Hot Club Of Los Angeles: “Nova” (2024) CD Review

There are certain musicians I’ve learned to pay particular attention to, and I check out any project they get involved in. One such musician is Carl Byron, who is a member of the delicious gypsy jazz band Hot Club Of Los Angeles. I caught this band earlier this month at their residency at Cinema Bar, and these guys were fantastic (that night, John McDuffie sat in for guitarist Josh Workman). At the end of the first set, my face was sore from smiling. The very next Monday, Jackson Browne sat in with them, this at a venue whose capacity is only seventy-five people (and I think even that small number could only be achieved if some folks remained in the bathroom and others stood on top of the bar). He did so again the following Monday (that night also featured Ted Russell Kamp sitting in on bass). I wish I could have attended those two shows, but I had to be up before 4 a.m. the next day for work both times. Anyway, the band is celebrating the release of the new album, Nova, which comes out officially in January, but which has been available at the Cinema Bar shows this month. The disc features a good mix of original material and covers. The band is made up of Josh Workman on guitar; Jake Bluenote on guitar, banjo, mandolin and vocals; Carl Byron on accordion, piano, organ, pan-pipes, ocarina and vocals; Paul Eckman on bass; and Jim Doyle on drums and percussion.

The album opens with an original composition by Carl Byron, “Château 22,” and immediately the good vibes and groove will have you in a better mood. That guitar work in particular will have your spirits dancing around the room, and the percussion will give them some direction. In the track’s second half, there is a cool section where everything slows down, and there is an almost haunted feel to it. But it isn’t long before the pace begins to pick up again, and it is like we are caught up in some glorious celebration that the entire universe could take part in. That’s followed by a cover of “Čaje Šukarije,” featuring a strong vocal performance by Jake Bluenote, with the others responding. Everything is in motion here, and those backing vocals are like a call for us to join in. This is just so damn good, delivered with a passion that you feel with your entire body.

“Bossa Lola” is an original composition by Josh Workman, featuring a wonderful bossa nova rhythm, and a catchy melody. As with all of the tracks by this group, this one features some impressive playing. I especially love that piano work. This track also features a good lead on bass, and of course there is plenty of great stuff on guitar. “Valselona” is another original piece, this one composed by Carl Byron. It has a more thoughtful, introspective vibe as it begins, and features some beautiful work on accordion and some moving work on guitar. This is music you might want to immerse yourself in, and let it carry you along in its arms. The tone then changes again with “Raincloud Two-Step,” a totally delightful original number written by Jake Bluenote. If you can manage to keep from smiling while listening to this one, I suggest seeing a neurologist as soon as possible. I love that work on piano; those keys are dancing. There is a great deal of joy in the playing. We need music like this to keep us all relatively sane.

Carl Byron delivers an excellent vocal performance on the band’s rendition of “Que Reste-t-il de Nos Amours,” written by Léo Chauliac and Charles Trenet. There is an English version of this song too, titled “I Wish You Love,” but these guys give us the French version, and it has a sweet, pleasant, wonderful vibe. The energy picks up on their cover of “Belleville,” one of two Django Reinhardt numbers contained on this disc. As you might guess, this track contains some phenomenal and cheerful work on guitar. And check out that work on drums. What a joy it is to listen to this music. “Belleville” is followed by an original composition by Carl Byron, “Inference,” which has a totally cool vibe, in part because of the work on drums, particularly the hi-hat. This is a lovely number that features great stuff on both keys and guitar. And that is followed by the other Django Reinhardt tune, “Swing 42.” Again, the guitar work is certain to get you smiling, as is the accordion. Cast aside all worries and cares, and just immerse yourselves in this music. Allow it to play over you. This track contains an excellent lead on bass.

“Pompedale” is a fun, fairly fast-paced original composition by Carl Byron, featuring some catchy elements. I love the determined way this one moves. Nothing is going to get in its way. And in the second half there is a good lead on bass. That’s followed by a totally enjoyable rendition of Biréli Lagrène’s “Made In France,” featuring some fantastic work on guitar. Again, there is much joy in the song’s delivery. Then Carl Byron delivers a seriously beautiful, touching vocal performance on “Les Feuilles Mortes,” a cool track. This song, like “Que Reste-t-il de Nos Amours,” has an English version too, titled “Autumn Leaves” (instead of “Dead Leaves”), but these guys deliver the original French version. I love that work on accordion. The band continues that darker, more somber tone as “Django” begins. Then more than a minute and a half into the track, the tone and feel change, becoming lighter and livelier. That’s followed by “The Old Kingfisher,” an original number written by Jake Bluenote. This one has an uplifting vibe, feeling like a dance done in the light. It’s another piece that leaves all worries and cares behind. The band then wrap things up with a fun rendition of Nino Rota’s “Carlotta’s Galop,” a piece from Federico Fellini’s 8 ½.

CD Track List

1. Château 22
2. Čaje Šukarije
3. Bossa Lola
4. Valselona
5. Raincloud Two-Step
6. Que Reste-t-il de Nos Amours
7. Belleville
8. Inference
9. Swing 42
10. Pompedale
11. Made In France
12. Les Feuilles Mortes
13. Django
14. The Old Kingfisher
15. Carlotta’s Galop

Nova is scheduled to be released on January 26, 2024.

Halley Neal & Sam Robbins: “You & Me On Christmas Eve” (2023) CD Review

In 2019, Halley Neal and Sam Robbins moved to Nashville after graduating from Berklee College Of Music, where they’d met, and in 2021 they both released their debut full-length albums. In 2022, they both released their second solo discs, each performing on the other’s album. And now they’ve teamed up to create a holiday album that features some classic material along with some original tunes. Joining them on this release are Juan Solorzano on electric guitar, pedal steel and 12-string guitar; Dan Mitchell on piano, organ, mellotron, flugelhorn and vibraphone; Sam Howard on electric bass and upright bass; Calvin Knowles on electric bass, upright bass and mellotron; and Ross McReynolds on drums and percussion.

Halley Neal and Sam Robbins open the album with one of the original songs, “Christmas Is Coming Soon,” which features Halley Neal on lead vocals. “It’s in the air, it’s in the air/It’s in the new-hung mistletoe/I feel it here, I feel it there/I feel it everywhere I go.” It’s a song about that feeling that comes with the holiday. When I was growing up, my parents would take my brother and me on drives to look at Christmas lights, and when we hit a block with no lights, we’d be shocked, disappointed, even a little upset, because we did feel it everywhere we went and expected it to be everywhere. This song recaptures and expresses that feeling, that expectation, and it includes some good work on pedal steel. “And though there’s so much left to do/Christmas, don’t come and go too soon.” That’s followed by a cover of Mel Tormé’s “The Christmas Song.” For this one, Sam Robbins sings lead on the first verse, Halley taking the second. They give us a pretty and gentle rendition. As it progresses, it builds in energy. To the line “To kids from one to ninety-two” they add “Or ninety-three,” for this album is dedicated to Sam’s grandfather, who was ninety-three when it was recorded.

I’ve said it before, but the absolute best holiday television special is A Charlie Brown Christmas, and a great deal of its lasting appeal comes from the music by Vince Guaraldi. Halley Neal and Sam Robbins deliver a really nice rendition of “Christmas Time Is Here,” the vocal version. They sing this one together, harmonizing on each line. This track features some sweet work on flugelhorn, in addition to pretty work on acoustic guitar. The song’s last lines, “Oh, that we could always see/Such spirit through the year,” stands out here. Those lines, repeated, are both hopeful and sad. Then we get another original composition, “Better This Way,” a pretty number. Check out its opening lines: “We don’t have any mistletoe/We don’t even have a tree/There’s no sense in going out now/It’s already Christmas Eve.” It’s about another year having passed, one of the bittersweet elements of the holiday, the way it really does mark another year passing. In this song they mention how it’s been a difficult year, something many people can relate to, but this song doesn’t dwell on past troubles; rather, it has a very positive bent. This track features some wonderful harmonizing, and is one of the album’s best. “Nothing to lose, and so much to gain.”

They then deliver one of the classic holiday songs, “Silver Bells,” another that is about the general vibe of the holiday, as they sing “In the air, there’s a feeling of Christmas.” Theirs is a beautiful, uplifting rendition, and it features some good work on keys. One of the most beautiful and moving songs of the season is Joni Mitchell’s “River,” and these guys do a wonderful job with it here, both delivering some of the album’s best vocal work. The pedal steel adds to the track’s emotional impact, and that flugelhorn part is excellent. In addition to that, this track contains some really nice work on drums. This is one of my personal favorite tracks. It is followed by “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” As Halley sings, “Please have snow and mistletoe/And presents by the tree,” we can hear the need in her voice. Sometimes we really need this holiday to be what it’s supposed to be. And what a gorgeous and moving delivery of the line, “If only in my dreams.” That leads straight into a cover of The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun.” It’s not a Christmas song, obviously, but its first line mentions winter: “Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter.” And coming out of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” we get the sense that it really was only in their dreams, but now finally things are turning around, getting better. What an interesting and effective combination of songs. And they go back into “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” and we find that it is still a matter of dreams. That pedal steel is so good, and there is a final nod to “Here Comes The Sun” on guitar at the end.

Halley Neal and Sam Robbins includes a cover of Peter, Paul And Mary’s “Light One Candle,” a Hanukkah song written by Peter Yarrow and included on Peter, Paul And Mary’s 1986 LP No Easy Walk To Freedom as well as A Holiday Celebration, which came out a couple of years later. “Light one candle for the strength that we need/To never become our own foe/And light one candle for those who are suffering/Pain we learned so long ago.” This is a more somber number, but it is ultimately a hopeful song, and these guys deliver a strong rendition. That’s followed by “Finally Christmas Time,” an original number. As the song begins, there is a call of “Merry Christmas” in the background, and the subtle sounds of celebration. “The air finally smells like snow,” Halley then sings. “Lights hung by the mistletoe/For the party, everyone’s invited/Oh, and it might be strange/For a person my age to be so excited.” This song is another that mentions the general feeling of the holiday: “I can feel it in the air.” There is a section near the end that is vocals and percussion, which I love, and that last section in particular seems designed to raise our spirits. And at the very end, there are sounds of celebration. Halley Neal and Sam Robbins then give us a cover of The Carpenters’ “Merry Christmas Darling,” which was released as a single in 1970. “But every day’s a holiday when I’m near to you.”

“New Year” is an original song. Halley Neal begins this one: “The New Year has a way of changing/When people want to stay the same/But don’t you worry about wasting/You don’t have to play the game.” Then Sam comes in: “Realistic resolutions/Call your family when you can/Reason with your expectations/Don’t make up a brand new plan.” And Halley adds, “Unless you want to,” a rather adorable moment. This is an interesting and compelling song. “Sometimes all that we need is a little love/‘Cause what we don’t know/Is that even though/We’re out here on our own/We’re already on our way home.” That’s followed by “My Favorite Things.” This is another song that is not specifically a Christmas song, but it does mention “warm woolen mittens” and “sleigh bells” and “snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes.” I’ve never seen The Sound Of Music, but I often hear songs from that musical, especially this one. It’s not one of my favorite songs, but this is one of the best renditions I’ve heard (possibly the very best). I love the way they approach it. This track has given me a fresh appreciation of the song, of what it can be. If I had heard this version first, I might have loved this song all along. It’s beautiful and powerful, and Halley Neal’s vocals are excellent.

Halley Neal and Sam Robbins deliver a rather cheerful rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” That worth on acoustic guitar and that rhythm make me believe them when they sing, “From now on, our troubles will be miles away.” They use the “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough” line instead of the original “Until then, we’ll have to muddle through somehow,” but because of the track’s overall tone, that line actually seems appropriate here (though I still do prefer the original line). This track features wonderful work on both pedal steel and piano. I especially love the piano at the end. That’s followed by one of my favorite classic holiday songs, “Silent Night,” and they deliver a gorgeous rendition. The album then concludes with its title track, “You And Me On Christmas Eve,” an original composition. “The streets are a little emptier this time of year,” Halley sings at the beginning of this one, and though she’s not likely singing about Los Angeles, that line is true of this city, for a lot of folks leave town for the holiday. “They tell me it’s the most wonderful season/So I go to parties for people I don’t even know/But when I’m walking home, I get this feeling/That suddenly you’re all I need, it’s all so clear/It’s you and me on Christmas Eve this year.” Yes, being with that one special person is often all we need, on the holiday, or any day for that matter.

CD Track List

1. Christmas Is Coming Soon
2. The Christmas Song
3. Christmas Time Is Here
4. Better This Way
5. Silver Bells
6. River
7. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
8. Here Comes The Sun
9. I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Reprise)
10. Light One Candle
11. Finally Christmas Time
12. Merry Christmas Darling
13. New Year
14. My Favorite Things
15. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
16. Silent Night
17. You And Me On Christmas Eve

You & Me On Christmas Eve was released on November 24, 2023.

Susie Tallman & Friends: “Let’s All Sing!” (2023) CD Review

When we were kids, some of the music that was played for us was material specifically written for children, and some of it was folk and traditional tunes, helping to give us an early appreciation of artists like Woody Guthrie and Tom Paxton and Pete Seeger. Susie Tallman & Friends also do a bit of both on their new album Let’s All Sing!, mixing traditional numbers with original material. Children join them on each of the album’s tracks, providing some of the vocals.

The album opens with an original number, “Garden Of Sounds,” which was written by Greg O’Connor and Susie Tallman. As the track begins, we hear some sounds of nature, which are in contrast to the electronic beat that soon comes in. This is a playful and fun song with a dance rhythm, in part about the different sounds that animals make. It provides the album with its title in the lines “Let’s all sing/In our garden of sounds.” And I like the bit about the worm: “Hey, there’s a worm/He makes no sound/It’s okay, I can dig it.” This is a cheerful number. There is a break in the second half, with a sweeter sound. “If you listen real close, you can hear the stars twinkle tonight.” And then the dance beat returns. Yes, the kids can have their own dance club in their play room.

“The Crawdad Song” is a traditional number. I believe the first version I heard was by Woody Guthrie. This track has a folk sound, and includes banjo and mandolin. Gregg Daigle plays both of those instruments, as well as bass, guitar and dobro. And like the first track, this one mentions some different animals and the sounds they make. This is a sweet and bright rendition. Scott K. Durbin joins Susie Tallman on vocals. The fun continues with “King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki Me O,” here titled “King Kong Kitchie,” a track featuring some wonderful work on fiddle, making you want to swing your partner around. That’s EJ Ouellette (of EJ Ouellette & Crazy Maggy) on fiddle. There is also more good stuff on banjo by Gregg Daigle. This is music that makes the world seem like a happy place.

“Pizza Pasta Opera” is an original composition by Susie Tallman and Greg O’Connor. And yes, it does feel like something from a musical. I don’t attend very many musicals, but if there were one about pizza, well, I would probably go. Pizza is one of my favorite foods (because apparently I haven’t managed to grow up yet). At certain points, this track borrows the vocal line from “La Donna E Mobile.” It includes cooking instructions, and is another playful number. I can’t help but love it. Susie Tallman & Friends then return to folk music with a delightful rendition of “Little Liza Jane,” here titled “Liza Jane.” This is a song I’ve loved for years. Josh Lederman often performs it with his Cambridge-Somerville All-Stars. This version has a sweet, gentle vibe, and the children’s voices are pretty.

“Gotta Give Love” is an original number about spreading love. “When you’re starting your day/Give a smile away/When you’re walking around/Help someone who’s down/A little goes a long way.” Sure, this album is aimed at children, but it seems that adults need to hear this message at least as much as kids do. Suzi Shelton (who has put out her own children’s albums) joins Susie Tallman on vocals. That’s followed by “This Land Is Your Land.” I still believe this song should be our national anthem. It is so much better than “The Star-Spangled Banner.” This is one of those folks songs we were taught when we were kids, though not the full song. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I learned about those other verses, like that great verse about the “No Trespassing” sign (“Private Property” in some versions). Those verses are not included here, and I get it. Still, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for children to hear the whole thing. At one point in the middle of the track, the children start naming the different states, contributing to its lively feel, and reminding us that the whole country is for us.

Susie Tallman & Friends deliver a fun rendition of “The Green Grass Grows All Around,” which is similar to “Rattlin’ Bog.” It was “Rattlin’ Bog” that I learned when I was a kid, and it was always a challenge to see how fast you could deliver the lyrics. This one works in the same way, with many of the same lyrics, with the children echoing many of the lines. “My Aunt Came Back” is another traditional number. I don’t remember hearing this during my childhood, and I have to say it still seems wrong to pronounce “aunt” like “ant.” I mean, hey, there’s a “u” in there, so it should rhyme with “haunt” and “taunt” and “flaunt.” That’s followed by “Life Cycle,” an original composition by Shelly Ley and Susie Tallman. Shelly Ley joins Susie Tallman on vocals on this song about growing. It is a delightful song, and that chorus is catchy.

“Take Me Out To The Ballgame” played an important part in my childhood, and I love that it’s included here. I saw my first game at Fenway when I was six, and that certainly helped shape me. Usually we just hear the chorus, but Susie Tallman & Friends include the verses. “Katie Casey was baseball mad/Had the fever and had it bad.” And yes, while listening to this track, I can’t help but shout, “Root, root, root for the Red Sox!” This rendition adds the sound of an announcer at different points. Michael Reilly Burke plays the announcer. That’s followed by “Over The River And Through The Woods.” This is a children’s song we all heard as kids. Susie Tallman offers a lively rendition that has a strong movement forward. Then “Peace Lie A River” is a gentle, pretty traditional song, with a bit of a gospel bent. Bianca Sings joins Susie Tallman on vocals for this wonderful and uplifting rendition. This is one of my favorite tracks.

“Little Red Caboose” begins with a train whistle, and then vocals imitate the sound of a train starting and picking up speed. It’s kind of an adorable way to get the song going, though not quite as adorable as Susie Tallman’s vocal performance. Brady Rymer joins her on vocals and guitar for this one. This is another of the disc’s highlights. It’s followed by “Catch A Falling Star,” a song I associate with Love Actually, though I must have heard it in my childhood. The album then concludes with an interesting and cool choice, “Che Che Koolay (Kye Kye Kule),” a West African number, in which the children echo each line, all to a totally delicious rhythm. G. Kobiana Nakigan and Shelly Ley join Susie Tallman on vocals.

CD Track List

1. Garden Of Sounds
2. The Crawdad Song
3. King Kong Kitchie
4. Pizza Pasta Opera
5. Liza Jane
6. Gotta Give Love
7. This Land Is Your Land
8. The Green Grass Grows All Around
9. My Aunt Came Back
10. Life Cycle
11. Take Me Out To The Ballgame
12. Over The River And Through The Woods
13. Peace Like A River
14. Little Red Caboose
15. Catch A Falling Star
16. Che Che Koolay (Kye Kye Kule)

Let’s All Sing! was released on November 3, 2023 on Rock Me Baby Records.

Kevin Burt & Big Medicine: “Thank You Brother Bill: A Tribute To Bill Withers” (2024) CD Review

Bill Withers, the songwriter responsible for such gems as “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean On Me” and “Just The Two Of Us” (among others), died in 2020 at the age of 81. Now blues musician and songwriter Kevin Burt, along with his band Big Medicine, pays tribute to Withers on the new album, Thank You Brother Bill: A Tribute To Bill Withers. In the disc’s liner notes, Kevin Burt talks about the impact that Bill Withers had on him, the way Bill Withers inspired him, and mentions the hope that he himself might have that same impact on someone else someday. His love for the music is clear in each note played and sung on this album. The band on this release is made up of Kevin Burt on guitar, harmonica and lead vocals; Scot Sutherland on bass; Ken Valdez on guitar and backing vocals; and Eric Douglas on drums and percussion.

The album opens with “Who Is He (And What Is He To You)?” a song from Bill Withers’ 1972 LP Still Bill, one of his best albums. This track features some excellent guitar work over that strong groove. Kevin Burt covers three other songs from Still Bill, including “Kissing My Love,” which follows “Who Is He (And What Is He To You).” Like the original rendition, this one begins with drums, and soon develops a delicious funky groove. This version also features some great stuff on harmonica. Oh yes, this track sounds like a celebration. And it is, isn’t it? “And I can hear the angels singing/Songs that only angels sing/And she’s such a pretty thing/And I can feel my heart just a-thumping and a-skipping/When I’m kissing my love.” I love the way that harmonica sings over that fun groove. And the band jams on it at the end, the harmonica and guitar interacting, responding to each other.

“World Keeps Going Around,” here listed as “World Keeps Going Round And Round,” is a song that was included on the 1973 live album from Bill Withers, Live At Carnegie Hall. This track features a good bass line and a passionate vocal performance. “He talked about his ups and downs/Said it don’t make no difference how many fixes you’ve been in/He said the world keeps going around and around.” Indeed, the world is indifferent to our struggles and to our triumphs. I love the raw power of this track, especially in his vocals. This track contains some good guitar work. That’s followed by “Just The Two Of Us,” one of Bill Withers’ biggest hits. This song was originally released in 1981 as a single by Grover Washington, Jr., with Bill Withers on vocals. This new rendition by Kevin Burt & Big Medicine features some great stuff on harmonica, and is a really good version. That sense of seizing the moment is strong in this rendition. “We look for love, no time for tears/Wasted water’s all that is/And it don’t make no flowers grow/Good things might come to those who wait/But not to those who wait too late.”

“I’m Her Daddy” was on the debut album from Bill Withers, Just As I Am. There is a darker, somewhat haunted vibe as this one begins, and it features an outstanding vocal performance. I love the way his performance builds in power as he says that six years is a long time, like he is realizing how long it’s been that he hasn’t seen his own child, and is upset about it. And that in turn makes the line “Does she know I’m her daddy?” all the more heartrending. The guitar work seems to equal his emotional state. As this track fades out, I wish it might go on a bit longer, because of course things are left unresolved. That is followed by another song from that first album, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” probably the most popular of all Bill Withers’ songs. This one has been covered a lot, and by a fairly wide range of artists. The guitar wails at the beginning of this track, setting the tone. And check out that great percussion during the “I know” section. This part is different than in the original recording, with Kevin Burt adding, “Know that I love her/I know I got to have her/See, in the middle of the night/She makes everything all right/I know that I love her.” There is some power behind this rendition.

“Lean On Me” is another of Bill Withers’ most beloved and moving songs. This one comes from Still Bill, and was a number one hit for him. It still resonates, and is a song that will likely always be relevant. In these strange times, it is particularly needed. Kevin Burt & Big Medicine deliver an excellent and passionate rendition. “So lean on me/When you’re not strong/And I’ll be your friend/I’ll help you carry on/For it won’t be long/‘Til I’m gonna need somebody to lean on.” That’s it, isn’t it? We all have weak moments, we all need to be able to lean on someone. Some people are too weak to admit that they are weak, especially these days when it is considered wrong to admit to being wrong, to seek help, to seek forgiveness. Those people should listen to this beautiful song. Kevin Burt delivers a section a cappella, a really nice and striking touch, and he adds a bit of riffing to that final section about calling.

“Let Us Love” was included on Bill Withers’ Live At Carnegie Hall, and was also released as a single. It is another song we need in these days of division and hatred, a song about being good to folks even on ordinary days, not waiting for Christmas to express that brotherhood. “Make it a good day just the same/Let us love one another/Let us love.” This track features some wonderful work on harmonica, that instrument nearly dancing, expressing joy. That’s followed by “Another Day To Run,” another song from Still Bill, the last of that album’s tracks to be covered here. Kevin Burt gives us a rendition that is more bluesy than the original, and it works quite well. I especially love that guitar work. Kevin Burt then gives us “Grandma’s Hands,” yet another beloved song. This one was included on Just As I Am. Kevin Burt stresses the spiritual element of the song. And he stretches it out a bit, this version nearly twice the length of the original. It features some great stuff on guitar and a powerful vocal performance.

“The Same Love That Made Me Laugh” was released as a single in 1974, and included on the +‘Justments LP. Kevin Burt’s rendition features another excellent and heartfelt vocal performance and some strong guitar work. It is followed by “Hope She’ll Be Happier,” a song that comes from Bill Withers’ first album. It feels like we can hear the darkness of the song in the music, that it has taken on form, an ominous rumble beneath his vocals. “Over the darkness, I have no power.” Yet the song certainly has power. The album then concludes with an original song by Kevin Burt, “Thank You Brother Bill,” the album’s title track, which features some good work on harmonica. It is addressed directly to Bill Withers, and in it Kevin Burt refers to some of Bill’s songs in its lyrics, including “Grandma’s Hands,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “World Keeps Going Around” and “Lean On Me.” “I leaned on you, I guess I always will/All I can say to that is, thank you, brother Bill.”

CD Track List

1. Who Is He (And What Is He To You)?
2. Kissing My Love
3. World Keeps Going Round And Round
4. Just The Two Of Us
5. I’m Her Daddy
6. Ain’t No Sunshine
7. Lean On Me
8. Let Us Love
9. Another Day To Run
10. Grandma’s Hands
11. The Same Love That Made Me Laugh
12. Hope She’ll Be Happier
13. Thank You Brother Bill

Thank You Brother Bill: A Tribute To Bill Withers is scheduled to be released on January 5, 2024 on Gulf Coast Records.