, became a trailblazing mandolin player, and with his soaring tenor voice, a beloved bluegrass singer. Together with his brother Sonny he pioneered changes, such as adding pedal steel and drums to their band’s lineup, that many purists decried. No doubt the drums included on most of these tracks will engender similar criticism, but to fixate on the drumming is to miss the beauty of the band’s playing and the vitality of the singing.

Following Sonny’s retirement in 2006, Bobby Osborne formed the Rocky Top X-Press. On this fourth outing, the focus is split between Osborne’s vocals and the band’s instrumental talents. Winningly, the band spends time down-tempo, giving thoughtful performances on instrumentals like “Man from Rosine,” and welcoming guest performances from David Grisman and Ronnie McCoury. There is some requisite hot-picking, as Mike Toppins’ fingers fly across his banjo strings and Glen Duncan’s bow turns into a blur on the group’s cover of “Rocky Top,” but even here it’s Osborne’s high, keening vocal that gives the arrangement its identity.

Several songs turn on nostalgic thoughts, with Osborne singing behind Russell Moore’s lead on “Mountain Fever” and taking the lead on Glen Duncan’s ballad, “Bring Back Yesterday.” Even the broken hearts are reminiscences of those that got away; Osborne duets with Audie Blaylock on “With a Pain in My Heart” and harmonizes beautifully with Patty Loveless on the album’s title track. At 79, Osborne’s voice is still powerful and moving, whether singing a ballad like Glen Duncan’s “Bring Back Yesterday” or hanging it all out with a yodel for his signature “Ruby.” Entering his seventh decade as a musician, Bobby Osborne’s still singing with authority and leading a crackerjack band. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

Bobby Osborne’s Home Page
Bobby Osborne’s MySpace Page

Merle Haggard: A Working Man Can’t Get Nowhere Today

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A fine mid-70s set of originals and covers

Merle Haggard’s stardom as a live performer and country hit maker often obscures how many great albums he’s recorded. This 1977 release measures up to the excellence of his best work for Capitol, mixing biting originals and brilliantly selected covers from the catalogs of Hank Williams, the Delmore Brothers and others. Haggard’s musical range plays well here as he stretches out jazzily on “Blues Stay Away From Me” and adds the old-timey lilt of muted horns and clarinet to “Blues for Dixie.” He ponders mortality with “When My Last Song is Sung,” gives a gently woebegone performance as the distant parent of “Got a Letter From My Kid Today” and sings a moving tribute, “Goodbye Lefty,” constructed from Frizzell’s lyrics.

The title track is a working man’s lament that remains current with the lyric “I pay my income tax, and the government gives back what I got coming, lord, but it ain’t much.” It’s unfortunate that the album doesn’t follow through on the theme. This edition of the strangers appears to include Glen D. Hardin on piano and Norm Hamlet on steel guitar, and though the playing is generally understated, it’s also sharp as a tack. At 24 minutes, it’s a shame this wasn’t doubled-up on CD with 1976’s The Roots of My Raising or 1978’s The Way It Was in ’51, but as a bargain-priced digital download (one of a baker’s dozen released in mid-2010 by Capitol Nashville), this should be welcomed with open arms by all of Haggard’s fans. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]