Tommy Keene: "Behind The Parade" (2011) CD Review

Tommy Keene's new CD, Behind The Parade, is an album that demands some volume from your stereo. It isn't an album that works well at low volume. It loses something, loses some of its power. This is due to these songs being driven by guitars. On most of these pop rock tracks, the guitars really fill the space. But this album features some good lyrics as well, so don't let the guitars keep you from paying attention to the words. Tommy Keene wrote all of these songs, in addition to performing the vocals and playing the guitars and keyboards. He recorded these tracks at his home.

"Deep Six Saturday"

The album opens with "Deep Six Saturday," which bursts in with a bright-sounding bit of guitar before the rest of the instruments kick in. Something in Tommy Keene's voice might remind you of Tom Petty or possibly Elvis Costello. There is also a bit of 1960s pop feel to this tune. Then the horns come in as a welcome surprise. This is one of the CD's best tracks. Here is a taste of the lyrics: "Our fortified world is tumbling down/Ready for the night to turn around."

"Already Made Up Your Mind"

I really want to hear a stripped down acoustic version of "Already Made Up Your Mind." A stripped down version would give the vocals more strength, more emotional poignancy. And a raw edge that would serve the lyrics better, especially on lines like "Don't say please when you're down upon your knees/And don't you lie when you've already made up your mind."

"Behind The Parade"

"Behind The Parade," the album's title track, has more of an edge. If you don't pay close attention, it might sound like a straight-ahead pop rock tune. But there is more going on here, and there are some interesting changes. Tommy sings, "Everybody has a breaking heart/Everybody, everywhere you go/I was wondering where I fit in/If I ask, would you tell me so." There is great energy in the instrumental section toward the end. This is definitely one of the stronger tracks on this CD. It's one that I appreciated more the more I listened to it.

"Nowhere Drag"

"Nowhere Drag" begins with the guitar fading in, and it actually sounds pretty. Then the steady drum beat announces that this is rock, but it doesn't explode in like you might expect it to. This song features some good lyrics, like "Thank God for match and cigarette/With the only face that I could get."

"La Castana"

"La Castana" is completely different from the preceding tracks (and from everything that is to follow). It's a slow, moody electronic instrumental track. At times it sounds like sunlight bursting from water to shine on an amazed people. It's an interesting track, especially considering how out of its element it seems, but it does run on a bit longer than necessary.

"Running For Your Life"

In "Running For Your Life," guitars lead into a solid steady rock rhythm. And then the song stays true to that rhythm, not varying much. I love the line, "Where will you go when the high is gone, but still the night keeps going on?"

"His Mother's Son"

"His Mother's Son" begins with a rain sound effect, which I never appreciate. The song also ends with the sounds of rain and wind. But in between, there is some good stuff, particularly the instrumental section, which has a lot of heart.

"Lies In My Heart"

The album concludes with "Lies In My Heart," a fun tune mixing elements of early 1980s rock with 1960s pop sensibilities. It's a perfect summer rock tune, one I'd like to see him perform in concert, especially at an outdoor venue. Here is a bit of the lyrics: "A fortunate one who walks alone in dreams today/When people are talking all they hear is what they say."

The song ends with the repeated line, "will fade away," and true to his word, the song fades away.

CD Track List

1. Deep Six Saturday
2. Already Made Up Your Mind
3. Behind The Parade
4. Nowhere Drag
5. La Castana
6. Running For Your Life
7. The Long Goodbye
8. Factory Town
9. His Mother's Son
10. Lies In My Heart
    

Musicians

Musicians appearing on this album are Tommy Keene on lead vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards; Brad Quinn on bass and harmony vocals; Rob Brill on drums; and Chris Bautista on horns.

Behind The Parade is scheduled to be released August 30, 2011 through Second Motion Records.

Ella Fitzgerald And Joe Pass: "Easy Living" (1986/2011 re-issue) CD Review

Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass released their first album together, Take Love Easy, in 1973. They subsequently released two more records (Fitzgerald And Pass...Again and Speak Love) before the tracks for Easy Living were recorded. So they were very familiar with each other, and that shows in this collection of songs. The music seems to flow with ease from these two amazing performers. Easy Living features no other musicians. These songs are all vocals and guitar. And what more do you need?

This re-issue features two bonus tracks, both previously unreleased.

"My Ship"

Easy Living opens with "My Ship," a tune written by Ira Gershwin and Kurt Weill for the musical Lady In The Dark. Loose, somewhat sparse playing by Joe Pass on guitar backs Ella's gorgeous voice. The guitar work seems improvised, even - or especially - during the sudden solo a couple of minutes in. The guitar is mellow, but never dull. Ella's voice is bright and lively, then sultry and sexy. She finds, or creates, wonderful modulations throughout. The song begins, "My ship has sails that are made of silk/The decks are trimmed with gold/And of jam and spice there's a paradise in the hold."

"Don't Be That Way"

I love Ella's voice, and I always expect excellent things from her. But "Don't Be That Way" still surprised me - what she does with this song is wonderful. This track is worth it just to hear the way Ella sings the lines, "Don't break my heart/Honey, please don't be that way." But then it leads into some wonderful scat. This is such a great track, one of the CD's best. There are moments when Ella sounds so young; other times she sounds wise with experience.

An alternate take of this song is included in the bonus tracks. Check out the odd and silly "Pop Goes The Weasel" bit in the scat section of that version.

"Days Of Wine And Roses"

Written by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, "Days Of Wine And Roses" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1962. Ella and Joe do a wonderful job with it. Ella's voice finds incredible depths and still plays lightly at times. When she sings, "The days of wine and roses/Laugh and run away/Like a child at play," her voice seems to be at play. So beautiful.

"Easy Living"

Easy Living is a film I've long wanted to see. Jean Arthur in a sable coat? Yes, that's enough to get me interested. I wasn't aware of this song, but now I'm even more eager to see the film. Written by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger, this song - as sung by Ella - is pretty darn sexy. This version also features a nice guitar solo.

"(I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance With You"

Their version of "(I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance With You" is kind of a sweet, understated interpretation. Though Ella does belt it out now and again, more so as the song goes on. This version really won me over. It features an interesting guitar solo, with a bit of scat thrown in by Ella - probably my favorite part of this track.

"(I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance With You" was written by Bing Crosby, Ned Washington and Victor Young.

"Love For Sale"

Ella and Joe's version of "Love For Sale" begins with Ella doing a muffled bit of humming over Joe's guitar. Ella then sings, "Who will buy/Who would like to sample my supply/Who's prepared to pay the price/For a trip to paradise." Hearing Ella sing this is "a trip to paradise." This track is all Ella, with Joe Pass just playing a good groove beneath her. There are moments full of humor in Ella's delivery, like the second time she sings, "Old love, new love/Every love but true love/Love, love, love, love for sale." There is more muffled humming toward the end, like someone has a hand over her mouth.

"Love For Sale" was written by Cole Porter. An alternate take of this song is included in the bonus tracks.

"Why Don't You Do Right?"

"Why Don't You Do Right?" is a seriously cool song. Written by Joe McCoy and Lester Melrose, this song was famously recorded by Peggy Lee. Ella Fitzgerald sings this with power and authority. She puts you to shame when she sings, "You're sitting down wondering what it's all about/If you ain't got no money they will put you out/Why don't you do right/Like some other men do/Get out of here and get me some money too." It's enough to make me want to straighten out my own financial situation. And Joe Pass is perfect on guitar.

Kelly's Lot does a cool version of this song on their 2009 release Pastrami & Jam.

"I'm Making Believe"

Ella's voice is particularly beautiful on "I'm Making Believe." This song starts with more than a minute of Joe Pass doing a really pretty solo on guitar. Then Ella comes in, "I'm making believe that you're in my arms/Though I know you're so far away/Making believe I'm talking to you/Wish you could hear what I say." This is a beautiful rendition of "I'm Making Believe," which was written by Jimmy Monaco and Mack Gordon.

CD Track List

1. My Ship
2. Don't Be That Way
3. My Man
4. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
5. Days Of Wine And Roses
6. Easy Living
7. (I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of Chance With You
8. Love For Sale
9. Moonlight In Vermont
10. On Green Dolphin Street
11. Why Don't You Do Right?
12. By Myself
13. I Want A Little Girl
14. I'm Making Believe
15. On A Slow Boat To China
16. Don't Be That Way (Take 3, Alternate)
17. Love For Sale (Take 1, Alternate)
    

This special re-issue of Easy Living was released on June 14, 2011 through Concord Music Group as part of their Original Jazz Classics Remasters Series. Five other CDs in that series were also released on that date: Cannonball Adderly with Bill Evans: Know What I Mean?, Chet Baker: In New York, Ornette Coleman: Something Else!!!!, Bill Evans Trio: Explorations, and Thelonious Monk: Thelonious Alone In San Francisco.

Joe Pass died in 1994. Ella Fitzgerald died in 1996.

The Blasters: "Live 1986" (2011) CD Review

I've often said that 1986 was the year that pop music went horribly wrong. It's when it stopped being fun. Music became dull. It was the year the so-called hair bands really took over. We had to put up with Cinderella and Europe and Poison and Whitesnake and Stryper. And at the other end of the spectrum we had Whitney Houston and Billy Ocean putting out songs that were so boring you just wanted to drink some bleach or set your clothes on fire. Remember, 1986 was also the year that Aerosmith kicked drugs (except for drummer Joey Kramer, who'd hold out for another year or so), and they'd never be as good again. We also had the new, less interesting version of Van Halen, not-so-affectionately referred to as Van Hagar. Things had gone wrong.

It's no wonder that 1986 was the year that saw the return of The Monkees, The Grass Roots, The Union Gap and other 1960s bands. People turned to the old stuff, to music they could count on. Anything to escape the vast wasteland of 1986 radio. Sure, there was still some good stuff happening (like 'Til Tuesday and REM), but by and large pop music - and mainstream radio - had gone to hell. Even bands outside the mainstream were feeling the horrid effects of 1986. The Dead Kennedys broke up that year. So did Black Flag. And The Clash. And The Boomtown Rats. Hell, even the Grateful Dead were affected - Jerry Garcia escaped part of the year by going into a diabetic coma.

And 1986 was the year The Blasters played their final shows with their original lineup, before Dave Alvin left (though there would be some reunions later on). The Blasters put out pure fun rock and roll. It sounds like stuff from the 1950s and 1960s, and yet most of these tunes are originals. Written with the heart of roots rock and roll. And heart was hard to come by in 1986. Huey Lewis sang that the heart of rock and roll was still beating, but the year he sang that was 1983. By 1986 Huey was singing about going back in time.

And you could go back in time - sort of - by seeing The Blasters. Like early rock and roll 45s, these songs are pretty short. They breeze in, grab you, and end, the band moving onto the next tune. These songs were recorded at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on February 14, 1986.

"Rock And Roll Will Stand"

The album opens with "Rock And Roll Will Stand," a "Johnny B. Goode"-type tune from The Blasters' 1985 release Hard Line. It's a tune about making it in the music business, with lyrics like, "You're going to get a star on the walk of the fame/Soon you'll have the biggest record in the land/Everybody knows rock and roll will stand." It's not the clearest recording. It seems we're missing the guitars at times in the mix. But hey, things can't be too polished. This is rock and roll.

The guitars are more prominent in the mix by the second tune, "Trouble Bound," also from Hard Line. At times Phil's vocals remind me a bit of Buddy Holly on this one.

"Jubilee Train"

They introduce "Jubilee Train" by saying, "This goes out to all the homeless people." "Jubilee Train" has a great groove and great energy. This is timeless rock. The Blasters must have helped the crowd at The Coach House forget about 1986, and this CD will help you forget about 2011 (if that's your desire). This is earnest rock and roll recorded by good musicians. This is not a cheesy cover band rehashing the classics for an elderly crowd in a park. After all, this tune - one of the CD's best - is an original.

Here is a bit of the lyrics: "Billie Jean was a factory girl/Never had another job in her life/The factory closed down/She was out on the street/She heard about a jubilee train." And yeah, there is a bit of blues in there.

"Jubilee Train" was included on the band's 1983 release, Non Fiction.

"Mystery Train"

"Mystery Train" has always been a favorite of mine. It's been covered by... well, everybody. (I remember a great version by Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders on the Keystone records.)

This version by The Blasters features a steady quick driving beat like a train thundering down the track. It's what makes the song pulse and thrive, rather than the guitars which usually pull the song along. Not that there isn't some darned good stuff on guitar here - because there is, particularly toward the end. "Mystery Train" was written by Junior Parker.

"Just Another Sunday"

"Just Another Sunday" was written by Dave Alvin and John Doe. (For those who aren't familiar with John Doe, he founded the band X, which Dave Alvin joined in the 1980s). This one has a bit of an angrier edge, with its repeated "It's just another Sunday in hell." More rock, less roll on this one. I really dig Phil's vocals on this song.

"I Don't Want To"

"I Don't Want To" is a seriously fun song with a bit of a rebellious attitude, like all good rock and roll has. It starts, "They say I shouldn't waste my life anymore by running around/Well, I should find some nice white girl and settle down/They tell me that's what I should do/But I don't want to." The guitars are glorious, man. Dave Alvin wrote this, and his guitar just screams. This is one of the best tracks.

"Somebody Done Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man"

"Somebody Done Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man" is a great bluesy tune with some wonderful work on harmonica by Phil Alvin. This song features deliciously down and mean lines like, "I'm gonna fix my baby so she can't have no other man." This song is over way too soon. I wish they'd stretched out a bit more.

"I'm Shakin'" is such a cool tune, and these guys do a great job with it. Written by Rudy Toombs, "I'm Shakin'" was also covered by Little Willie John.

"Border Radio"

"Border Radio" is straight-forward, feel-good rock and roll, written by Dave Alvin and featured on the band's 1981 self-title record. Here is a taste of the lyrics: "She tries to remember the heat of his touch/While listening to the Border Radio/She calls toll-free and requests an old song/Something they used to know/She prays to herself that wherever he is/He's listening to the border radio."

"Off The Wall" is a short instrumental tune featuring Phil Alvin on harmonica. It's the album's only instrumental track.

"Long White Cadillac"

"Long White Cadillac" is a seriously fun rock tune that features a nod to "Pipeline" in its extended instrumental intro. At 5:37, this is by the far the longest track on the CD (and some of that is crowd noise after the song has ended). The band cuts loose on this one, and it's easy to picture the audience doing the same. The energy is palpable. Toward the end of the song, Phil sings, "The highway fades to black/It's my last ride/I'm never coming back/In a long white cadillac."

"Long White Cadillac" was included on Non Fiction (1983).

The album concludes with "Marie, Marie," a fast-paced fun number written by Dave Alvin. This song led off the band's 1981 release, and was also included on their 1980 release, American Music. It is also featured in the film Someone To Watch Over Me (1987).

CD Track List

1. Rock And Roll Will Stand
2. Trouble Bound
3. Jubilee Train
4. Mystery Train
5. Just Another Sunday
6. I Don't Want To
7. Somebody Done Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man
8. Help You Dream
9. Crazy Baby
10. I'm Shakin'
11. Border Radio
12. Dark Night
13. Off The Wall
14. Red Rose
15. American Music
16. Long White Cadillac
17. Marie Marie
    

Musicians

The Blasters are Phil Alvin on guitar, vocals and harmonica; Dave Alvin on lead guitar; John Bazz on bass; and Bill Bateman on drums.

Live 1986 was released on May 31, 2011 through Rock Beat Records.

Cannonball Adderley With Bill Evans: "Know What I Mean?" (1961/2011 re-issue) CD Review

I admit that before popping this disc into my player I knew nothing about Julian "Cannonball" Adderley. But I was immediately drawn in and won over. Of course, I had Bill Evans as an access point. Besides playing on this album, it's one of his compositions that begins this release.

Cannonball Adderly played with Miles Davis in the late 1950s, appearing on Milestones (1958), Miles & Monk at Newport (1958), Jazz at the Plaza (1958), Porgy and Bess (1958) and Kind of Blue (1959). (Bill Evans also played on Kind Of Blue.)

"Waltz For Debby"

The album opens with a Bill Evans composition, "Waltz For Debby." This is one of my favorite Bill Evans tunes, and the version here is wonderful. It begins with just Bill Evans on piano - playing delicately, beautifully. It's more than a minute in before the rest of the band comes in, and Cannonball Adderley takes his lead on alto saxophone. And to match Bill's playing, Cannonball's sax is played with beauty and precision. But as the song goes on, Cannonball loosens up, starts blowing harder. It's interesting that after Bill's solo late in the song, when Cannonball comes back in, it's with a softer edge again.

"Goodbye"

"Goodbye" is a mellow tune, and it's Cannonball's song right from the start, with some wonderful, sustained notes. Bill plays softly, perfectly behind him, and when it's his turn at lead, he doesn't really change what he's doing at first. It's more like Cannonball got interested in what Bill was already doing and stopped playing so he could listen to him. I love Bill Evans' work on this song. It's actually quite a while before Cannonball comes back in.

"Goodbye" was written by Gordon Jenkins. Bill Evans included a version of this song on his 1962 release, Empathy.

"Who Cares?"

"Who Cares?" was written by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for the 1931 musical Of Thee I Sing. There is a certain swing to the rhythm created by Percy Heath on bass and Connie Kay on drums. Cannonball takes the lead early, and his playing is so wonderful you don't want him to relinquish the lead, but to just go on and on. He is really singing with that sax.

A different take is included in the bonus tracks.

"Venice"

"Venice" starts off as a sly little number with Percy Heath setting the pace and tone on bass, with some work on cymbals by Connie Kay. Then Cannonball comes in, easing into the structure Percy created. It's not until Bill Evans comes in that the song takes on a bit of a brighter or lighter tone. But it doesn't change all that much. This is a totally cool tune.

"Venice" was written by John Lewis.

"Toy"

"Toy" comes on stronger from the start. This song has a catchy hook on saxophone, and interesting changes throughout. It also has a great quick rhythm. I love what Connie Kay does on this track. "Toy" is definitely one of the album's highlights. It was written by Clifford Jordan.

An alternate take of "Toy" is included in the bonus tracks - a take that was previously unreleased.

"Elsa"

"Elsa" begins with Bill Evans. The bass and drums create a soft, pretty, easy rhythm. And Bill's playing is sweet. It isn't until nearly two minutes in that Cannonball comes in. He raises the energy level a bit, but it's mostly keeping within the perceived boundaries set by the rest of the band.

Interestingly, earlier that same month that this track was recorded, the Bill Evans Trio recorded this tune for inclusion on Explorations. Bill Evans would later record it again for Trio '65. "Elsa" was written by Earl Zindars.

"Nancy (With The Laughing Face)"

"Nancy (With The Laughing Face)" was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Phil Silvers, and was famously recorded by Frank Sinatra. (It was also recorded by Tony Bennett and Ray Charles.) I love the delicate playing of Bill Evans on this album's version. And Cannonball's playing has an almost romantic feel, which then changes Bill's playing at the end. And listen to the bass.

"Know What I Mean?"

As it began, this album concludes with a Bill Evans composition. This one being the title track, "Know What I Mean?" Whereas Bill introduced "Waltz For Debby," Cannonball comes in fairly soon on this tune. It's a mellow tune, until the cool bass solo a minute and thirty-seven seconds in. Then the drums come in with more volume, and change the song. Bill's playing on this one is looser at times, before the song returns to its mellower theme.

An alternate take is included in the bonus tracks. This version is longer, with a significantly different beginning - particularly with what Connie Kay is doing on drums.

CD Track List

1. Waltz For Debby
2. Goodbye
3. Who Cares? (Take 5)
4. Venice
5. Toy (Take 10)
6. Elsa
7. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
8. Know What I Mean? (Re-Take 7)
9. Who Cares (Take 4)
10. Toy (Take 8)
11. Know What I Mean? (Take 12)
    

Musicians

The musicians on this album are Julian "Cannonball" Adderley on alto saxophone, Bill Evans on piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Connie Kay on drums.

This special re-issue of Know What I Mean? was released on June 14, 2011 through Concord Music Group as part of the Original Jazz Classics Remasters series. Also released on that date were five other titles in that series: Bill Evans Trio: Explorations, Chet Baker: In New York, Ornette Coleman: Something Else!!!!, Thelonious Monk: Thelonious Alone In San Francisco, and Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass: Easy Living.

The new liner notes included with this release have little to do with Cannonball Adderly and Bill Evans, and are more about a jazz magazine and an attempt to interview Thelonious Monk. But the original liner notes are also included.

Julian Cannonball Adderley died in August of 1975.

Bill Evans Trio: "Explorations" (1961/2011 re-issue) CD Review

Bill Evans fans have plenty to be happy about these days. Quite a lot of his material is being re-issued, often with bonus tracks - some previously unreleased. The last year has seen the re-issue of Bill Evans Trio's Waltz For Debby (on September 28, 2010), the release of the two-disc set The Definitive Bill Evans On Riverside And Fantasy (on April 5, 2011), the re-issue of the Cannonball Adderley With Bill Evans album Know What I Mean? (on June 14, 2011), and Tony Bennett's The Best Of The Improv Recordings (which includes several duets with Bill Evans, released on July 12, 2011). All of that, in addition to Explorations, means a whole lot of great music.

This special re-issue of Explorations includes four bonus tracks, two of which were previously unreleased.

"Israel"

The CD opens with "Israel." Its first thirty seconds sound disjointed, but not jarringly so. And that intro helps draw the listener in, so he or she is ready when the song really kicks in. This song's most interesting section is the bass solo by Scott LaFaro. It's a soft, almost delicate, and intricate bass solo, played over just the steady closing of the high-hat and a bit of work on the cymbals. Bill Evans comes in for a moment on piano, but the bass solo isn't quite over, and Bill goes silent again. Soon after he comes in again, there is a brief but very unusual drum solo by Paul Motian. His solo is not about rolls or speed. It's about briefly exploring a strange rhythm with the entire kit.

Paul Motian has played with a wide variety of musicians over the years including Thelonious Monk, Arlo Guthrie and Bill Frisell.

"Israel" was written by John Carisi.

"Beautiful Love"

"Beautiful Love" is a peppy tune. At first it's the rhythm by Paul Motian that catches my attention. But then Bill Evans comes to the fore. At times, Bill Evans seems to be playing two complete piano parts at once. There is something loose, yet precise about his playing that is intriguing. "Beautiful Love" was written by Haven Gillespie, Wayne King, Egbert Van Alstyne and Victor Young. It was introduced in 1931 by the Wayne King Orchestra.

A different, longer take of this tune is included in the bonus tracks. At moments, this other version seems gloriously less structured, with more energy.

"Nardis"

"Nardis" was written by Miles Davis. It appeared on Cannonball Adderly's 1958 release, Portrait Of Cannonball, an album that features Bill Evans on piano. Bill Evans of course played with Miles Davis for a short period in the late 1950s, appearing 1958 Miles (1958) and Kind Of Blue (1959). "Nardis" is a fairly mellow tune. It feature nice work on bass by Scott LaFaro, though his time in the lead position might go on a tad long.

"How Deep Is The Ocean?"

"How Deep Is The Ocean?" was written by Irving Berlin in 1932. It has been covered by many artists, including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and The Isley Brothers. Bill Evans' version has a good steady groove, with some wonderful work on piano.

A slightly longer take is included in the bonus tracks - one that was previously unreleased. Bill Evans' playing is more playful, fanciful at the beginning of this version, and I really like it. This version makes this re-issue worth owning.

"I Wish I Knew"

"I Wish I Knew" was written by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon. The version here is a slow, thoughtful rendition. A different take is included in the bonus tracks.

"Sweet And Lovely"

The original album concluded with "Sweet And Lovely," written by Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias, and Jules Lemare. Lots of folks have covered this song over the years, including Thelonious Monk, Sonny Stitt, Blue Mitchell and Buddy Powell. But this rendition by Bill Evans is particularly interesting. It definitely has the feel of a loose jam. And Paul Motian often stops, then springs back into action - while Bill Evans and Scott LaFaro just cut loose and play. And then Paul has another bizarre solo toward the end. This is one of my favorite tracks on this release.

CD Track List

1. Israel
2. Haunted Heart
3. Beautiful Love
4. Elsa
5. Nardis
6. How Deep Is the Ocean?
7. I Wish I Knew
8. Sweet And Lovely
9. The Boy Next Door
10. Beautiful Love (Take 1)
11. How Deep Is The Ocean? (Take 2)
12. I Wish I Knew (Take 2)
    

The Bill Evans Trio is Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums.

This special re-issue of Explorations was released on June 14th through Concord Music Group as part of the Original Jazz Classics Remasters series. Also released on that date were five other titles in that series: Cannonball Adderly with Bill Evans: Know What I Mean?, Chet Baker: In New York, Ornette Coleman: Something Else!!!!, Thelonious Monk: Thelonious Alone In San Francisco, and Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass: Easy Living.

Fur Dixon & Steve Werner: "Songs Of The Open Road Volume One" (2011) CD Review

Though the majority of songs they perform in concert are originals, Fur Dixon & Steve Werner have always chosen some wonderful tunes to cover. So it seemed only natural that they should eventually release an album of covers. And that is exactly what Songs Of The Open Road Volume One is. The album's title is no false promise. These are songs of the road, of the land, of travel.

As they generally do in concert and on their original CDs, they trade off lead vocals, track by track.

"Southbound"

Fur Dixon & Steve Werner open Songs Of The Open Road Volume One with "Southbound," a wonderful tune written by Doc Watson and Merle Watson. This is a perfect song for this duo, as it's about being stuck in a city, listening to the sounds of trains. These are themes and images these two are drawn to again and again. Steve does the lead vocals on this one, and I absolutely love the way he sings it. Brantley Kearns plays fiddle on this track.

"I Like How I Feel"

"I Like How I Feel" is a sweet, slow love song written by Randall Lamb. I can't get enough of Fur singing the slower tunes. They're among my favorites of their original material, and Fur does an excellent job with this song. It starts, "My eyes are on the road/My hands are on the wheel/When I'm with you/I like the way that I feel." Again, these lyrics fulfill the promise of the album's title. Fur Dixon & Steve Werner often sing of traveling; in fact, their previous album was titled Travelers.

John McDuffie plays pedal steel on this one.

"Do Re Mi"

"Do Re Mi" is a song that Fur Dixon and Steve Werner often perform in concert. Steve has said it's his favorite Woody Guthrie tune. Those of us who live in California find these lyrics sadly still accurate and relevant: "California is the garden of Eden/A paradise to live in or see/But believe it or not/You won't find it so hot/If you ain't got the do re mi."

Otoño Lujan plays button accordion on this track. Tony Zamora plays guitarron. They give the song a happier, almost celebratory feel, which is a wonderful juxtaposition with the desperation and cynicism (read that as realism) of the lyrics. I also love what Steve does on guitar on this track.

"Dreary Black Hills"

"Dreary Black Hills" is a traditional folk song that is incredibly pretty. I know I've said it before, but Fur has such a great voice. And it's so well suited for traditional, timeless folk songs.

Steve Werner plays banjo on this track. Brantley Kearns plays fiddle.

"Waitin' For The Hard Times To Go"

"Waitin' For The Hard times To Go" is one of those great sad folk tunes full of yearning. Steve sings it with just the right emotion in his voice. It was written by Jim Ringer. Here is a taste of the lyrics: "I need someone to talk to/But I want you to know/I ain't putting you down/But I don't like your town/Just hanging around/Waiting for the hard times to go."

"Clay Pigeons"

"Clay Pigeons" is a wonderful song written by Blaze Foley. Fur's voice is so sweet, even on what could be a silly line like, "Go where the people say 'y'all'." This song really captures what Fur Dixon & Steve Werner are all about, especially in lines like "Singing songs for the people I meet" and "Singing songs with a friend." Music always seems the best way of communicating - because it's not just thoughts, but emotions that are conveyed. And people are more able to hear you if they can feel what you're saying. Perhaps that's why everyone who hears Fur Dixon and Steve Werner immediately thinks of them as friends.

"De Colores"

"De Colores" is a surprise. It's a traditional tune, sung completely in Spanish. Steve sings lead, and does a great job with it. There is an undeniable beauty to this song. Otoño Lujan plays accordion on this track.

"The Dealers" and "Prairie In The Sky"

The only songwriter to be represented twice on this album is Mary McCaslin. This is another surprise. Those who have seen Fur & Steve in concert might expect two Woody Guthrie songs, or two Johnny Cash songs to appear on this release. Mary McCaslin is known not only for her songwriting, but also for her interesting covers of folk, pop and rock tunes. She also performed and recorded with her husband, Jim Ringer (who wrote this album's "Waiting For The Hard Times To Go").

Fur Dixon sings lead on "The Dealers." Paul Cartwright plays fiddle on this track.

Steve Werner takes lead vocal duties on "Prairie In The Sky." John McDuffie plays pedal steel on this one. Tom Russell and Bill Staines have also covered this song.

"Prairie In The Sky" and "The Dealers" were both included on Mary McCaslin's 1975 release, Prairie In The Sky (which was re-issued in 1995).

"I Cannot Settle Down"

The album concludes with "I Cannot Settle Down," an excellent folk song written by Dan Janisch. Fur sings lead on this one. Steve joins her on the chorus: "But you see I cannot settle down/There's just so much that's left unfound/So I'll keep drifting like a cloud/On the wind, on the wind." A perfect ending to this collection of songs about the road. Paul Marshall plays auto-harp on this track. Steve Werner plays banjo.

CD Track List

1. Southbound
2. I Like How I Feel
3. Do Re Mi
4. Dreary Black Hills
5. Waitin' For The Hard Times To Go
6. Clay Pigeons
7. De Colores
8. The Dealers
9. Prairie In The Sky
10. I Cannot Settle Down
    

Musicians

Musicians on this album include Fur Dixon on vocals, rhythm guitar and bells; Steve Werner on vocals, lead guitar and banjo; Paul Marshall on bass and auto-harp; John McDuffie on pedal steel guitar; Brantley Kearns on fiddle; Paul Cartwright on fiddle; Otoño Lujan on button accordion; and Tony Zamora on guitarron.

Fur and Steve show no signs of slowing down, and for that I'm grateful. The "Volume One" in the title implies more to come. Here are my requests for volume two: "I'll Fly Away," "I Got Stripes" and "This Land Is Your Land," all three being songs they cover in concert.

Fur Dixon and Steve Werner put on a wonderful show. They don't really tour much outside of the Los Angeles area (despite the majority of their material being about traveling), so you have to come out here. It would be worth the trip to see them - even if you did nothing else while you were here.

Songs Of The Open Road Volume One was released February 1, 2011 through Grass And Gravel Records.

Fur Dixon & Steve Werner At McCabe's 7-15-11 Concert Review

Last night Fur Dixon & Steve Werner put on a phenomenal show at McCabe's in Santa Monica. The room was crowded even though the authorities had put the fear into people about driving during what they're calling "Carmageddon" - which is the time while the 405 highway is closed. The 405 was still open during the drive to the show, and though it was rush hour on a Friday (when traffic is usually at a standstill everywhere in L.A.), we got from North Hollywood to Santa Monica in fifteen minutes. Thanks, terrified people, for not being on the road.

Steve Werner joked right at the beginning of the concert about the whole traffic scare, "What are they going to show us that we haven't seen already?" He also said that they made it from the valley to Santa Monica quicker than ever before.

Fur Dixon & Steve Werner did two sets. The first set was basically their new album, Songs Of The Open Road Volume One. They played all of the tracks from it, though not in the same order as they're presented on the CD. Songs Of The Open Road is an album of covers - their first such recording, and it includes a lot of great tunes. Some of the songwriters that Fur & Steve covered on that album were in the audience, including Randall Lamb and Dan Janisch.

They opened with "Southbound," a tune written by Doc Watson and Merle Watson. This is also the song that opens the album, and it was a great choice to start the evening. After that tune Steve talked about how great it was to play at McCabe's, "where all my favorite people play. Now I can be one of my favorite people."

Fur Dixon introduced "Dreary Black Hills," a traditional tune, by saying it is "the way folk music, in my opinion, is supposed to be done."

After that song, they introduced the band. Brantley Kearns was on fiddle. Fur said that his presence gave them legitimacy. Brantley has played with David Bromberg, Dwight Yoakam and Rick Shea, among others. He also played fiddle in the Robert Altman film McCabe & Mrs. Miller (which of course qualifies him as one of the coolest people on the planet). John "Groover" McDuffie was on pedal steel. John has played with Rita Coolidge and The Psychedelic Cowboys, and is also a songwriter. Paul Marshall was on stand-up acoustic bass. Paul Marshall will be familiar to music fans as the bass player for I See Hawks In L.A. He also, back in the day, sang with The Strawberry Alarm Clock. Yes, that Paul Marshall. All of these musicians play on the new CD as well.

Otoño Lujan joined the band on accordion for "De Colores," and stayed for the rest of the first set. (He also plays on Songs Of The Open Road.) "De Colores" was played with an incredible amount of passion, and was the only song of the evening not sung in English.

During the intro to "Do Re Mi," Steve mentioned that his birthday had been the day before - July 14th - which is also Woody Guthrie's birthday. Of all the songs presented on the new CD, "Do Re Mi" is the one that Fur Dixon & Steve Werner have performed the most often, and they always do a great job with it. Steve has said before that it is his favorite Woody Guthrie tune.

They ended the first set with "I Cannot Settle Down," which Fur Dixon dedicated to her mother, who was in the audience. Fur credited her as being the source of her travel bug. After that song, a birthday cake was brought up on stage for Steve. He joked that there were twenty extra candles on it.

The band then took a set break, and invited the audience to partake of the cake. (It was delicious, by the way.)

They opened the second set with "Ventura County Line," one of my favorite songs from their first full-length CD, The Pearl And The Swine (2006).

Before "Homesick For The Highway Blues," Steve asked to hear everyone's yodel. He then generously judged the collective yodel "Excellent," which got a laugh from the crowd, who knew better. "Homesick For The Highway Blues" is from Fur & Steve's 2009 release, Travelers. They played several songs from that album during the second set, including the absolutely beautiful "Summer's Gone Again." Steve played harmonica at the beginning and end of that song.

In introducing "Scars," Steve joked, "This song is called 'Scars,' and it goes out to anyone who has it comin' to him." Steve also joked during his introduction to "Brother Tumbleweed," "This song goes out to every crusty old dude in here."

Throughout the night, but especially before (and during) "Journey To Another Side," there was a lot of sweet joking around between Fur and Steve. Fur said that a man cleaning around the house is sexy, but Steve said he wasn't going to fall for that. He thought instead of being sexy it was exhausting. And on the line "You and me and things that last the test of time," Fur gave Steve a playful kick. Fur sang "the ripe old age of 95" instead of "65." And on the line about "big underwear," Steve cheered, which got a laugh from the audience (and band members, for that matter). Otoño Lujan returned to the stage for "Journey To Another Side," and stayed for the rest of the second set and encore.

The audience sang along with "Backroads And Blues Skies," an old favorite from The Pearl And The Swine, and "Friends Around The Fire," a newer favorite from Travelers. (As a side note to Bob Dylan fans, Scarlet Rivera plays fiddle on the album version of "Backroads And Blue Skies.")

The encore was an excellent rendition of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" - complete with all the verses, not just the ones deemed nice enough for radio back in the day. Steve Werner has said before that this song should be our national anthem, and I completely agree. I encourage folks to sing this song whenever the current national anthem is played. Sing it loudly.

Set List

Set I

1. Southbound
2. The Dealers
3. Prairie In The Sky
4. Dreary Black Hills
5. Waiting For The Hard Times To Go
6. I Like How I Feel
7. De Colores
8. Clay Pigeons
9. Do Re Mi
10. I Cannot Settle Down
    

Set II

1. Ventura County Line
2. Homesick For The Highway Blues
3. Summer's Gone Again
4. Scars
5. Journey To Another Side
6. Brother Tumbleweed
7. Backroads And Blues Skies
8. Friends Around The Fire
   

Encore:

1. This Land Is Your Land

After the show, Fur Dixon and Steve Werner signed copies of their CDs.

By the way, though the 405 wasn't supposed to close until midnight, we found it closed at 10:48 p.m. We ended up taking Santa Monica to Coldwater Canyon, and there was no traffic whatsoever. Thanks again, terrified people, for staying off the roads and out of our way. But you did miss a fantastic concert.

McCabe's is located at 3101 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica, California.