The Stone Hill All-Stars – Wednesday In Winter
Baltimore roots band Stone Hill All-Stars have been making music and writing songs together for closing in on 20 years. This spring they released a pair of albums, one of which is Wednesday in Winter. The Stone Hill All Stars share detailed tales in extensive poetry over subdued musical arrangements one moment, and then detour into rootsy jazz based songs with the same word play and semi-spoken word delivery style the next. They aren’t old timey, Southern twang, sorrowful Americana music; there’s no mandolin, pedal steel or banjo here. They’re telling riveting tales and painting vivid imagery, but their approach is spoken word poetry with an easy jazz gait amidst accordion and organ.
“Wednesday in Winter,” the title track, queuing up the album, is traffic sounds and the the story of waiting at the bus stop, forgiving no one, and dreaming of writing a novel in which the lyrical protagonist “settles old scores… slights real and perceived….”
“What I do is complexify” is the key point in the next song “What I left Unsaid,” which is sort of a blues – jazz- roots blend, with sax and a up tempo shuffle. It’s an ode to all the over thinkers who complexify. “Crazy About You” takes a jazzy rhythm to a lovesick declaration: “in the court of love, I plead insanity, denying none of all that’s been said of me.”
“Mr. Mighty” highlights the band’s accordion as a tale is told of Mr. Mighty in his tights, who heads out into the darkness of the night, playing with his friend Astronaut in the hallway – a song for the our pets and the adventures of the animal world.
“Outside Lookin’ In” is a breakup song, where you’ve been dismissed in no uncertain terms – don’t call, and the lock has been changed. “I don’t know how to begin to tell her how sorry I am for the mistakes that I made all along.” There’s trumpet, a jazz feel and you can swing dance to this.
“Beard and a Banjo” laments the bearded banjo player who’s getting all the gigs. This is funny and wry.
The Stone Hill All-Stars are very entertaining, spinning tales in a jazz style. They’re not playing old timey bluegrass stuff, but they’re in the same ballpark of authenticity that your bearded, troubadour banjo player may or not be emulating. But without the banjo. Or the beard.
Follow along with the latest from the band here: https://www.facebook.com/stonehillallstars/
Musicians on the album are Jim Hannah on drums; Paul Margolis on bass, guitars, vocals and rhythm guitar; Dan Naiman on saxophone and bass; John Shock on electric piano, keyboards, keyboard bass; accordion and vocals; Hoppy Hopkins on washboard and drums; Jim Hannah on triangle and percussion; Tim Pruitt on lead guitar; Jared Denhard on trombone, tuba and horn arrangements; Judith geller on French horn; Brian Whaley on fiddle; Jeffrey Paul Ross on baritone and electric guitars; Nick Sjostrom on stand-up bass; Mike Barth on vocals and backing vocals; and Adam Trice on vocals.
Wednesday in Winter was produced by Paul Margolis and John Shock; engineered, mixed, and mastered by Nick Sjostrom; and released on July 1, 2024.
