The Kearns Family: “Together And Alone” (2025) Vinyl Review

There’s long been a strange sort of fascination with the desert among musicians and music-lovers. Many have gone out there for inspiration or solace, or seeking space or that undefined special something (they know it when they feel it). And some of them have stayed. Pat and Susan Kearns have created something out there, after their move from Portland, Oregon. They have their own recording studio, Goat Mountain Recording, powered by solar energy in the Mojave Desert. And the land certainly has an effect on their music, on their art. You can see it in Susan’s paintings, and hear it in Pat’s songs. The Kearns Family’s new album, Together And Alone, features all original music, these songs populated by characters that seem inherent to the desert landscape, their tales blowing in on a warm, dusty breeze. By the way, the record’s packaging includes a gatefold, featuring some beautiful artwork by Susan Kearns. Records with gatefolds always take me back to my childhood, when I would sit on my dad’s chair with the album open on my lap, listening attentively to every note, every word. And this is just the sort of record you want to give that kind of attention to.

Side 1

The album opens with “The Dust,” the song chosen for the first single, released a couple of months ago. The song has a strong, true folk sound, with a somewhat haunted vibe. “When I was younger, my mind was sharp/The paint wasn’t peeling and I had a loving heart/Now the dust keeps creepin’ in the corners.” As we listen, we feel we can see the faded paint, the dust in the corners which threatens to take over the entire room. There is a certain age to the sound, and whatever that age is, while we listen, we are of it too. We become a part of the landscape. “The dust keeps creepin’ in/The dust keeps creepin’ in/And I keep sweepin’ it.” Hearing those lines near the end, it’s hard to keep from thinking of The Last Picture Show. I suspect you know exactly what I’m talking about. There is that sort of atmosphere, something desolate and desperate and perhaps futile. That feeling is heightened in the next track, “Bandito,” by the presence of harmonica at the beginning, the instrument in a gorgeous fit of melancholy. And the lyrics again place us out there on the land, and with an empty canteen. “I can’t catch you, but the wind and sun/Will stop you dead, you can’t outrun/Oh, bandito, in the setting sun.” There is the fear that the sun setting means an end for us all. And when the harmonica comes crying again, it is like an epitaph being burned into the land itself.

“The Old Days” has something of a sweeter vibe, even if the past being remembered brings a mixed bag of emotions. We have a fondness for the past, even if it held pain. But most of the pain is of the present. “Now he’s gone and I feel blue/My heart aches, I long for the old days.” Those lines tore a hole in me, or rather widened one that was already there. But it’s okay, for “Once in a while we all feel blue.” I’m told it won’t happen as often as time passes, but so far I’m not seeing it play out that way. Then “You Got No Claim To The Mine” presents a dark, lonesome sort of dance. The lyrics are delivered in a sort of desperate whisper, as from a man who has used his voice up through experience, or has some fear of shouting out his intentions, his needs. “I’ve labored long and hard for bread/So on my pride you will not tread.” Interestingly, there is a line that is delivered in a completely different voice, different style, a line we hear twice: “A second chance to make an ascension, a fortune, a climb.” That voice itself seems to rise above. This track also features some nice work on bass. There is a dark edge to “Daytime Moon” as well. Ghosts are heard in the music. They are in the air. “Where at one time there were three, there now are four/Every time you glance away and back, there’s more/There were so many there riding under a daytime moon/All were singing the same tune.” Yet I hear hope in the guitar work.

Side 2

The second side opens with “The Funny Thing About Keeping Moving,” which features some good, prominent bass work at the start. In its first lines, this song looks back to childhood. And then he sings, “When I turned eighteen I turned out wild.” This song is told from the perspective of a drifter, a wanderer, a man on the run, and Pat uses a voice that fits perfectly. “Once in motion one tends to continue on.” You get the feeling he is staying here only long enough to sing this song, to tell us his story, and then he’ll be gone. This feels like a story of the desert. Don’t we imagine these sorts of folks are out there going about their lives? I imagine the desert contains many such tales. This track features a wonderfully sad wailing on the harmonica. Then “Charlie” has a gentler, prettier vibe as it starts. This one also tells of a certain character, but this time not from his own perspective. Rather he is described by someone who knows him. “You can’t be straight to hang with Charlie/‘Cause Charlie’s always high and drinking/He’s a good friend, he’s always pouring/Even when it rains up in heaven.” Some folks disappear from our lives without a goodbye, and we don’t know those final encounters are so final, not at the time.

There is always something appealing about the road in song, especially a long road. The opening lines of “That’s Not What I Thought It Would Be” are “It’s a long, long road/And a very rough last mile/To come all the way, way out here.” I’m ready to think of it as metaphor, but of course some travels do take us off the paved roads and the last bit is literally rough road. After all, aren’t we talking about the desert here? “There will always be the good times and the bad times as well/We have a past, but now you’re standing there in front of me/And that’s not what I thought it would be.” This song features some nice harmonica work, but with a very different tone than the previous tracks. This is more in line with that typical folk sound, the sort of thing we learned to expect from listening to early Bob Dylan records. The record then concludes with “Love Will Win In The End.” There is a gentle folk feel to this song. “You say you’re in love not with me with him/I thought we were in love, but I was mistaken.” Susan joins him on vocals on the line, “You best believe that love will win.” And indeed we do, for the song went from describing the woman driving off in her convertible to the two of them driving off together in the same car. See, there are happy endings, especially when you rewrite them. Susan sings the song’s final line, “Time after time after time again.”

Record Track List

Side 1

1. The Dust
2. Bandito
3. The Old Days
4. You Got No Claim To The Mine
5. Daytime Moon

Side 2

1. The Funny Thing About Keeping Moving
2. Charlie
3. That’s Not What I Thought It Would Be
4. Love Will Win In The End

Together And Alone is scheduled to be released on January 31, 2025.

Eramus Hall: “Lost And Found” (2024) Vinyl Review

Eramus Hall was a Detroit-based funk and soul band that released only two albums during its existence. The first, Your Love Is My Desire, which came out in 1980, was re-issued earlier this year through Org Music and Westbound Records, and on yellow vinyl no less! The band’s second album, Gohead, was released in 1984. And that was it, at least until Black Friday, when Lost And Found was released. This record contains rarities and previously unreleased tracks, and the music is presented on transparent smoky vinyl. I do wish there were liner notes letting us know which tracks are the rarities, and which were previously unreleased. But that is of little matter. What is important is that the music is wonderful. The band is made up of Joe Anderson on bass and vocals; Charmie Currie on soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone and vocals; Michael Gatheright on piano, keyboards and lead vocals; Grady Smith on trumpet and vocals; William Tillery on alto saxophone and vocals; James Wilkerson on trumpet, flute, percussion and lead vocals; Marvin Williams on guitar and vocals; and Ronald Wright on drums, percussion and vocals. The record contains mostly original songs.

Side A

The record opens with “Determination,” written by Michael Gatheright, Grady Smith and Marvin Williams. After an interesting and brief opening moment on guitar, it becomes a smooth, cool number, with some disco elements, particularly in some of the percussion work. “Love has its doors open for you/Opened wide, asking you to come through.” Isn’t that what we all want to hear? And we learn that determination is the key. Things then get fun and funky with “Dance To Our Music,” written by James Wilkerson and Ronald Wright. This is exactly what I was wanting when I put this record on. “So come on, everybody, yeah, and dance, dance, dance, dance.” It would be difficult to keep from dancing while this song is playing. Everything about it is working perfectly. I love the beat, love the bass, love the work on keys, love the vocals, everything. And these guys jam on it for a bit. “And when you dance to our music, we put you in the mood.” Oh yes, no question. This track is a total delight, my favorite of the first side of the record.

“Life Has Meaning” grabs me with that intro, in part because I’m not sure what direction it’s going to take, and I’m curious. After that previous track, I’m on board with whatever these guys decide to do. Soon this one takes on a steady beat, one to dance to, and features some bright work from the brass section. It also includes some delicious tangents. I love the drumming throughout the track, but especially during that instrumental section. The band then takes us back to that smoother place with the first side’s final track, “Nice, Smooth, Easy,” a title that seems to describe the music perfectly, as well as the attitude. At the beginning it is almost like a chant of those three words, or mantra, delivered with several shades of cool. How can you help but dig the track? And it turns out to be a love song. “She looks as beautiful as the light of the morning sun.”

Side B

The second side opens with a delicious, fun dance number, “Do The Rock.” When I looked at the track list for the first time, I thought this was going to be a cover of the Tim Curry song, but that is called “I Do The Rock” (why does no one cover that song?). Interestingly, this song came out the same year that the Tim Curry record came out, 1979. This song, written by Rudy Robinson and James Wilkerson, was released as a single. There’s not a whole lot of lyrical content to this one, but that is okay. That’s not what it’s about. “Everybody’s coming close together/Just do, just do the rock.” Okay! I’m not sure how to do the rock, but no matter, my body just wants to move and groove to this track. That’s followed by a cover of “Who’s Makin’ Love,” written by Homer Banks, Bettye Crutcher, Don Davis and Raymond Jackson, and originally recorded by Johnnie Taylor. “Who’s making love to your old lady while you were out making love?” They give us a great, heavy, funky rendition, the bass at the heart of the action, just as it should be, and featuring some great drumming.

“Mr. Softy” has a kind of adorable opening, like we’re about to enter Mr. Rogers’ land of make believe or something. Then a great groove takes over. “Got chocolate, vanilla, strawberry too/Any kind of flavor that tastes good to you.” Yes, it’s a song about ice cream, and that opening was actually a variation on the Mister Softee ice cream truck jingle. This is silly and delightful, and it’s making me wish an ice cream truck would drive by. I’d love some soft-serve vanilla right about now. The song is over all too soon. The record concludes with “Better Days,” another fun, playful, funky number. “Better days are coming around,” they tell us. And soon they ask, “Who can say tomorrow won’t bring those better days?” I’m not sure. But it’s hard to disagree with the next line, “One thing for sure, you know the sun will rise.” I worry that this country is heading toward pretty bad days, toward a much worse place, but I’m determined not to take that ride down. Instead, I’m going to let music like this keep me up.

Record Track List

Side A

1. Determination
2. Dance To Our Music
3. Life Has Meaning
4. Nice Smooth Easy

Side B

1. Do The Rock
2. Who’s Makin’ Love
3. Mr. Softy
4. Better Days

Lost And Found was released on November 29, 2024. By the way, the track list on the Record Store Day website is incorrect. It lists “Hard Luck” and “Beat Your Feet,” and not “Nice Smooth Easy,” “Who’s Makin’ Love” or “Mr. Softy.” I’m not sure what “Hard Luck” is, but “Beat Your Feet” was the flip side to “Do The Rock” and it is oddly just a variation of “Do The Rock,” where instead of shouting “Do the rock,” they shout, supposedly, “Beat your feet,” though actually it sounds like they’re singing “Beat your meat,” which makes much more sense.

Johnny Bragg: “Let Me Dream On” (2024) Vinyl Review

This year I just couldn’t bring myself to get out of bed early enough to stand in line outside the record store on Black Friday, even though the list of releases for that day was pretty damn fantastic. But I still managed to get a few gems. One of the records I was particularly excited about was Johnny Bragg’s Let Me Dream On. If you’re not familiar with Johnny Bragg, he was the leader of the band The Prisonaires, which in 1953 had a hit with “Just Walkin’ In The Rain,” released on Sun Records and featuring Johnny’s gorgeous vocal work (Johnnie Ray had an even bigger hit with it a few years later). The band’s name, by the way, was because its members were all incarcerated. Johnny Bragg had been in prison in Tennessee since the mid-1940s, when he was a teenager. He had always insisted on his innocence, and his sentence was commuted in 1959 (though he’d soon be back in prison for violating parole). Several other recordings were made by Johnny Bragg, including many that were never released. That is, until a few weeks ago when Let Me Dream On came out. The record contains fifteen of the tracks from tapes that had been stored in a shed for decades, tapes that included rehearsals, alternate versions of songs, and live recordings. Most of the songs included here were written or co-written by Johnny Bragg.

Side A

“Sometimes I’m lonely, sometimes I’m blue,” Johnny Bragg sings at the beginning of “Take Away The Heartache (Let Me Love Again),” the album’s first track. Oh yes, we all have those moments. And we need to have that one special person to call out to in those times. And then Johnny Bragg pleads, “Take away the heartache/Kiss away the pain/Make my life worth living/And let me love again.” Then one letter is changed, and he sings, “Let me live again,” a line delivered almost as an afterthought that first time. He turns in a beautiful, moving performance. How was this left unreleased for so long? “Take Away The Heartache (Let Me Love Again)” is followed by “She’s Mine,” a fun, lighter number, a love song that begins with some advice: “Gather around, fellas, let me tell you a thing or two/Get you a girl who will be true to you.” He then describes that special woman, who, as he admits, is a plain woman. “Believe me, fellas, that’s where it’s at.”

“Is It True, Darling’?” finds him asking his woman if another man has taken his place, if the rumors are true. “If I did something so wrong/Please forgive me, forgive me/If I did something so wrong/I beg you to forgive me, darling.” Hearing that earnest, passionate vocal delivery, I can’t imagine any woman would deny him that forgiveness he sought. But he still has trouble believing that she would move on, and at the end is asking, “Is it true, darling, is it true?/I got to know, I got to know/Is it true, is it true, is it really true?” That’s followed by “I’ll Never Forget You.” He announces the song’s title at the beginning, and his vocal performance is supported by nice work on piano and bass. “With all of my heart, I believe we will meet again/And when we do, this is what I recommend/Let’s love one another.” Then “I Saw It Coming” is a track that seems like a rehearsal, the lyrics delivered a cappella as he keeps time with some tapping, some snapping. “I made a big mistake, and I know I got to pay/You know how the story goes when you’re poor/But if I ever get on my feet again/I will think twice next time who’s my friend.” And he offers this warning: “What happened to me, it could happen to you.” It’s a powerful track.

“Baby, if this is but a dream/I’m satisfied with dreaming,” Johnny Bragg sings at the beginning of “If This Is A Dream (Let Me Dream On),” this one also delivered a cappella. And what a moving performance! This is one of the best of the record. He sings, “If this is a dream, I pray it lasts forever,” then “If this is a dream, please let me dream on,” which is the song’s final line and gives this collection its title. That song is followed by “It Isn’t Right,” his vocals supported by cool work on organ, giving the song a certain energy. But it is still his great vocal performance that drives the song. “Oh my darling, you know I’ve been true/And there’s nothing I wouldn’t do/If I knew it would bring you back to me.” I believe him. And listen to the way he delivers that last line, “I would cry, but I don’t have any more tears.” The first side then ends with a delicious rock and roll number, “Rock It, Shake It,” which features some nice work on keys. “It’s even got the old folks on their feet.” Hey, am I old now? Oldish, I suppose. “All I want to do is to rock all day,” Johnny Bragg sings in the second half. Me too. After a short nap, of course.

Side B

The second side opens with “Hurt And Lonely,” a song that was written by Johnny Bragg and Dorothy Wade, and one which Johnny Bragg would release as a single. Some cool guitar work gets this one going, and as with the first song on the other side, this one uses the word “lonely” in its first line: “I was hurt, hurt and lonely/When my friend took my love from me.” This is a slow, beautiful number with a heartfelt, passionate vocal performance. And that performance makes this one of the album’s best tracks. That’s followed by “I’ve Got To Stop Trying.” The vocal work here is also outstanding. “If I’m with someone new/My heart is still with you/I can’t pretend I’m gay/I just don’t feel that way/I’ve got to stop trying/To find someone new/I’ve got to start finding/My way back to you.” This is so pretty, so sweet, and is another of my favorites. Then “It’s Been A Beautiful World (Since I Found You)” features some really good guitar work. “Once my life was so lonely, sad and blue/And heaven only knows, dear, what I went through.”

Johnny Bragg starts rocking again with “Let’s Rock, Let’s Roll,” a song he wrote with Leon Luallen. This one contains some fun stuff on keys. It’s the sort of song you expect from Little Richard. Seriously, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn he covered it at some point. There is a great energy, like a party you feel the has been going on for a while, and will go on for a great while longer. “Let’s bop, let’s flip, let’s flop, let’s walk, let’s stroll, let’s sing.” That’s followed by “If It’s Over.” Here he sings, “If it’s over, tell me so/I can’t hold you if you want to go.” This might be the album’s best and most moving vocal performance, and that’s saying something. His vocals are supported by good stuff on keys. We wonder if maybe he’s fooling himself when he sings, “Someday things I know will change/Darlin’, you’ll come back and be mine again.” And at the end, he says he’ll wait for her. Sweet, but sad. This track is another of the record’s highlights.

This record contains a live recording of “You Know It Ain’t Right,” a song written by Deadric Malone (Don Robey), and recorded by Joe Hinton (and several other artists). There is the feeling of a party as this version by Johnny Bragg begins, and the song emerges from that atmosphere. You might find yourself clapping along and echoing “Know it ain’t right” (or, “No, it ain’t right”?). This is a totally enjoyable track. The record ends with another cover, “How Great Thou Art.” Johnny Bragg delivers it in his own special way, taking a more intimate approach, giving an honest performance. It then builds from there, becoming powerful.

Record Track List

Side A

1. Take Away The Heartache (Let Me Love Again)
2. She’s Mine
3. Is it True, Darlin’?
4. I’ll Never Forget You
5. I Saw It Coming
6. If This Is A Dream (Let Me Dream On)
7. It Isn’t Right
8. Rock It, Shake It

Side B

1. Hurt And Lonely
2. I’ve Got To Stop Trying
3. It’s Been A Beautiful World (Since I Found You)
4. Let’s Rock, Let’s Roll
5. If It’s Over
6. You Know It Ain’t Right
7. How Great Thou Art

Let Me Dream On was released on November 29, 2024 through Org Music.

George Gee Swing Orchestra: “Winter Wonderland” (2023) CD Review

The holidays can bring on different moods, and there is music to fit each of those moods. If you’re looking for some fun, energetic Christmas music, music to dance to, you’re going to want to check out George Gee Swing Orchestra’s Winter Wonderland, which was released last year. This is big band Christmas music, featuring a strong rhythm section as well as an exciting brass section. Half of the tracks are instrumentals, and the other half feature the vocal work of John Dokes. And if you need a breather, there are a couple of mellower numbers here for you. George Gee’s band is made up of David Gibson on trombone, Freddie Hendrix on trumpet, Andy Gravish on trumpet and flugelhorn, Michael Hashim on tenor saxophone, Anthony Nelson Jr. on alto saxophone, Patience Higgins on baritone saxophone, Steve Einerson on piano, Malik McLaurine on bass, and Chris Latona on drums.

Set your Christmas party in motion with this group’s energetic rendition of “Winter Wonderland,” the disc’s opening track, here titled “Winter Wonderland Mambo,” to give you a good idea of its vibe. Particularly exciting and enjoyable is that work by Freddie Hendrix on trumpet. Holy moly! This track also features some excellent drumming. Make sure there is room in your home for a dance floor before turning up on the volume on this one. That’s followed by a swinging rendition of “What Child Is This?” which really is a swinging rendition of “Greensleeves.” I don’t often hear this sort of approach taken with this song, but these guys make it work brilliantly. Of course the tone is quite a bit different from what we’re used to with regards to “Greensleeves,” and will likely give you a fresh appreciation of the song, of what it can be. This track also features some vibrant work on trumpet, and there is a cool sax lead. I also love the bass line. Really, the whole band shines here. Seriously. Check out that delicious piano lead toward the end.

The first vocal track of the album is “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” and though its opening moments announce it as a lively rendition, it does settle down for the vocals as you might expect, for this is a sadder song. And while it is a sadder song, the cheerier line “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough” is used in this version (rather than the original “Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow”), and that’s okay here. It’s what you would expect on a swing album. It’s good to hear someone tell us, “From now on, our troubles will be miles away.” It sounds like a promise, doesn’t it? I am hopeful. The vocal delivery contains warmth and perhaps a sense of certainty. The sadness of the song is all but gone. The Fates seem to have promised to allow us all to be together. Then as the musicians settle into “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” it quickly takes on a cool vibe. Comfort and joy, indeed! I want all my holidays to sound like this. What wonderful work on sax! There is an excitement to the delivery of this song, especially in certain sections. This is one of the best versions of this song I’ve heard.

It is interesting to me that a band delivering joyous, high-energy music would choose two of the saddest Christmas songs to cover. In addition to “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” they do “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” As on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” John Dokes joins the group on vocals, and also like the group’s rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” all inherent melancholy is drained – or shaken – from this song. This is a bright, lively version that moves at a fast clip (I’m digging that bass work). We get the feeling that he is just as thrilled to be home only in his dreams as he would be to be there in person. It’s all good, right? For here everything seems right, especially during that piano lead. John Dokes and Hilary Gardner then provide the vocals on the group’s rendition of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” The group here delivers a fairly traditional version, which is fine, and chooses to open it the way Ray Charles did. It’s the vocalists who drive the song, and the two do a delightful job, completely embracing the spirit of the thing, the playfulness of it, the fun of it (just listen to the way John delivers the line “It’s up to your knees out there”). There are some different musicians performing on this track, including Ed Pazant on alto saxophone, Tony Lustig on baritone saxophone, Marcus McLaurine on bass, and Willard Dyson on drums.

Vocalist John Dokes also joins the band on “The Christmas Song,” turning in a warm, beautiful performance. This track too is largely in line with what we normally expect from this song, the band choosing to not take many liberties with it, so it’s mellower than most of this album’s tracks. In addition to that wonderful vocal performance, it contains some nice work on saxophone. That’s followed by “O Tannenbaum,” this one featuring some great stuff on trombone. The band adds its own special touches to this song. I particularly like the drumming here, which kind of sets the tone, the direction of the track. This is another of the disc’s highlights. “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” is the final of the album’s vocal tracks, featuring another strong vocal performance from John Dokes. This track also features a wonderful sax lead. The band wraps up the album with a fun, hopping rendition of “Jingle Bells,” with something of a New Orleans vibe, particularly in the rhythm. “Jingle Bells” has never been one of my favorite Christmas songs, but these guys really deliver an excellent, totally enjoyable rendition. They give the thing fresh life, and more spirit and pizzazz than it probably deserves. Enjoy!

CD Track List

1. Winter Wonderland Mambo
2. What Child Is This?
3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
4. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
5. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
6. Baby, It’s Cold Outside
7. The Christmas Song
8. O Tannenbaum
9. What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
10. Jingle Bells

Winter Wonderland was released on November 1, 2023.