Grooves & Cuts – December 2024 – #5
Part Two: Here are the real names of several older major artists. Some wisely changed their names for the sake of their entertainment value & others could’ve kept their birth names.
Lady Gaga is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta; Madonna is Madonna Louise Ciccone; Tony Bennett was Anthony Dominick Benedetto; Bobby Darin was Walden Robert Cassotto; Bobby Rydell was Robert Louis Ridarelli; Chubby Checker is Ernest Evans; drummer Ginger Baker was Peter Edward Baker; Captain Beefheart’s birth name was Don Glen Vliet; Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson; Fats Dominio was Antoine Caliste Dominio, Jr.; Ricky Nelson was Eric Hilliard Nelson; Chuck Berry was born Charles Edward Anderson Berry; Laura Nyro was born Laura Nigro & Eartha Kitt was Eartha Mae Keith.
Spilled Mercury:
Christopher Cross – A Christopher Cross Christmas
This showcase of 10 Christmas classics & 2 originals graces this 2007 collection reissued by 5-time Grammy-award winner Christopher Cross (acoustic guitar/vocals). Assisting him with the festive melodies are Danny O’Lannerghty (bass) & Michael Omartian (piano). The self-produced showcase A Christopher Cross Christmas (Dropped Dec. 6/Omnivore) is now available on vinyl & CD.
While I’m not a big fan of Chris Cross’ mainstream music I do like his musicianship & vocals. “Silent Night” opens with a brief haunting intro & chorale that segues into “Christmas Time Is Here,” which is rendered with an easy listening arrangement & plenty of old-world festive feelings that border on a Beach Boys vocalese with no elevated harmonies. I wondered what Paul Simon would do without Art Garfunkel & a suggestion I would’ve made — partner with Chris. The evidence comes with “The Christmas Song,” & “Does It Feel Like Christmas” where Cross has that luxuriant Garfunkel sound.
With a chorus of children “A Dream of Peace at Christmastime,” is wonderfully realized as is Chris’ pensive “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” & the stunning “O Come O Come, Emmanuel.”
Does this modern-day LP have the spirit of Christmas? Absolutely. Sit next to a pine-scented Christmas tree, listen with a mug of hot lemon tea & candy cane. Place it beside your classic 1958 Johnny Mathis Christmas album & let their music do the rest. A box of tissues may be needed. Yeah, it’s that good.
The CD set is available at Target, Amazon & Bandcamp +https://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/christopher-cross-christmas/
Jacob Johnson – Surviving The Dream
This singer-songwriter/part-time adjunct music professor based in South Carolina plucks the strings on his 4th album in a 20-year career. Now some may think a finely tuned musician with musical expertise & book knowledge may be a little stiff in the originality department. But that’s not always so. Yes, Johnson understands song structure, melody & composition but even his choice of covers shows lots of latitude.
But a careful listen will show that Johnson isn’t exploring typical song topics. He uses his finesse & fluency to shape some rugged adventuresome tunes. “…in a car old enough to have an ashtray.” Yeah, you see there’s a John Prine-type soul here mixed with a Kris Kristofferson tint hidden in those thick musical theory textbooks. You just have to look.
After all, Kristofferson was a road-wearied soul of a songwriter, but he too was a Rhodes
Scholar who mixed in well with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings – all graduates of the University of Texaco. There 8 contributions to the self-produced Surviving The Dream (Drops Oct 11/Independent).
Just because someone has a formal compositional & instrumental education doesn’t mean they wouldn’t admire, be influenced by, or feel motivated by what street virtuosos would bring to the music room. Pavarotti sang with Joe Cocker & James Brown because he understood where they were coming from, musically. Beatles producer George Martin respected the ideas that the Fab Four came up with & they couldn’t read music.
There are some clever, if not humorous lyrics & Johnson’s vocals while not distinctive are smooth & perfectly suited for his storytelling. What saves him isn’t succumbing to a folky swirl or achy tone. He has a steady blend that is…that is…probably due to his expertise. Expertise mixed generously with well-charged expressive tunes.
“The Sketchiest Motel In Fayetteville” teeters in a John Prine furrow while “F. Scott Fitzgerald” is filled with Arlo Guthrie traction. If nothing else, Johnson shapes each work with a tight structure but loosens the knots with his picking between verses. There’s a Leo Kottke spirit both in Jacob’s vocal & acoustic guitar in these songs especially reminiscent of Kottke’s “Chewing Pine” LP (“Don’t You Think,” “Standing On the Outside,” & a cover of Procol Harum’s “Power Failure”) all had a distinct personality that shifted through his acoustic guitar stabs. Jacob does this effectively as well & it works brilliantly with the gusto in his “Still Is Still Moving To Me,” & a creamy smooth cover of the late Dickey Betts’ “Jessica” that has a sophisticated touch. Jacob is an interesting artist to keep an ear on.
CD @ Amazon + Bandcamp & https://www.jacobjohnsontunes.com/
Brooks & Bowskill – Blissful State of Mind
This Canadian duo of Blue Rodeo’s Jim Bowskill (lead vocal/guitar/strings/pedal steel guitar/mandolin/flute/Q-chord) & his wife Brittany Brooks (lead vocal/guitar). They’re like many past duos who sing well together. However, the chiming almost Byrds-like guitars lift their songs beyond the mere duo stylizations of others. These songs are all well-recorded & their interesting lyrical approach lands them on solid ground. It’s music that’s seasoned with a folky vein, but their fingertips almost touch a mainstream melodic hook consistently without going commercial-confectionary. “Draw the Line,” “Never Be There Again” & “Carousel of Time” are splendidly arranged. While their music has an American thrust their voices are rooted in an older English vocal charm.
There are equal amounts of Nino Tempo & April Stevens, Richard & Mimi Farina as well as, Clive Gregson & Christine Collister & endeavors like Richard & Linda Thompson. That old English flavor comes through in “Francis” & “Falling Behind.” There are just so many natural-sounding & captivating performances on the 11-track Blissful State of Mind (Dropped Nov 7/Ganaraska Recordings).
“You Run To” is a good rollicking knee-slapping tune with Brooks’ Mary Hopkin-type vocal (“Those Were the Days,” “Goodbye”) that has plenty of heat & foot stomping motivation. The band doesn’t hold back from rocking out. There’s no clash of musical flavors & they continue with rock muscle on “I Guess So” that flexes all the way through with its enduring guitar riff & then Jim’s “Layla”-like melodic pedal steel guitar & back to a Rolling Stones sharp guitar vigor. A great solo, I can see its smoke from here. Superb…superb…superb. I’m delightfully surprised at how well they pull this off among so many more delicate pieces.
All the music’s written & produced by the duo & their faithful backup: The Hometown Beauts is Ian McKeown (drum/percussion/harmony), Wayne DeAdder (bass guitar), Steve O’Connor Keys/accordion) & Kyler Tapscott (guitars).
The songs on this new collection for the majority breeze along & are always inventive with plenty of instrumental versatility. Both Jim & Brook mix up the vocals equally as solos & when they sing together it has resonance because their voices form a wholly individual “voice.”
CD cover image courtesy of Lauren Garbutt. Color image courtesy of Matt Dunlap. CD @ Bandcamp & https://www.brooksandbowskill.com/
Mitch Woods – Happy Hour
If you make it to your 14th album someone must be buying it. This is Mitch Woods’ 14th which is a collection of his most popular rock-a-boogie original tunes captured live & produced by Christoffer “Kid” Andersen (guitar) in San Jose, CA. The music was given new life with colorful arrangements to brighten up the older tunes that are rooted in the ‘40s-‘50s jump blues/boogie-woogie & jazz piano traditions.
Joining Mitch (piano/vocals) & Andersen on the set are Larry Vann (drums), Dave Somers (saxes) & Kedar Roy (bass) all seated with 13 drinks served at Happy Hour (Dropped Sept 6/Independent). The majority of the material is upbeat & “Jukebox Drive” has a cool hipster narration that would make Dr. John, Fats Domino & Leon Russell proud. Yes, there’s a retro feel to it all, but there’s no denying the smooth table this musician sets with his boogie-woogie piano & honking sax.
Originally from Brooklyn, NY Mitch moved to San Francisco in 1971 & released his first album in 1984. He certainly got his vocals fitted at the anvil with sparks flying on “Long, Lean & Lanky” which is incendiary. Can you dance to it? Absolutely, but you will come off the dance floor with blisters on your toes so bring lots of Dr. Scholls.
Woods is a fine piano player & pumps his black & white key action with taste & finesse & creates a captivating thrust laid down beside his blood-rushing good raw vocals. Hoagy Carmichael would like this guy too. Especially since when he wants to sing with a more brandy smooth tone (“Broke”) he delivers. This is almost in a low-gear Tom Waits glide. Nicely done. The male chorus line is also a nice touch. It seems the album is a well-arranged collection of well-seasonally-polished tunes. Woods tells a good story with his lyrics.
The entire band is firecracker strikes on upbeat tunes like “Boogie-Woogie Bar-B-Que,” a Cab Calloway-type jaunt. It sounds like they’re a first-class swing band right out of the 1940s that happened on modern technology & started recording. The solos are all smoking good & I can understand why my uncles & father said that was the era for dancing since these tunes can wear out a pair of new wingtips in an hour.
Mitch Woods may be a great musician but he’s an even better teacher who fills today’s musical head with the past with a pristine sweetness. He doesn’t shove it down the ears but tickles the ear canal. Even his balladry “Cryin’ For My Baby” is rich in flavors while a bit of Chuck E. Weiss’ cum Cab Calloway style permeates the well-narrated tale of “Amber Lee.” Both are played with a cool blue-flame radiance.
Very Dr. John-oriented is “Hattie Green” which is dripping with New Orleans histrionics. Wonderful stuff. Filled with life & the piano notes just roll off his fingers like escaping mercury beads. The voice is near Tom Waits again & bubbling with grit & Delta humidity. Nice.
Right from the beginning the album holds attention & even motivates one to want a high ball, a martini, or Manhattan just so the flavor on the tongue matches the one between the ears.
Color image courtesy of Mitch Woods’ website. CD @ Bandcamp & https://mitchwoods.com/about-2/about/
Blue Moon Marquee – New Orleans Sessions
This British Columbia-based duo known as Blue Moon Marquee is A.W. Cardinal (guitar/vocals) & Jasmine Colette (vocals/upright bass). A Canadian JUNO Award-winning unit. Ironically captures wonderfully the sound of New Orleans, ‘40s Dixieland-type balladry & it’s filled with musical character on the 10 numbers that spill from New Orleans Sessions (Dropped Sept. 27/Bigtone Records).
There are plenty of rollicking, energetic performances produced by the duo beginning with “Black Rat Swing” which sounds like it was lifted from a 1938 78 rpm record with Jasmine’s vocals bordering on that style that is between Manhattan Transfer & Squirrel Nut Zippers with a touch of The Hotel Orchestra from the 1970s. Sounds dated you say. That’s what’s surprising, the duo manages to mix their talent & skill into 1920s & 1930s recipes & they come out with propulsive modern-era arrangements that are loaded with spitfire piano, steady beats mixed with A.W’s raw vocals & Jasmine’s cool vocalese.
The spirit is yes, old-school (“Let’s Get Drunk Again”) but when it works it works. Even the instruments sound like they may have been purchased in a pawn shop that specializes in vintage horns. The tonality is deep & seductive & in spots reminiscent of the vocals that were the highlight of Annie Golden (Golden-Carrillo) when she sang vintage melodies.
The album is chock full of memorable tunes that have been captured accurately with a victrola sound. All it lacks is that 78 rpm scratchiness to give it authenticity. But this is not about authenticity but creating a clarity of another time that’s reflective & with a little imagination & some buttered biscuits & Social Tea cookies with a cup of hot Savarin coffee allowing another distant decade to settle in around your ears.
A.W. goes full-throttle Tom Waits on “What I Wouldn’t Do” & “Saint James Infirmary” with a little Cab Calloway on “Red Dust Rising” — most effective numbers. The nice saloon piano on the first tune gives the Scotch on the Rocks time to melt. The sax pours over slow & throaty like an espresso cocktail with shaved chocolate on the top. This conjures enate feelings of New York City during its cabaret & nightclub heyday when Lucky Strikes & Chesterfields were the only things the audience played.
Many songs are covered & originals retain their vintage flavor remarkably well. The country-blues pieces – tunes by Memphis Minnie, Huddie Ledbetter, John A. Lomax, Charlie Patton, Irving Mills & Lonnie Johnson. Some players include B.C. Coogan (piano), Danny Abrams (baritone sax), Jon Atkinson (harmonica), Nicholas Solnick & Brett Gallo (drums).
A pure antiquated atmosphere comes free with each CD.
B&W photo courtesy of the duo’s website photo gallery. CD @ https://bluemoonmarquee.com/new-orleans-sessions & https://bluemoonmarquee.bandcamp.com/album/new-orleans-sessions
Benny Turner – BT
This pure rock n’ roll/rockabilly slice of cool is from the school of Chuck Berry, Fats Domino & any of the many rockabilly giants of Sun Records circa 1955. And what’s remarkable is that Mr. Turner doesn’t turn out these ditties with a retro flair but with a modern kick. The songs are danceable, finger-popping & head-bobbing.
The opener “Bump Miss Susie” also has lots of that old Cameo/Parkway Records backup singer starch. At times, the award-winning Turner sings bluesy with a pinch of middle-of-the-road Chuck Jackson feel as he does on “Going Down Slow.” A slow burner roasting green peppers on the back stove pilots under a blue flame. It even has an aching harmonica solo reminiscent of Chicago’s late Paul Butterfield or Rice Miller to lift it beyond the clouds. The male backup vocals are hefty & smooth with an almost gospel feel that certainly makes this kind of song come from a different direction – “pray for me” indeed.
One of Chicago’s last living links to the original surge in blues & Gospel can be found on the self-produced 5th Benny Turner 10 track BT (Dropped Oct 18/Nola Blue Records) that even slides slinky into a funky big band tight-edged “The Walk” with the typical ‘60s sax blast that made instrumental songs like “Wild Weekend” by the Rockin’ Rebels a dance floor favorite. But here, Benny lights up the kerosene with his significant expressive vocals.
There’s lots to enjoy in this set & the recording is pristine production-wise. “When I Call On You,” comes across as a B.B. King without the growl. B.B. King after swallowing a spoonful of honey. The backup vocals are again soulful on this ballad that is so King-inspired.
The Gilmer, Texas native Mr. Turner (whose older brother is blues great Freddie King) doesn’t sound 85 years old on any of these songs. Especially on the James Brown type “Born In This Time” that is marvelous followed by the upbeat “Finger Poppin’ Time” with its surging one-two beat & stride piano — gets lazy feet up & at ‘em.
The entertainment value just pours from the speakers with glorious vocals.
Color image courtesy of Benny’s Bandcamp photo gallery. CD @ Bandcamp & Discogs + https://www.bennyturner.com/
John Surge & The Haymakers – Maybe You Don’t Know Me
The critically acclaimed alt-country band with a well-known following in the L.A. Country music community unfolds a more pensive country-folk EP by asking listeners that Maybe You Don’t Know Me (Dropped Sept. 20/Blackbird).
Produced by Tommy Detamore (Doug Sahm, Jim Lauderdale) in Floresville, TX these 5 new tunes didn’t make their last album but are staples in their high-octane live sets. There are dips into honky-tonk, tight instrumental interplay, rollicking music with colorful topics & a Tex-Mex feel.
There are some tears in the beer heartland songs, a revival of the late John Stewart’s “Gold” (that featured Stevie Nicks backup vocals) that’s now made even more Americana-oriented than it originally was. Risky to cover a song that has a distinctive vocalist as Stewart but Surge’s turn on the classic “Gold,” revives the tune respectably. A nice catch-up showcase.
There’s a warm blend in their showcase with a country-infused John Cafferty & Beaver Brown, Georgia Satellites, Sawyer Brown, The Rockets (“Desire”) & Eddie & the Tide type prominence. I like this kind of melodic approach. It has enthusiasm that’s not dipped in corniness & it just sounds like they enjoy what they do.
There are many musicians involved in these individual pieces but John Surge’s driving vocals & acoustic guitar on the Tex-Mex ripple of “Marisol” will lasso your ears tight & pull you in. Michael Guerra opens the flues on his accordion, Randy Volin ignites the electric guitar & Ted Lewis pounds the skins. It’s also all danceable & about as cool as drinking icy cold well water on a humid August day. There aren’t many tunes on this EP but it’s a nice introduction to musicians that play with fun & authority.
Cover photo of CD courtesy of Doug Moore. The CD @ Bandcamp + song samples & https://johnsurge.com/ & https://www.blackbirdrecordlabel.com/johnsurgeandthehaymakers Music & Book Reviews: Continental Drifters, plus Phil Alvin, John Surge, and Bento Box Trio
Tindersticks – Soft Tissue
This Nottingham band isn’t about gnarly guitars & pounding percussion but sophisticated atmospheric moody & deeply rooted musical excursions. It is for specific tastes that are patient & not looking for foot-stomping dance music. It’s all about expressive spatial advantages. They were always a unit that exemplified the darker shade of shout. Their music ripples & drifts like a morning mist rather than a deep thick fog.
This 8-track release Soft Tissue (Dropped Sept. 13/LuckyDog41/City Slang) is the band’s 14th in 2 decades of recording. It’s a bit for special ears in the way The Blue Nile, Talk Talk (“Time It’s Time”), China Crisis (“Arizona Sky”) & Johnny Hates Jazz (“Foolish Heart”) were. It’s all musical explorations that pushed the boundaries to remain intriguing & performed with innovative soulful expressive nods that were striking. They task their numbers with soundscapes & eccentric melodies, but the artists maintain a spirited approach. It’s an ambitious projection & if nothing else, the musicians are creative & original.
The material, recorded in England & produced by Stuart A. Staples (vocals/acoustic guitar) comes with a folded credits insert. Though much of the music is a bit melancholic (“New World”) & sliced with ethereal voicings & haunting swipes the additional brass lends a decisive punch. Despite their skill, some songs begin to sound a bit the same with the synth tinkering. But on listening randomly the songs can be fleshed out more individually. This isn’t rock n’ roll in the truest sense but more of a stretch into a delicacy of drama. Not an easy application.
Some music goes into the head & some into the feet. Tindersticks tend to bathe the body with their atmospheric elegant swill. There are pieces of music writers compose & improvise while others are conjured. The results release feelings not always apparent. This is why not all melodies appeal to everyone – but do penetrate subtly.
The band is also David Boulter (organ/Wurlitzer piano/glockenspiel/bells/brass arrangements), Dan McKinna (bass/Wurlitzer piano/synth/string arrangements), Earl Harvin (drums/percussion/bongos), Gina Foster (vocals), Terry Edwards (trumpet), Julian Siegel (brass arrangements) & Lucy Wilkins (violin/viola/string arrangements).
Even if some songs cruise along in a Georgio Moroder disco strings manner like on “Don’t Walk, Run” & “Always a Stranger” — it’s the Tindersticks application that overrules the sugary gloss of mere dance music & elevates it to a soft tissue that drifts in on a breeze. Then back to the beatnik finger snap of “Nancy” with its Casbah brass swirl & a picture of Sigrid Gurie from the film “Algiers” in the dreamer’s mind.
The female vocal on this tune is a nice contrast to Mr. Staples’s pastel signature vocal with all its character. What the band lacks in foot-stomping excitement they bring ample drama – good drama – to their repertoire. Though, “Turn My Back” is an excellent upbeat entry with a perceptive Morrissey-like swing strung tight between strong female backup vocals.
It’s superb. It’s why some of us enjoy watching noir films in black & white.
Tindersticks is music in glorious monochrome. As it should be.
B&W image courtesy of Neil Fraser (electric guitars). CD @ Bandcamp & Amazon + https://tindersticks.co.uk/
The Blasters – Over There: Live at the Venue, London – The Complete Concert
This live set was captured on May 21st, 1982, by a mobile unit in England. The 23 pieces were produced by The Blasters with Chris Morris & Antone DeSantis for Over There: Live at the Venue, London – The Complete Concert (Dropped Nov 29/Liberation Hall).
The band has been making music since 1979 as Phil Alvin (vocals/guitar), Dave Alvin (lead guitar), Bill Bateman (drums), John Bazz (bass), Lee Allen (tenor sax) & Steve Berlin (baritone sax). What made the band special was their signature vocal showcase & bristling guitars. They sounded retro & modern simultaneously if not a bit haunting. There was always to my ears a netherworld arrangement from this band unlike say, Robert Gordon, the Stray Cats, The Hooters & Tito &Tarantula.
This live set was recorded pristinely with every instrument captured live on stage with astonishing accuracy. “Crazy Baby” smokes with its Elvis intonations barreling over the Gene Vincent-Bill Haley & the Comets (Danny Cedrone) type guitars. The Blasters are proficient & while they excel with instrumentation they never forget atmosphere & mood which is always injected full thrust into each tune (“No Other Girl”) with its heavy precipitation of piano notes. Enough to wet your pants.
There are plenty of nuggets in this basket to get lazy people up & dancing. “I Don’t Want To” is a propulsive tune that should have a surgeon’s general warning on it. What makes the band, so unique & entertaining is their ability to diversify their set without becoming distracted by mixed genres. They always stay within the border of their strengths. Phil Alvin’s vocals are always rich & rocky & his intonation & emphasis on keywords are well-defined.
There’s a crunchy persistent early Creedence Clearwater Revival-type drive that persists in some tunes (“I Love You So”) in a faithful manner. The late pianist Gene Taylor (former Canned Heat) lights a fuse with his piano & vocals on “Tag Along.” But it’s the band’s classics that are the most hypnotic – “Border Radio,” “Marie, Marie,” “American Music” & the magnificent “So Long Baby, Goodbye,” — masterful pieces of traditionally inflected original rock n’ roll — long after the 1950s. These youngsters sure understood it, didn’t they?
A 12pp folded liner note insert is included. B&W photo courtesy of The Blasters’ website gallery. CD @ Bandcamp & Amazon + http://theblasters.com/
Flamin’ Groovies – Let It Rock: Live from the San Francisco Civic Center 1980
This was a band that had some success in an era when disco, punk & new wave ruled the roost. My favorite LP of theirs was always “Jumpin’ In the Night” with its Elvis cum new wave rockabilly surge that was designed to go deep into the garage rock ears where the ballroom dancing moved from the American Bandstand scruffy linoleum floors into your Coca-Cola popcorn & red sticky candy apple brain.
Ah, it was blissful. I must have played “Jumpin’ In the Night” until the black grooves went white. The band had an edgy mainstream muscle similar to The Standells, Electric Prunes, The Music Machine, The Saints & The Dictators.
The San Francisco band itself with its garage & power pop pedigree also dipped generously into R&R & proto-punk while working the circuit since 1965! That’s longevity — even if there were lulls in their decades. But the latest incarnation’s been playing since 2013 with original member Cyril Jordan (guitar/vocals).
This never-before-released collection is loaded with raw-boned rock classics & interpreted with dowdy skill on Let It Rock: Live from the San Francisco Civic Center 1980 (Dropped Nov. 29/Liberation Hall). It was recorded before their major label (Sire Records) contract ran out in 1980. 12 cover songs recorded live with 3 bonus tracks. Produced by Terry Hammer, the album includes familiar tunes by Chuck Berry, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Larry Williams, Big Joe Williams & some Brill Building songwriting suits.
The band in 1980 was Cyril with Chris Wilson (guitar/vocals), Mike Wilhelm (guitar/vocals), George Alexander (bass/vocals) & David Wright (drums). While this is not a recording to introduce the band to new ears, it will be of interest to aficionados of their rough & rowdy performances. It isn’t polished, it’s garage-band rough with that special fever – rock n’ roll. “River Deep, Mountain High,” & “Baby Please Don’t Go” are particularly good.
The effort & enthusiasm come through even when the performance is a bit uncombed. They compromise their far smoother studio approach for this live fire. They excel with the Chuck Berry & Rolling Stones-type melodies far better than the folkier “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better” material. Guaranteed to bring you back to your youth.
Cover illustration by Cyril Jordan. Sepia image courtesy of the Groovies Bandcamp site. CD @ Bandcamp & Amazon + http://www.liberationhall.com/index.php?id_product=370&controller=product
Season’s Greetings From Omad Records – Make a Joyful Noise!
This is an interesting holiday entry with some unlikely boutique label Omad artists with Christmas spirit on display. There are 13 festive tracks to Season’s Greetings From Omad Records – Make a Joyful Noise! (Dropped Nov 22/Omad Records) with varied producers.
Many songs both classic & modern in this repertoire were recorded in studios from New York (New York City, Oceanside, Brooklyn, Queens & Upstate), Massachusetts & New Jersey. Among the artists is Peter Lewis accompanying his daughter Arwen on his original holiday song. But her real charm shines on an updated take of the old Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne nugget “Let It Snow.” Her father, Peter is probably the most recognizable name as a solo artist, former member of Moby Grape & Hollywood actress Loretta Young’s son (“Rachel & the Stranger” with Robert Mitchum & William Holden).
Academy Award-winning songwriter & maestro John DeNicola announced that the LP celebrates some classic holiday melodies, a few as dreamy folk, indie pop & sing-a-longs. The showcase begins with festive tunes but is a bit laid back instrumentally. The vocals are enthusiastic & all-embracing of the holiday spirit despite being far from the likes of voices like Andy Williams, Perry Como, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole & Johnny Mathis. Your basic Christmas voice. Well, someone has to take their place, so DeNicola tries it here.
Despite some arrangements & performances having the “air” of independent label production songs like “At Christmastime,” & “On This Christmas Day” are captured wonderfully & are uplifting. Quite good. There are some misfires & attempts at being too clever & contemporary, but I can’t spite their efforts. All the songs try to hold on to the slippery slope of holiday expressiveness. Some fail as a holiday song (“Parade”) but as stand-alone compositions, they have their merit. Skip “What’s Christmas?” & move to the beautiful “Homecoming” sung by Erica Leigh with Alan Zahn’s piano.
To capture a Christmas “melody” with its necessary identity isn’t an easy feat. This LP does with “Happy Christmas/Ordinary Madness” since singer Patti Maloney has a glorious festive voice like Rosemary Clooney. OK, it’s an eccentric collection but it should retain a modicum of what this time of year possesses. Maloney has it. The set achieves this on some numbers admirably.
CD @ https://www.omadrecords.com/store/omad-records-make-a-joyful-noise
“When you are dead, you don’t know you are dead. It’s pain only for others. It’s the same thing when you are stupid.” — Richard Feynman
*
Grooves & Cuts – #5 – December 2024
CD & Digital Links can be bought at the artists’ respective websites. No photography will appear without a photographer’s credit or owning source.
All pictures, images & CD art displayed in any review were sent from publicists, the artists themselves their websites/Facebook, or PR reps. When available all photographer credits will be noted.
Notice: Obituaries have moved to their page. Americana Highways Obituaries – November 2024
Grooves & Cuts – December 2024
