Terry Callier – The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier
This reissue contains a more modern penetrating artist in Terrence Orlando “Terry” Callier (May 24, 1945 – Oct. 27, 2012), who was a Chicago-born guitarist/singer who dabbled in genres as diverse as soul, folk & jazz. This 8-cut album introduced the trio of Terry Callier (guitar/vocals), Terbour Attenborough & John Tweedle (basses).
Originally released in January 1968 on Prestige Records, the tracks were produced by Samuel Charters & recorded in 1964 for Terry Callier – The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier (Dropped Oct 19/Craft Recordings/Concord/Prestige). It begins with a gentle acoustic guitar, & a strong, colorful vocal of Mr. Callier, somewhat in a moody mode similar to the powerful pop-multi-faceted vocalist Gene McDaniels (“Tower of Strength”, “A Hundred Pounds of Clay”).
Terry opens with “900 Miles,” a subtle but atmospheric tune. Folk music tinged with a generous amount of soulful tonality – a nice concept. Consider that “Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be,” suggests what early Johnny Mathis may have sounded like had he chosen to sing soulful, folk ballads instead of standards, showtunes & pop confectionery. This would’ve been an ideal tune for Mr. Mathis had he heard the exquisite work Terry provided. There’s also a tint of pop-singer Bobby Hebb (“Sunny”) in these early Callier tunes, soft-spoken. But Terry is deep in the Gene McDaniels musical chalet, to be compared to the bevy of pop singers who charted for a while. Terry had all the makings of a great vocalist.
More of a traditional blues-folk tune, with the word “gay” probably referring to its original meaning – to be “happy” is “Johnny Be Gay If You Can Be.” A lovely, rendered tune with lots of sincerity & a story that’s told with sophistication instead of campiness. Proof is that this “Johnny” appears in the previous tune “Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be,” married & the trials he had with that relationship.
Low notes abide in “Cotton Eyed Joe,” where Terry’s vocals are superb. He easily should’ve been another Johnny Mathis with an edge. His tonality, intonation, phrasing & range are impeccable. The failure of Terry to proceed with a successful career may have been due to poor producers, managers & record labels. Songs like “Spin, Spin, Spin” are just too good to have been ignored.
Audiences were denied access to this wonderful artist due to varied reasons having nothing to do with his ability or appealing to an audience. Perhaps frustration reared its ugly head. “Promenade In Green” & “I’m a Drifter,” as spare as they sound, are consistently compelling.
It’s easy to recommend this album; I’m recommending the whole artist.
Highlights – “900 Miles,” “Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be,” “Johnny Be Gay If You Can Be,” “Cotton Eyed Joe,” “Promenade In Green,” “Spin, Spin, Spin,” & “I’m a Drifter.”
Vinyl @ Bandcamp & Amazon + https://craftrecordings.com/collections/terry-callier & https://terrycallier.bandcamp.com/album/the-new-folk-sound-of-terry-callier
