James Jewell – Songs From the Fridge
James Jewell has a new album, Songs From the Fridge, that was recorded in the most unique of places: Human Studios, which is situated within an artist squat called Les Frigos (the Fridge) in Paris. In 1971, Les Frigos was a refrigerated railway depot built in the 13th arrondissement in Paris. The Fridges were abandoned in 1971 and then almost a decade later, in 1980, turned into artist squats.
“Knucklehead” is what you think of as a classic folk song as James simple tells a story of a quirky character named Knucklehead, tracing how he grew up, and then giving anecdotes, like about how he walked everywhere,”why waste gas when there’s time to burn… loved a sofa and a ceiling fan.” Heidi Faust’s harmonies on this are a lovely juxtaposition to the whimsical story that unfolds.
“Far Away Across the Sea” starts with the lonesome wail of harmonica, and is another softly sung tale of “you and me” with acoustic guitar. “Nina” is a 50 second about a pianist making a little mistake. “You’re Nice” is heavier on the harmonica and is a sweet little song about someone who’s truly sweet, and “if you will be mine / Today and for all time / I’ll be a window you can shine / Through me.”
Further down in the album “Grandmother’s Garden” starts out a spoken word style intro, and then grandma yells through the screen door, and “in a few weeks time there’s be some roses to pick,” and this is a fanciful reflection on the timelessness of grandmas and grandkids and gardens that are much older that we are.
This album is classic sounding folk songs, simply delivered by James on acoustic guitar, with high class accompaniment in simple bare bones style arrangements. Recorded in a stone castle full of refrigerated cars produced an austere and spacious aura behind the songs and their sounds.
The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Steven Forward (engineer for Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Gary Numan, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Squeeze, John Watts and more). Musicians on the album are Paul Niehaus on pedal steel guitar (Iron and Wine, Calexico and Lambchop), Caroline Glory on cello (winner of the 1st Prize Cello Soloist – City of Paris), Heidi Faust on vocals on “Knucklehead” (Worms/Chic Peas); Simon Cloquet-Lafolly, on piano on “Nina” (Human Studios); David Harborfield on bass on “Plane”; Caroline Glory on cello on “Grandmother’s Garden” (l’Orchestre de Paris et Violoncelle Solo à l’Opéra-Comique de Paris ); Dana Thompson on vocals on “The Ant and Superman”(Washington’s Teeth); Paul Niehaus on pedal steel guitar on “The Ant and Superman”; and Joel Henry on banjo on “You’re Nice” (recorded at Amoeba Audio, thanks to Bruce Siekman).
Check it out here: https://jamesjewell.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-the-fridge
Learn more about “Les Frigos” here: https://www.les-frigos.fr/
Songs from the Fridge was produced by James and Kara Jewell.