David Thorne Scott: “Thornewood” (2021) CD Review

David Thorne Scott is a vocalist and songwriter who combines folk and jazz on his new album, Thornewood, adding his own special arrangements to some well-known and beloved material, including songs by Townes Van Zandt and John Denver, as well as a couple by Cole Porter, bringing two seemingly different worlds together. He was born in Nebraska, and is now based in the Boston area, so combining two different worlds probably comes naturally to him. This album also features some original material, written by David Thorne Scott. Joining him on this album are Kevin Barry on guitar and lap steel, Mark Shilansky on piano and electric piano, Marty Ballou on bass, Austin McMahon on drums, Walter Smith III on tenor saxophone, and Jason Palmer on trumpet, along with a few special guests on certain tracks.

Thornewood opens with a pretty rendition of John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” that seems to contain the magic of the Colorado Rockies, in part because of the piano part, and features some touching work on saxophone. David Thorne Scott follows that with a cover of “If I Needed You,” presenting it as a duet, as Emmy Lou Harris did with Don Williams. Here Paula Cole joins him on vocals for a beautiful rendition. They slow it down a bit, and add some interesting touches vocally. This is a song that I’ve always loved, and I was fortunate enough to see Townes Van Zandt play in a bar once in Oregon. I really like the way David Thorne Scott approaches this song here.

We then get the first of the original tracks, “Fall Into You,” a love song that features a vibrant and dramatic vocal performance. “I wonder who I was before/I hardly can remember.” There is a lot here to love, including a really good bass line, a great lead on saxophone, and the way the trumpet rises and soars, as if his heart no longer has the words and must rely on this instrument to convey his passion and joy. David Thorne Scott then delivers a seriously cool and totally delightful rendition of Cole Porter’s “In The Still Of The Night,” with a touch of reggae in the guitar work and some surprising backing vocal work. Those backing vocals are also done by David Thorne Scott. And those moments on trumpet contribute a lot to this track, and are part of the reason why this is one of my favorites.

Thaddeus Hogarth joins David Thorne Scott on harmonica for “You Are There,” and makes his presence appreciated from the song’s opening moments. David sounds so sweet, particularly on the song’s title line, that you get the sense he can almost see the person opposite him, and he becomes gentle in that moment. The dream is real for him, and for us. That’s followed by “One For My Baby,” a song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, and made especially popular by Frank Sinatra. Here David Thorne Scott sounds smooth and relaxed, and is joined by Peter Eldridge on vocals. “Make it one for my baby, and one more for the road.” Ah, I suppose no one says “one for the road” anymore. That sort of thing is frowned upon these days, but the phrase somehow retains its appeal. This track features some nice work on electric guitar, particularly during those sections that have a bit of a country rock flavor.

“The Dark Side” is an original song. Its opening lines caught me by surprise, and I found myself chuckling the first time I heard them. They are “Let’s all go to the dark side/It’s always full of charming losers.” Perhaps it’s in part because when I hear “Let’s all go to,” my brain automatically finishes the sentence as “the lobby.” This song has its own distinctive charm, and features some good work on electric piano, as well as a cool bass line and some nice stuff on drums. There is also a bit of scat. At the end he sings, “Maybe we all are already there/The dark side.” Oh yes, we’ve collectively been there for like five years. That’s followed by the second Cole Porter song, “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.” Sara Caswell joins him on violin for this track, delivering some excellent work, as always. Her presence adds a great deal to this rendition.

“Deciding Where To Land” is an original composition, a lively number featuring the horns. At first, the lyrics are about birds, but of course this song is about us as well, finding a place or person to call home. “When the morning mist is hanging in the air/Concealing things below/There’s a longing and a yearning to find somewhere/Or someone to call my home.” And these lines stand out for me: “One thought keeps floating by/I am what I do, and I do nothing/So then just who am I?” Yes, this is a strong track lyrically, with a passionate and nuanced vocal performance. I also love that work on piano. And then when the trumpet has a chance to lead, things get even better. The horns also play an important role in David Thorne Scott’s rendition of “The Summer Knows,” and I especially like that work on saxophone. There is some scat toward the end. That’s followed by “Grow,” the last of the original compositions. This one has a mellow, late-night vibe, but though it feels like a song about the end of a day, it is actually about the beginning of life, about planting a seed, and is a positive number. “It arose in me/And it will soon arise in everyone that I see/Who’s alive, awake, in the know/Then we all will grow.” I love that beautiful lead on saxophone. The album ends where it began, with John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High,” this time already in progress as it fades in, seeming to pick up where that first track left off, the drums getting loose. It then ends gently.

CD Track List

1. Rocky Mountain High
2. If I Needed You
3. Fall Into You
4. In The Still Of The Night
5. You Are There
6. One For My Baby
7. The Dark Side
8. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye
9. Deciding Where To Land
10. The Summer Knows
11. Grow
12. Rocky Mountain High (Outro)

Thornewood was released on January 8, 2021.