Deb Callahan: “Backbone” (2023) CD Review

Deb Callahan is a blues vocalist based in Philadelphia. Her new album, Backbone, features mostly original material, songs that she wrote or co-wrote. The band backing her includes core members Allen James on electric guitar, Garry Lee on bass, and Tom Walling on drums. The album is dedicated to Tom Walling, who died in late November. Also playing on this release are Danny Schogger on organ and piano, and John Colgan Davis on harmonica, along with several guests on various tracks. This is Deb Callahan’s sixth album, and her first in eight years, following 2015’s Sweet Soul.

She opens the album with “What I’m Working With,” a bright burst of funky blues joy, the horns playing a prominent role in the song’s sound. Jay Davison is on saxophone, and Steve Jankowski is on trombone. Deb Callahan’s vocal delivery is strong and confident, a voice full of attitude. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I may not run, but I can crawl/I might be sane, but I might be off the wall/You know, this is what I’m working with/What you see is what you get.” Well, all right! It sounds like she’s working with a whole lot, and everything is working so well. Halfway through the track, there is a delicious lead on guitar, backed by some wonderful touches on the horns. This is a song that urges us all to be ourselves. It seems like that would be the easiest thing, the most natural thing, but there is so much trepidation, so much worry about being judged. But just imagine how much healthier the world would be if everyone was his or her truest self. And imagine how joyful the world would be if it sounded like this track.

Some cool work on keys helps to establish the atmosphere of “Crazy Ride.” “Everything keeps changing/Got to stay ready/You know we’re on a crazy ride,” Deb Callahan sings on this one. And, yes, that sounds just about right. We are on a crazy ride, but it helps to have folks like Deb Callahan accompany us on the ride, her vocals guiding us, and a rhythm section that helps us shake some of our cares off. “Don’t want to dwell on my mistakes/And on things I cannot change.” That’s another tall order for most of us, but something to aim for. There is more delicious work on keys throughout this track, and I dig that guitar work during the jam at the end. This one was written by Deb Callahan, Chris Arms and Danny Schogger. That’s followed by “Big Girl Pants.” Check out these lines: “Now I know it’s time for something new/I got to find my next best thing that I can do/I’d rather stay in bed/Don’t want to deal with too much more/Oh, the hard, hard stuff I just want to ignore.” Sometimes we need to push ourselves, and that is what this song helps us do. The song is like mental preparation for facing whatever it is that is out there. And, as we know, there is a lot to deal with out there. This is a good song to listen to in the morning before heading out to work, or to wherever you have to go. It was written by Deb Callahan, Chris Arms and Allen James.

Deb Callahan slows things down a bit for “Rogue,” one of those blues songs about being mistreated in love, about being lied to and strung along. It features a seriously cool vocal performance. “You made me feel just like a queen/Then you took me down about as low as I’ve been/Knew just what to say, you knew just what to do/I was just a plaything ‘til you were through.” This track also features another excellent guitar lead in its second half. “Rogue” was written by Deb Callahan and Chris Arms. Then “A Few New Tricks” has a rhythm that immediately gets you swaying and moving. There is something playful about this one, particularly in her vocal delivery. Just listen to the way she delivers these lines, for example: “Well, you had a long first act/Following your own dreams/Marching to your own drumbeat/Don’t want to be on no team.” And, hey, this song shows that people can change, in this instance because of the arrival of a baby, which creates sudden obligations.

The first of the album’s two covers is Percy Mayfield’s “Danger Zone,” an excellent choice during these divisive and often frightening times. Deb Callahan delivers a seriously good rendition, with a fantastic, passionate vocal performance. “You see, the world is in an uproar/The danger zone is everywhere, everywhere/Just read your paper and you’ll see/Just exactly what keeps worrying me.” Take your pick of stories to worry about. For me, it’s the damn guns. “Every morning, oh, and every night/Finds me hoping that everything gonna be all right.” This track features some moving and wonderful blues guitar. That’s followed by “Still Fighting To Be Free,” which features a soulful vocal performance and some great stuff on harmonica. This track was written by Deb Callahan, Chris Arms and Alan Glass. Alan Glass plays acoustic guitar on it, and Chris Arms is on slide guitar. This song’s lyrics also give the album its title. Then Charlene Holloway adds some strong backing vocal work to “Don’t Tread On Me,” a song written by Deb Callahan, Chris Arms and Danny Schogger. This one has a delicious, funky rhythm, and includes the wonderful line “You’re infringing on my reality.” And check out these lines: “What does it mean to be free/is there social responsibility/We just see it differently.” Plus, this track features Ken Ulansey on saxophone.

Chris Arms delivers more good work on slide guitar on “Cleaning House,” a slower gem about looking back and deciding what is still needed, and what can be disposed of. “I’ve been cleaning house all day/Trying to throw old things away/Things that just don’t fit me anymore.” Ah, but when it comes to memories, it is difficult. And here she asks, “Why is it so hard, why is it so hard?” Deb Callahan delivers another passionate vocal performance on this track. That’s followed by “Thought You Were My Girl,” on which Deb Callahan provides her own backing vocals. “When I’m honest with myself/You never really listen/When I’m honest with myself/You always question my intention.” Both “Cleaning House” and “Thought You Were My Girl” were written by Deb Callahan. Then “Just What The Doctor Ordered” establishes a cool vibe at the start. “The world’s on fire/Can’t put out the flames/So much sadness/So many lies.” Yes, that is the state of things. We are all struggling as we deal with this harsh reality, and if we can just turn to one special person, we can make it through. And that’s what this song is about, as Deb Callahan sings, “You’re just what I need to set my soul free” and “You’re the medicine I need/You’re just what the doctor ordered/Bringing me healing and relief.” Dave Arms plays bass on this track, and Charlene Holloway provides more great backing vocal work. The album concludes with its other cover, Sean Costello’s “Anytime You Want,” Deb Callahan delivering a good version. “We can get together, baby, any time you want.”

CD Track List

1. What I’m Workin’ With
2. Crazy Ride
3. Big Girl Pants
4. Rogue
5. A Few New Tricks
6. Danger Zone
7. Still Fighting To Be Free
8. Don’t Tread On Me
9. Cleaning House
10. Thought You Were My Girl
11. Just What The Doctor Ordered
12. Anytime You Want

Backbone was released on March 15, 2023 on Blue Pearl Records.

The Jorgensens: “Americana Soul” (2022) CD Review

The Jorgensens are a band based in Minnesota, led by the duo of Kurt Jorgensen and Brianna Jorgensen, both of them providing lead vocals and playing guitar (with Kurt also on percussion, and Brianna also on piano). This band also includes Andra Lee Suchy on vocals, Brenda Lee King on bass, Jeff King on saxophone and clarinet, Jeff Levine on trumpet, Mark O’Day on drums and percussion, and C Harris on percussion. Their new album, Americana Soul, features all original material, written by Kurt and Brianna Jorgensen. Joining them on this release are Ted Vig on electric guitar and resonator guitar, Paul Mayasich on electric guitar, Dylan McKinstry on mandolin and banjo, Steve McKinstry on organ, Jaqueline Ultan on cello, Bettina Villamil on violin, Jesse Heasly on upright bass, Matt Hertel on drums, and Kevin Londen on pedal steel. Providing backing vocals are Katie Gearty, Fred Anderson and Craig Paquette.

They open the album with “Old Black Crow,” which begins like a back-porch number on acoustic guitar, then after a few second kicks in to become a cool blues tune, complete with horns. Kurt Jorgensen is on lead vocals. “Lord, this world is burning/So let’s turn things around.” Oh yes! And it is finally feeling like some things might be moving in the right direction in this country. Toward the end of this track, there is delightful surprise, an instrumental section led by the horns. I do wish that section were a little longer, for once it gets going, the track comes to its conclusion. This song is a good way to get the album started. Then Brianna Jorgensen takes lead vocals duties on “Miles,” a song to put on your road trip play list, with lines like “Got to get on the open road again/Miles and miles and miles and miles/Hold on tight/We’re talking miles and miles and miles and miles/Through the night.” Music like this adds to my itch to get on the road again. “Yeah, it suits me right,” she tells us at the end. I’m guessing that’s the case for a lot of us.

Kurt sings lead on “Boom Boom Boom,” which begins with vocals and acoustic guitar.  The part I really love is when the backing vocals come in on the chorus the next time around, adding a soulful element that is just completely delicious. There is also some really good guitar work on this track, helping make the atmosphere even cooler. And then check out that horn just before the song comes to its conclusion. That’s followed by “Hey Baby,” which has a very cool, jazzy vibe right from the start, and features some sexy work on saxophone. And if this track has you thinking of a cat strutting about, well, that is the idea, for when the vocals come in, the first line is “Like a cat on a roof under a slurry sky.” Here they take turns on lead vocals, and Kurt sings, “Like the shadow of sin,” a phrase that stands out. And that great work on guitar adds to the delight of this track.

“Shake It” features some nice work on violin, mandolin and banjo, giving the track a bluegrass sound, though it is still a great, slow bluesy number. “Won’t you take me back baby/We’ve got nothing left to lose/The river’s rising, lord, it’s high, high, high.” There is a fantastic vocal section at the end, which has something of a gospel feel. “The river’s rising, and it’s high, high, high/The river’s rising, there’s no way out/The river’s rising, there’s no way out.” That’s followed by “Out Of My Mind,” a smooth number that features some completely delicious work on trumpet. “I’m going out of my mind, I’m really out of my mind.” Ah, but she sounds like she’s holding it together just fine. “Leave Your Light On” is another cool number, with a bit of a laid-back feel. Both Kurt and Brianna sing lead on this one. “Tell me, won’t you leave your light on, Mama, ‘cause Daddy’s coming home.” I could never use the words “Mama” and “Daddy” that way without sounding ridiculous. But these guys can do it, no problem.

“Dark Road” has an intriguing opening, feeling like it has set us upon the dark road of its title. And interestingly the first voices we hear are backing vocals, strangely soothing and alluring. Then the song suddenly kicks in, “I hear the devil laughing,” and features the horns, as if they are in conversation with the demon. And by the end, they are repeating, “On this dark road, I won’t travel no more.” Then “Twenty Years” also has a cool introduction that includes some wonderful touches on strings. This one takes us onto the road too: “So I head out on that highway, on a long road that I call home.” The album concludes with “State Line,” which features some sweet guitar work as the song begins. This one has more of a folk vibe, and has more wonderful work on strings. This is a beautiful and sad number. “I used to say let’s never change/Now those words seem impossible to me/I drove all night, yeah/I drove all night/There’s got to be more to this than always paying your price/By the time you realize my love’s beyond the state line.” This track is for me another of the disc’s highlights. “There was a time that we got it right” is a wonderfully sad final line. And then the strings have the final word here.

CD Track List

1. Old Black Crow
2. Miles
3. Boom Boom Boom
4. Hey Baby
5. Shake It
6. Out Of My Mind
7. Leave Your Light On
8. Dark Road
9. Twenty Years
10. State Line

Americana Soul was released on November 4, 2022 on Paramour Records.

Madeline Rosene: “Everyday Existential Crisis” (2022) CD Review

Madeline Rosene is a vocalist and songwriter who is based in Cleveland (though she’s also spent a good deal of time in Los Angeles). She put out her first album, Raised On Porn, just before the pandemic gripped the country, and followed that with Everyday Existential Crisis in late 2022.  The music on this album is pop, but a wonderful sort of pop, with intelligence, with heart, with something to say. It is music for those of us who are trying to remain sane in a decidedly unbalanced world, and it is delivered with wit and honesty. There are jazz and folk influences in her music as well, which come in part from her upbringing, and, I imagine, from her time at Hampshire College in western Massachusetts. Most of the tracks on this release were produced by Patrick Windsor and Bob Varo, both of whom also perform on some of these tracks. She has several other musicians joining her on various tracks.

The album opens with “Out Of My Mouth,” a catchy and wonderful song about emerging from a cloud of fear and worry. I love these lines: “I used to let the change control me/But now I let the strange console me/Look out world, here I come/I’m not afraid of anyone.” A good, positive, empowering message, which is needed in these odd times. And the song’s title comes from the line, “I keep my fingers out of my mouth” (earlier in that verse she mentions that she would bite her “nails until they bled”). There is certainly a Natalie Merchant influence heard in her vocal delivery of certain words and phrases. This track also features a horn section. William Driskell is on trombone, Patrick Windsor is on alto saxophone, and Jon Thomas is on tenor saxophone. William Driskell also plays guitar, bass and drums on this track. “I used to think we’d only make it while we’re young” is another line that stands out to me. Then “Words” begins with a softer, prettier sound, like a wind across a lonesome plain. Then her vocals come in, and here her delivery is different from the first track, more intimate and expressing a need, a voice of someone who has gone through some things. It is a gorgeous performance. “And I don’t want to help if you don’t need it/Or make these rhymes sound right when things get rough/Just don’t give up/Heaven knows it’s all in your head/Just like I always said.” It is difficult when you want to help someone you love, someone who is suffering from depression and anxiety, and your words just don’t manage it. Adding to the song’s beauty is the presence of strings. Natasha Kermani is on violin, and Lisa Donald is on cello. This track builds in power toward the end. It is one of my personal favorites.

“Burn” has a brighter energy and sound. “Oh, and look at how she glows/You’d think she was new, but she’s full-grown.” The music itself seems to glow. There is a groovy, jazzy vibe about this one too. Nicole Windsor is on both guitar and bass, while Patrick Windsor is on keyboards and backing vocals. Justin Flanigan plays drums on this one. That’s followed by “Heart On Fire.” The first lines caught me by surprise and made me laugh aloud, particularly as the music is pretty with a thoughtful and contemplative vibe: “Heart on fire/Or maybe it’s indigestion.” And those lyrics are delivered so sweetly. The song then kicks in, and takes on a 1970s feel. I like that work on piano which functions as part of the rhythm. The song then returns to that prettier section, and features some nice work by Alexander Daniels on violin. Alexander Daniels actually also delivers that piano part. Sean Motley is on drums. And this track features the horn section in the second half. Patrick Windsor and Jon Thomas are again on alto saxophone and tenor saxophone respectively, and Mark Rudin is on trumpet. Then the album’s title track, “Everyday Existential Crisis,” begins with some gentle, pretty work on guitar. When her vocals come in, there is an ethereal element to her delivery. “Is it you? Is it me?/I don’t know what I’m supposed to be/I don’t know anything besides this/Everyday existential crisis.” Yes, this is a song for our times. “What kind of monster am I?” she asks at one point. One of the things I love about Madeline Rosene is the way she adjusts her voice, her delivery, for each song, so that it fits well with what she wants to say. That is Bob Varo on guitar, by the way.

The first line of “Lobotomy” is one I’m certain everyone can relate to: “I need to turn off my brain.” Things have been mad the last several years, and sometimes it feels all too much, like we’re going to explode, and we need a break. This is a strangely pleasant pop song. I love these lines: “Anything to get me to focus/And relieve a little psychosis.” Only an hour or so before I first listened to this disc, my girlfriend and I were talking about how difficult we were finding it to focus. By the way, does anyone else remember those bumper stickers and buttons which read, “Lobotomies for Republicans – It’s the Law”? Bob Varo, who produced this track, plays electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass and drums on it. “Franglais” also has an opening line that immediately pulls us in: “Am I mixed up, somewhere between here and there?” And as you might guess from the song’s title, the lyrics are delivered in a mix of French and English. There is something playful about this one. Bob Varo also produced this track, and plays guitar and drums on it.

Dante Juhkel joins Madeline Rosene on vocals for “Good Behavior,” delivering a rap: “I swear that I love you, but I’m always breaking promises.” He also produced the track. Dante Juhkel also joins her on “The Kill,” a song with a lot of attitude. Here Madeline Rosene sings, “Shit out of luck/Because I’m needy as fuck/And you’re easy to prey upon/Check, and I took your king with my pawn.” I appreciate that chess reference. And before that, there is actually a little nod to Friday The 13th, with that breath and then a whisper of “Kill, kill, kill.” “And since we’re telling the truth/You like the fear in these baby blues.” This is more in the mainstream dance pop realm. Dante Juhkel’s rap comes in the second half. The album concludes with “Sugar” which begins with some cool work on guitar and features a delicious bass line. Shea Stratton is on guitar, and William Driskill is on bass and drums. Originally I believed this track to be an instrumental, but it turns out that some of the discs that were sent out contain an error, and are missing the vocals to this track. But the track actually contains a strong vocal performance. “Well, here’s what you can do for me/I have you to myself so I can love you, but only conditionally/You can be my favorite commodity.”

CD Track List

1. Out Of My Mouth
2. Words
3. Burn
4. Heart On Fire
5. Everyday Existential Crisis
6. Lobotomy
7. Franglais
8. Good Behavior
9. The Kill
10. Sugar

Everyday Existential Crisis was released on October 28, 2022.

Chris Murphy: “Two Rivers Crossing” (2022) CD Review

Chris Murphy is a talented and accomplished violinist based in Los Angeles, his career having taken him into several different musical realms, including jazz, folk, and bluegrass. He’s performed with a good range of artists, and also has his own band, The Devil’s Box String Band. In addition, he has released several solo albums. His latest release, Two Rivers Crossing, is a true solo effort, Chris Murphy providing all the vocals and playing violin, as well doing as the looping effects. He also wrote all the material on this release.

He kicks off the disc with “Early Grave,” the violin having that great old-time, cheerful vibe. Then when his vocals come in, there is a more modern sense to the song. There is also a good humor to it, as you can hear in lines like these: “Now I love that woman, and she loves me/No one finer as far as I can see/But listening to her rant and rave/That girl gonna send me to an early grave.” There is a good energy to his playing. Sure, he may be worried about an early grave, but the song has a lively feel to it, making us think he’s going to be okay, and that perhaps even the relationship is going to be okay. After all, there is an undeniable fondness apparent in his delivery. “Now the doctor says I’m healthy, my heart is strong/I’ll make a hundred years if I live that long/She’s faster than music, 1980s new wave/That girl gonna send me to an early grave.” Then there is a more serious air about “Into The Past” as it begins, and the song’s first lines give the disc its title: “Two rivers crossing in the valley below/On a train out of Whitehorse with nowhere to go.” And the sound of the train’s engine “Pulls him right back into the past.” And though this song utilizes the “shelf”/“self” rhyme, it is still quite good, a strong folk song. There is a pretty instrumental section in the second half that I wish went on a little longer. “Now I know tomorrow’s coming, but it seems so far away/Train gets to Seattle in another day/He remembers her voice, and how her beauty seemed so vast/Looking out the window into the past.” One of the things I love about this track is the different ways that people are brought back into the past, the different causes, the different agents. And of course the appeal or allure of returning to the past, for whatever the reason might be, is something we can all relate to.

“Complete Surprise” has the vibe of a traditional Irish folk song as it begins, with that steady beat and the delicious style of his violin playing, so I am immediately on board. This song also features some wonderful lyrics, such as “Giving up hope, the deadliest of sins” and “I didn’t realize, I didn’t have a clue/Never understood what I was supposed to do.” And I love the song’s main lines: “To my complete surprise/The world keeps turning, the sun does rise/You say hello, you say goodbye/To my complete surprise.” Excellent, right? These lines should really strike home for anyone having a difficult time. And how is this for a positive line: “Taught myself to swim just as I capsized.” This is one of my personal favorite tracks, in part because of the lyrics. The past then comes to face him again in “Long Ago,” which has a more somber sense about it as it begins. It is interesting that the past so often presents itself in such serious tones. “Saw your face, thought it was you/Heard your voice, it cut right through.” And “Morning comes, the darkness returns” is such a good line, for it is surprising, the opposite of what we might expect, and the meaning of it grabs us right away. “Not sure what happened, guess I’ll never know/We were friends once long ago.” This is the other of my two favorite tracks. It is a powerful song.

Then check out these lines from “The Wolves Of Laredo”: “The wolves of Laredo/Ghosts on the plateau/Singing songs that they learned long ago/Now they’re just a memory faded into the valley below.” So yes, this one too speaks of the past. This track also features some beautiful work on the violin, particularly in that section in the middle. And that is the part that really stands out to me. The disc concludes with “Shantallow,” its only instrumental track, and another highlight. I love music that transports me, as this does. There is something timeless about this piece.

CD Track List

1. Early Grave
2. Into The Past
3. Complete Surprise
4. Long Ago
5. The Wolves Of Laredo
6. Shantallow

Two Rivers Crossing was released on October 15, 2022.