Jeffrey Foucault – Universal Fire
Jeffrey Foucault released a new album recently that’s just exceptional: Universal Fire. This album is dedicated to the memory of Billy Conway (1956 – 2021). Billy was Jeffrey’s drummer and a career musician who worked with folks like Morphine and Treat Her Right, and was a bright light in music circles who was taken too soon. Foucault also gathered excellent players and singers like Pieta Brown and Kris Delmhorst together for this album to explore deep topics – the meaning of life, personal legacy, mortality and what we’re meant to be, and weaving throughout, songs to honor Billy.
The album title earmarks the fire at Universal studios in 2008 in California that razed the storehouse and the master recordings for irreplaceable tapes, as a parallel to Billy Conway’s passing.
Starting off, “Winter Count” is a hushed, moving tribute with sparse chords and bass: “it’s funny how you left the party early, that need happened even one time in your life / I always think about that one time we were driving, and we crossed the river on a ferry boat at dawn, come up into the blood red wheat of the sunrise and one coyote running and a shadow two miles long.” It’ll immediately hook you body and soul.
The title track is again adept songwriting imagery and moving laments: “our religion was electric, magnetic singing on a wire /and one night it all burned away in the universal fire.”
“Solo Modelo” is a sexy rhythmic groove and “wishing you well / I know you’ve been walking the valley alone / one crow above you, he won’t leave you alone. I know you’ve been singing your way through the dark.” Imagery of being alone, traveling alone, being solo, and so low, and what must happen when you pass away alone.
“Monterey Rain” is constructed in a memorable build-up style, with imagery of being in a hotel room in a strange town, trying to figure out what to do, or not, with “neon and nostalgia” and the Monterey rain coming down. Pieta Brown’s vocals enhance the beauty of this pretty song.
“Crushed Ice and Gasoline” is about being a little on the broke side on a road trip, with melodious guitar solos in both channels and just beautiful songwriting, again: “barefoot on the concrete, two fingers, a beer, a plastic chair, a plastic cup, you used to be the FM dial never made you feel like you were the only lost lonely one but a part of something real.”
On “Nightshift” Dana Colley, Billy’s bandmate from Morphine, plays bass saxophone on this song about setting up for another show, working on the night shift, getting it down and another show in double time.
This album is superb, excellently crafted, as it’s perfectly poised between reflective lyrics and pulsing grooves, philosophical queries, honest painful tributes and, just glorious music. Right in the sweet spot. Find the music here: https://orcd.co/a4oby6j
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Musicians on Universal Fire are John Convertino (Calexico) on drums; Jeremy Moses Curtis (Booker T) on electric bass; Jeffrey Foucault on vocals, acoustic and electric guitar; Eric Heywood (Pretenders) on pedal steel and electric guitar; Erik Koskinen on electric guitar; Mike Lewis (Bon Iver) on vocals, tenor saxophone; piano and organ; Pieta Brown on vocals (“Monterey Rain”); Dana Colley on bass saxophone (“Nightshift”); Kris Delmhost on vocals (“Sometimes Love,” “Woodsmoke”); Sergio Mendoza on accordion (“Sometimes Love”) and Barbara Jean Meyers on vocals (“Solo Modelo”).
The album was produced by Mike Lewis. It was recorded at Wavelab in Tucson, AZ by Craig Schumacher, assisted by Wayne Napoleone; with additional engineering by Mike Lewis, and Justin Pizzoferrato. It was mixed by Brett Bullion, and mastered by Huntley Miller.
