Charlie Faye & The Fayettes: “Charlie Faye & The Fayettes” (2016) CD Review

With Charlie Faye & The Fayettes, Charlie Faye’s new project, she explores her love of 1960s girls group likes the Shirelles and the Crystals. But the self-titled debut album is not a CD of covers. In fact, there are no covers here. All the tracks are originals, written or co-written by Charlie Faye (though “Coming Round The Bend” will remind you strongly of the Crystals’ “Then He Kissed Me”). This is fun pop with a very strong and totally delightful 1960s (and even 1950s) vibe. Charlie Faye is joined by BettySoo and Akina Adderley on backing vocals to round out that great girl group sound. And they are backed by a band that includes Eric Holden, Pete Thomas, Lyle Workman, Dillon O’Brian, Roger Manning and Steve Elson, with special appearances by Tony Gilkyson and Marcus Watkins. So you know they’re not just goofing around here.

This CD opens with “Green Light,” in which a woman urges her guy to pick up the pace a bit. Charlie Faye sings, “Don’t hesitate/Don’t make me wait/I’ll open up the gates/You’ve got the green light, baby, go.” Oh yes, I love an anxious, randy chick. But you know, sometimes we guys are a bit clueless, and it takes a woman being as straightforward as these gals are in this song to clue us in. We certainly appreciate it. “Green Light” was written by Charlie Faye and Craig Marshall. The group follows that tune with “Loving Names,” which has something of a western vibe and a familiar beat in certain sections. “All those loving names you used to call me/All those loving names are overused/All those loving names, they now appall me/Because when they hit my hit ears I can only think of you.”

“Heart” is so sweet, with a sound so innocent and delightful. Maybe it’s odd, but I started thinking about John Waters while listening to this song, as it seems like it would fit perfectly in one of his 1950s/1960s-type movies. And hey, when is John Waters going to direct another film? It’s been more than a decade. Anyway, this is a wonderful song. Here is a taste of the lyrics, sung to her own heart: “One day you tell me he’s the only one/The next day scare me off and make me run/Don’t be cruel, heart, to this poor fool/Who always listens to you.” And I like these lines: “They say to follow where you lead me/But you don’t know where you’re going.” Ah, you won’t be able to hear the line “Follow your heart” quite the same way again after this tune.

“Eastside” then has more of a rock and roll groove, with something of a soul vibe. Tony Gilkyson and Marcus Watkins join the band on guitar on this track. This one is a lot of fun, and with lyrics that certainly don’t lack something to say. “Now things have been changing every day on the eastside/People are moving, the hipsters are grooving, all right/New buildings going up/Old houses coming down/Who’s going to look out for the people/Who grew up in this part of town.” “Eastside” was written by Charlie Faye, Eric Holden and Dave Raven.

Another favorite is “One More Chance,” which has a wonderful R&B vibe. It’s a song about hoping life will give her another chance at a love, after she didn’t quite take advantage of the first opportunity. It’s a really strong track. “If life gives me one more chance/At a love like yours/I’ll take it/I’ll never, never ever walk away again/Never ask for more/Won’t forsake it.”

“Delayed Reaction” is another highlight. It is so ridiculously catchy and fun, a total delight. “Then there were days when I felt perfectly okay/I had myself convinced that I was on my way/But then some memory would sneak right up and say/So much for your plan of action.” And just when I thought it couldn’t get any cuter, this wonderful, though brief, instrumental section surprised me. “Delayed Reaction” was written by Charlie Faye and Bill Demain. The CD then concludes with “It’s All Happening,” a positive-sounding song which features Tony Gilkyson on guitar. “But now the words of love ring true/Just like this song I’m singing to you.”

CD Track List

1. Green Light
2. Loving Names
3. Sweet Little Messages
4. Carelessly
5. Heart
6. Eastside
7. Coming Round The Bend
8. One More Chance
9. See You Again
10. Delayed Reaction
11. It’s All Happening 

Charlie Faye & The Fayettes is scheduled to be released on June 10, 2016.

The Honeycutters: “On The Ropes” (2016) CD Review

The Honeycutters are a country and folk band based in Asheville, North Carolina, and led by vocalist and songwriter Amanda Anne Platt (who also plays acoustic guitar), and featuring Matthew Smith on guitar and pedal steel, Rick Cooper on bass, Josh Milligan on drums and Tal Taylor on mandolin. On their new CD, On The Ropes, the band’s fourth studio album, they are joined by Jeff Collins on piano, Jason Webb on organ and Mark Platt on harmonica. This CD features mostly original material, written by Amanda Anne Platt, and the songwriting is one of this band’s many strengths. There are a lot of lines that stand out, that ring true, lyrics you can hold onto. It doesn’t come out on CD for another month or so, but for you vinyl fans, there was a special vinyl release on Tuesday.

The album opens with its title track, “On The Ropes,” which begins with just Amanda’s voice delivering the first line a cappella – a good introduction to this band for those of us who haven’t heard the earlier releases. It’s a song about someone who can take care of herself, or at least who claims she can. But I believe her when she sings, “I’ve got everything I need to get me through the night.” And I love these lines: “I’ve made my mistakes, you know I’ve paid a lot to feel this bad/It’s a thousand dollar hangover, it ain’t even the worst I’ve had.” That’s followed by “Blue Besides,” a beautiful tune, and one of my favorites. The light, sweet sound of the mandolin works wonderfully with the earnest, strong vocal performance of Amanda Ann Platt, creating a strangely positive feel, which is matched by lines like “And you’ll forget the things you know/But it ain’t giving up, it’s letting go” and “Heck no, you didn’t get it right/But you can try again tonight.”

“The Handbook” is a light, playful, catchy country love song. Check out these lines: “Babe, you give me too much credit/If there’s a handbook, I ain’t read it/All I know’s when we’re together my heart starts singing/I’m gonna let her/And you don’t have to ask to kiss me/I like it when you taste like whiskey.” This is a song I imagine played at a country bar, giving couples a chance to exchange smiles and laughs and kisses. And we can all use songs like that, eh?

Speaking of good lyrics, I like these from “The Only Eyes”: “Now I want you to love me/But I want to say when/And I want to say how much/I want to know how it ends.” And this line from “Useless Memories”: “Or did you just forget you don’t live here anymore?” It’s a simple, yet heartbreaking line. “Useless Memories” is one of my favorites. It has a relaxed, country vibe with some nice work on pedal steel. But it is the song’s lyrics that really make it stand out. “And now you’ve found some happiness/But you treat it like a guest/Waiting on fate to change its mind.”

“Let’s Get Drunk” is an upbeat country bar song with some nice work on harmonica and piano, and lyrics you really can’t argue with: “’Cause if the ship is really sinking/Then what’s the use in waiting ‘til it’s sunk/Baby, we’re already drinking/So we might as well get drunk.”  But the line I really like is, “And if I’m going to live with my choices I expect that I’ll regret at least a few.” Probably my favorite vocal performance on this CD is that on “Ache.” I just love the way Amanda delivers the lines of this song, and to sparse accompaniment so that it’s really all about her voice. “When you bring your hand to my face/When you hold me and whisper my name/Baby, I ache.”

I’ve said it often, and it remains true: Leonard Cohen is the world’s best songwriter. So if you’re going to include one cover song on your CD, why not cover the best? These days it seems like a large number of artists are choosing his “Hallelujah” (from Various Positions, one of my all-time favorite records), and finding something personal to say with it. The Honeycutters’ version is quite a bit different from most renditions I’ve heard. It feels a bit faster, and much more strongly situated in the country realm. Like most bands covering this song, The Honeycutters use Leonard Cohen’s updated lyrics rather than those found on Various Positions, singing, for example, the lines “There was a time when you let me know/What’s really going on below/But now you just don’t show that to me, do ya/But I remember when I moved in you/And the holy dove was moving too/And every breath we drew was hallelujah.” They do change the line “But you don’t really care for music, do you” to “But you don’t give a damn about music, do you,” which I have mixed feelings about. This version also has a nice instrumental section, led by mandolin.

The album then concludes with “Barmaid’s Blues,” a wonderful tune that finds two people sharing a drink and memories. “I broke the years down, I turned ‘em into days/And one by one I danced ‘em all away.”

CD Track List

1. On The Ropes
2. Blue Besides
3. Golden Child
4. The Handbook
5. The Only Eyes
6. Back Row
7. Useless Memories
8. Piece Of Heaven
9. Let’s Get Drunk
10. 500 Pieces
11. Ache
12. Hallelujah
13. Barmaid’s Blues 

On The Ropes is scheduled to be released on CD on May 20, 2016 on Organic Records. And as I mentioned, a special vinyl issue was released on April 12, 2016.

Daria: “Strawberry Fields Forever: Songs By The Beatles” (2016) CD Review

Daria is a jazz vocalist from San Francisco, and her new album, Strawberry Fields Forever, is her tribute to The Beatles. There are a lot of Beatles tribute albums out there, as you know, in basically every musical genre you can think of.  What Daria does on this album is focus mostly on the band’s later years, with songs from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (“When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Fixing A Hole”), Abbey Road (“Come Together”) and The White Album (“Blackbird,” “Julia,” “Helter Skelter”). Apparently the original title for this project was The Off White Album. So there you go. The songs she’s chosen are all Lennon and McCartney compositions (sorry, George and Ringo), though certainly there is a bit of a George influence heard at the beginning of her rendition of “Strawberry Fields Forever.” She gives many of these songs a Latin vibe.

The CD opens with “When I’m Sixty-Four,” a cool version with something of a swing to it, some good work on drums by Deszon Claiborne, and some nice work on horns, particularly during the instrumental section (that’s Melecio Magdaluyo on saxophone). Daria gives a somewhat playful vocal performance here, which is quite fitting. She follows that with “Strawberry Fields Forever,” which as I mentioned has a nod to George Harrison at the beginning. That’s Joseph Cohen on sitar. It begins well, but then Daria takes it in a direction that doesn’t quite work for me. It just doesn’t feel right to my ears, though I do like Jonathan Alford’s work on piano.

Daria gives “Come Together” a Brazilian rhythm, which comes as a bit of a surprise, but I did get into it; it just took a moment to adjust, to discard any expectations I had. And I really dig the bass and guitar work here. “Can’t Buy Me Love” is the earliest song Daria covers on this album, one of two songs from 1964 (the other being “If I Fell”). And it’s one of the most successful, in my opinion. This arrangement works really well, and Daria seems to be having a great time here, even delivering some playful scat. And I love the way the bass and piano work together in the cool instrumental section, along with wonderful stuff on drums. This is one of my favorite tracks. Another big surprise is Daria’s rendition of “Helter Skelter.” I wouldn’t have expected this to work as well as it does. The energy is obviously very different from that in the original rendition, but this version so damn cool and catchy and wonderful. It has a funky edge and is a whole lot of fun. I love this track.

I’ve heard a lot of versions of “Blackbird” over the years, some beautiful, some not so beautiful. Daria does something interesting with it. She is at first accompanied only by bass, and her delivery is quite pretty – at times almost delicate. She then takes the song in a completely different direction, making it a medley, sliding into Ralph Towner’s “Icarus,” an instrumental tune to which Daria adds some vocals (though no lyrics). This section becomes a full band song, with a Latin rhythm. Daria then goes into “Bye Bye Blackbird,” written by Ray Henderson and Mort Dixon. And though “Bye Bye Blackbird” is not a Beatles song, there is a Beatles connection. Ringo Starr recorded it for his 1970 album Sentimental Journey, and more recently Paul McCartney included a version of it on Kisses On The Bottom (what a cheeky title). Daria then returns to “Blackbird” at the end. I do kind of wish she had kept going with just the vocals and bass, because I really like that, and the rest, though interesting, feels unnecessary, particularly as it breaks the pattern of Beatles songs.

Interestingly, Daria breaks that pattern again, and concludes this CD with an original song, “She’s Going Home.” The title of course makes us think of “She’s Leaving Home,” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. And we think this is perhaps the same girl, quite a bit later, returning home. Interestingly, as the song starts, the girl is in the process of leaving, just as she is in “She’s Leaving Home,” and we don’t immediately know where she is or where she’s going.  “She turned to look for one last time/Then headed for the door/Left the key by the telephone/Doesn’t live here anymore.” Apparently things didn’t work out too well for her out there. The feel of the song seems to hold the promise of a haven at home. But who knows?

CD Track List

1. When I’m Sixty-Four
2. Strawberry Fields Forever
3. Come Together
4. Fixing A Hole
5. Can’t Buy Me Love
6. Bird Medley: Blackbird, Icarus, Bye Bye Blackbird
7. The Fool On The Hill
8. If I Fell
9. Julia
10. Helter Skelter
11. She’s Going Home 

Strawberry Fields Forever: Songs By The Beatles is scheduled to be released on April 15, 2016 on OA2 Records.

Dar Stellabotta: “Broke In The USA” (2016) CD Review

Dar Stellabotta is a folk artist based in Huntingtown, Maryland, playing banjo and guitar to accompany her vocals. Her new CD, Broke In The USA, has a cool, unpolished, raw vibe. It’s like banjo played with punk sensibilities, with an immediate, honest, unapologetic sound.

This EP kicks off with “Rachael Joined The Machine,” which has my favorite title of the album, and is one of my favorite tunes as well. This song is banjo and vocals, and yet has something of a blues feel, with lines like “I need a haircut” and “I am broke and I need new shoes.” And check out these lines: “My friend Rachael joined the race/I ain’t seen her in a decade/You know what I mean, know what I mean/Know what I mean, know what I mean/Rachael, my friend Rachael, joined the machine.” That’s followed by “Brother Ray,” which is a more energetic song, with percussion. The vocals are delivered with a punk energy and attitude. “I think it’s about time for some dancing again.” Oh yes. And then “Lost In The Dirt” has some simple, steady strumming, which gives a stronger focus to the vocals and to the lyrics. “I was born this way/Can’t seem to find a better way/’Cause the sun won’t shine for the sinners out there/You’d better watch out, you’d better take care.”

The first song I heard from this CD was “Fountain Of Youth,” and it’s the one that got me interested in this artist. It remains one of my favorites, and I actually like it more and more each time I listen to this disc. There is something of a fuller and sweeter sound to this one, and a really nice instrumental section at the end. “’Cause you’ve been going too long and too hard/To give up now/You want to stop/But you don’t know how.” My other favorite is the CD’s closing track, “Old With You,” a love song that is as much about love itself as it is about a specific love. The sound of this one just makes me happy. There is a sweetness and innocence to this song that is delightful as she sings, “I don’t need much to get me through this life/All I need is you and a warm blanket at night/A cold glass of water and some foot-stompin’ tunes/A nice warm meal and running water in my room.” And: “Some people think love is a fairy tale/To get to heaven you gotta trek through hell/I just want to grow old with you.”

CD Track List

1. Rachael Joined The Machine
2. Brother Ray
3. Lost In The Dirt
4. Fountain Of Youth
5. Old Man Willy
6. Love Is Like A Tree
7. Old With You 

Broke In The USA was released in March of 2016, and is available as a free download on Dar Stellabotta’s website. By the way, she is also a silk screen artist, and you can check out her work on that website as well.

The Bo-Keys: “Heartaches By The Number” (2016) CD Review

The first thing you’ll probably notice about Heartaches By The Number, the new CD by The Bo-Keys, is the cover, which has a 1960s pop feel, with the pretty woman, the jukebox, and the songs listed on the front. And the music certainly fits the expectations set up by that cover – a cool mix of soul, country and rock sounds. And the choices of covers for this release also fit that vibe, with tunes by Hank Williams, Bob Dylan and Floyd Cramer. The Bo-Keys have been around for nearly two decades, but if you’re not familiar with the band, you’re probably still familiar with some of their work. They played on Cyndi Lauper’s Memphis Blues album, which was produced by bass player Scott Bomar. They also appeared in the 2008 movie Soul Men. Marc Franklin has toured with Bobby “Blue” Bland, and drummer Howard Grimes has played with Al Green. These are talented musicians. The group also has some good guest musicians on this CD.

Heartaches By The Number opens with the title track, a song written by Harlan Howard and famously recorded by Ray Price. The Bo-Keys give it a fuller sound, with a soul groove and some nice touches on saxophone and keys. Don Bryant joins the band on vocals for this track. By the way, Cyndi Lauper recorded this song for her new country album, which will be released in May. “Heartaches By The Number” is followed by “Set Me Free,” which begins with a bit of spoken word. It was written by Curly Putman, and recorded by Tom Jones and Merle Haggard, among others. John Paul Keith plays acoustic guitar on this track.

The Bo-Keys deliver an interesting take on Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” bringing it more into the realm of Otis Redding or Sam Cooke, with horns and organ. This is a very cool, soulful rendition. That’s followed by another favorite track, a cover of Merle Haggard’s “The Longer You Wait.” As you know, the world just lost Merle Haggard, and this track reminds us just what a great songwriter he was (though probably my favorite song of his is “Sing Me Back Home”). This song was originally included on Haggard’s 1966 record Swinging Doors. I love what The Bo-Keys do with this song, giving it a sound that reminds me a bit of some of Michael Nesmith’s work. And I love that pedal steel. I also like The Bo-Keys’ slow, soulful folk version of Bob Dylan’s “I Threw It All Away,” a song from Dylan’s Nashville Skyline album.

“Learned My Lesson In Love” is a fun soul tune. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Seems like everything I do is wrong/Oh, it is/Cupid shot an arrow straight through my heart/I played with love, I got torn apart/Little did I know how fast I could go/From one hundred to zero.” They follow that with a cover of “She’s All I Got,” here titled “Don’t Take Her (She’s All I Got),” a song written by Jerry Williams Jr. and Gary U.S. Bonds, and previously recorded by Freddie North, Johnny Paycheck and Tracy Byrd. The Masqueraders provide some vocals on this track. “Wasted Days And Wasted Nights,” written by Freddy Fender, is one of the highlights for me, with a good early rock and roll feel. The album ends with a cool instrumental track, “Last Date,” written by Floyd Cramer and originally recorded and released in 1960. (You might also be familiar with the Conway Twitty version, which features lyrics that he wrote.)

CD Track List

1. Heartaches By The Number
2. Set Me Free
3. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
4. The Longer You Wait
5. I Threw It All Away
6. Learned My Lesson In Love
7. Don’t Take Her (She’s All I Got)
8. I Hope You Find What You’re Looking For
9. Wasted Days And Wasted Nights
10. Last Date

Heartaches By The Number is scheduled to be released on April 29, 2016 through Omnivore Recordings.

The Staple Singers: “Amen!/Why” (2016) CD Review

The Staple Singers had a good, long career, blending gospel, soul, folk and pop. Amen!/Why contains two complete albums that the group released in the mid-1960s on Epic Records. These records feature several traditional songs, as well as some originals, a few of which the group had recorded earlier on another label. You don’t have to be the least bit religious to enjoy these tracks; you just have to appreciate good, strong, passionate vocal performances. This CD features new liner notes by Gene Sculatti.

Amen!

Amen! opens with “More Than A Hammer And Nail,” an upbeat song written by Roebuck Staples that features some very cool vocals, as well as some nice work on guitar. That’s followed by a nice, slow, serious rendition of “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands,” with a great, rough quality to some of the vocals. I also really like the group’s arrangement of “This Train” (also known as “This Train Is Bound For Glory”), which has something of a mid-1960s rock vibe. “Samson And Delilah” is a song I first heard from the Grateful Dead (on Terrapin Station). This version from The Staple Singers is quite a bit different, but still very cool, moving at a good clip. “If I had my way, I would tear this building down.” That’s followed by “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” another song that the Grateful Dead covered. This version by the Staple Singers has that great guitar hook, and some wonderful energy to the vocals. It’s a pretty short version, just under two minutes. Another highlight from this record is Roebuck Staples’ “Do Something For Yourself,” which has a nice, slow groove. Amen! concludes with its title track, a song written by Jester Hairston, and one I remember from my childhood. Amen! was originally released in 1965.

Why

Why features more original material than Amen!, and opens with its title track, written by Roebuck Staples, with a spoken word section at the beginning about black students who weren’t allowed to ride the school bus. It’s a strong track to open the record. “Hear my call/I’ve done nobody wrong/But I’m treated so bad.” It’s followed by another track written by Roebuck Staples, “King Of Kings,” and then one written by Pervis Staples, “Step Aside.” “Step Aside” is one of the highlights. It has this great slow, steady groove. This record also features a really good rendition of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.” It has kind of a relaxed vibe that I really like. Why ends with another great track, “Move Along Train,” featuring some particularly good vocal performances.

CD Track List

1. More Than A Hammer And Nail
2. He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands
3. My Jesus Is All
4. This Train
5. Praying Time
6. Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw
7. Samson And Delilah
8. Nobody’s Fault But Mine
9. Mary Don’t You Weep
10. As An Eagle Stirreth Her Nest
11. Do Something For Yourself
12. Amen
13. Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)
14. King Of Kings
15. Step Aside
16. If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again
17. What Are They Doing (In Heaven Today)
18. Will The Circle Be Unbroken
19. I’ve Been Scorned
20. I’m Gonna Tell God (About My Troubles)
21. My Sweet Home
22. Move Along Train

Amen!/Why is scheduled to be released on May 6, 2016 through Real Gone Music.

Cason Fentress And The Euphonious Express: “Clear Cool” (2016) CD Review

Clear Cool is the debut recording by Cason Fentress And The Euphonious Express, though Cason Fentress has been writing material since his childhood. Clear Cool features mostly original material, the exception being “Ahmad’s Blues.” In addition to lead vocals, Cason plays piano, keyboard, organ, marimba, vibraphone and percussion on this disc. And he has several talented musicians joining him. This album combines pop and jazz elements, with some touches of blues and even funk, to create a fun – and sometimes very cool – vibe.

The CD opens with “19th Century Dame,” which straight away has a good, light groove, with some nice work on horns. Sure, there is something just a bit goofy about the tune, about its flavor, but that’s part of its charm. There is a sense of humor here, as you can hear clearly in lines like “She loves to ride in the Learjet planes/Loves to take them down in glorious flames.” But there is also some really nice work on horn during the instrumental section. That’s Anthony Ware on alto saxophone. Clara Lofaro provides backing vocals. And on the following track, “Always Been Looking (For You),” Clara sings lead with Cason, trading lines in a song about a romantic night, with the right music playing. Anthony Ware solos on this track as well, this time on tenor saxophone.

The only cover on this EP is “Ahmad’s Blues,” a great tune written by jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, with lyrics by Bob Shaw. Cason Fentress provides his own spin on this piece, even adding some lyrics; thus the title, “Ahmad’s Blues/Everything Goes.” Cason Fentress and pianist Matt King did the arrangement for this track. I really dig the piano during the instrumental section. Very cool.  Jared Gold also delivers some very nice stuff on organ. Clara Lofaro and Berlando Drake provide backing vocals on this track.

“Margaret Dear” has the strongest pop vibe of this album, with a certain 1970s thing happening, like a combination of Billy Joel and Steely Dan. The EP then concludes with “Hey Renée,” a cool track with some great work on electric guitar, and nice touches on vibraphone.

CD Track List

1. 19th Century Dame
2. Always Been Looking (For You)
3. Ahmad’s Blues/Everything Goes
4. Margaret Dear
5. Hey Renée

Musicians

Joining Cason Fentress on this release are Josh Dion on drums, Brian Killeen on bass, Matt King on piano and organ, Josh Rubin on guitar, Seth Johnson on guitar, Rob Middleton on saxophone and flute, Scott Reeves on trombone and flugelhorn, Nathan Eklund on trumpet and flugelhorn, Anthony Ware on saxophone, Jared Gold on organ, Brian Sanders on cello, Chris Sulit on percussion, Clara Lofaro on backing vocals, and Berlando Drake on backing vocals.

Clear Cool is scheduled to be released May 6, 2016.