Dave Tull: “Texting And Driving” (2018) CD Review

First off, I have to say that I am not a fan of using the word “text” as a verb, or in this case, I suppose, a gerund. Okay, enough about that. I also have to forgive Dave Tull for playing with Barbra Streisand on her recent tours (that dishonest woman should have been forced to stop performing back in 2000 when fans had to pay an extraordinary amount of money for tickets to what she promised was her final show). Okay, now I can relax and enjoy his new album, Texting And Driving, which features all original material, much of it with a delightfully humorous bent. Dave Tull, known for his drumming, here is both on the drum kit and providing lead vocals. He has a voice that is perfect for jazz standards, and that makes these original songs even more enjoyable. It’s like a singer went a bit whacky during a formal gig, veering far off from the agreed upon set list, and the band had no choice but to follow him and keep going. But it’s not like these are all humorous songs. Take “The Moment,” for example, which is a sweet, earnest duet. And he’s got a pretty talented group of musicians backing him, a group that includes Randy Porter on piano, Larry Koonse on guitar, Kevin Axt on bass, and Doug Webb on saxophone and clarinet, among others.

Dave Tull opens the album with “The Texting Song,” a wonderful big band song about the modern habit many people have of sharing every damn thing they do online, taking photos and posting constant updates on social media sites, assuming that the rest of us care. It is told from the perspective of someone who is suffering from a phone addiction, and the lyrics come rapidly, which is perfect for the subject. After all, people seem in a rush to post things, often not even proofreading (please proofread, people!). “I know I ought to pay attention to my driving/But another instant message is arriving/When my smart phone beckons I just got to reply/I can’t wait ten seconds, though I’ll probably die/In the auto wreck that happens next/I just got to send a text/I just can’t imagine doing anything at all without a phone in my hand.” There is even a bit of scat toward the end, though I’m not sure how one would send that in a text or a Facebook post. How do you spell that? The music is excellent, by the way. I particularly dig the bass line. And there is a wonderful lead part on piano halfway through. Randy Waldman plays piano on this track.

“Henrietta” has a classic, somewhat romantic sound, working in wonderful juxtaposition with the song’s first line, “I didn’t fall for Henrietta.” But that is just the beginning of the story. And love can creep up on you when you’re not expecting it. I really like these lines: “I didn’t see it at first glance/But fate gave me a second chance/To meet Henrietta and fall in love at first sight.” That’s followed by “The Moment,” which is performed as a duet with Inga Swearingen. I love the line, “But a silent heart only knows regret.” And it’s followed by the line, “Ever wondering what would she have said had I only asked her.”  Nice, right? There is some wonderful work on strings, this track featuring Brynn Albanese on violin, Peter Jandula-Clark on viola, and Ken Hustad on cello. Plus, there is a good lead section on flugelhorn by George Stone.

“Please Tell Me Your Name” opens with the sounds of an airport, and with a surprise meeting of an old band mate leading to the beginning of the song. He can’t recall the guy’s name, something I can relate to. I am terrible with names, so I can appreciate this song. Wayne Bergeron, Pete Olstad and Mike Gutierrez are on trumpet, and Andy Martin plays trombone on this track. Doug Webb provides the tenor saxophone solo. Dave Tull uses Wayne Bergeron’s name at the end, making me wonder if he did actually forget the trumpet player’s name at one point. “The Stoplight At The End Of The Street” is a fun song that, like the first track, involves someone using Twitter while driving. “I’ve watched a thousand fender benders go down right here at my feet/So spend just a minute of your day with the stoplight at the end of the street.” I really like the song’s groove, and there is also a seriously enjoyable lead on piano by Randy Porter. There is a bit of scat near the end. “You know the light changed like thirty seconds ago.”

“Watch Your Kid” is another track I really appreciate, and one that every parent (and every potential parent) should have to listen to, and pay close attention to. Here are the opening lines: “If you choose to have a baby, I wish you joy, but be aware/One important detail comes with that decision/When you let sperm and egg collide/You sign yourself up to provide/Eighteen years of nearly constant supervision.” (And, hey, text messages play a part in this one too: “While you text and pick out groceries/He careens about the store.”) George Stone is on trumpet, and Dave Becker plays saxophone on this track.

“The Date” has a delightful, adorable, playful vibe, and is presented as a duet with Cheryl Bentyne, though she doesn’t come in until nearly two minutes into the song. First we get the male perspective on the date, and then the female perspective, which – perhaps not surprisingly – is somewhat different. This song follows my theory that when it comes to relations, men are stupid and women are insane. Toward the end, they simultaneously sing their perspectives, without listening to each other, which is perfect, don’t you think? Another sort of date is described in “Clapping On One And Three,” in which Dave Tull sings “She talks right over the band, but then her kiss makes my concern just disappear.” I think a lot of us that love music have been in that situation at one point or another. The CD concludes with “Fly By The Seat Of My Pants,” a groovy tune about remaining spontaneous and avoiding plans. “Some people feel they’ve got to plan up every minute/But it makes ‘em go through life in a trance/I say that life is a wheel and every day I want to spin it/I like to fly by the seat of my pants.”

CD Track List

1. The Texting Song
2. Henrietta
3. The Moment
4. Please Tell Me Your Name
5. I’m Forever In A Fog
6. I Will Sing To You
7. The Stoplight At The End Of The Street
8. Tell Me That I’m Wrong
9. Watch Your Kid
10. The Date
11. Clapping On One And Three
12. This Summer Night
13. You Remind Me
14. I’m So Confused
15. Fly By The Seat Of My Pants 

Texting And Driving was released on March 16, 2018 on Toy Car Records.

The Gladiators: “Serious Thing” (1984/2018) CD Review

The first thing that strikes me about The Gladiators’ Serious Thing album is its cover. Is it just a portion of the cover of the group’s previous release on Nighthawk Records, Symbol Of Reality? Did they just remove the rest of the band from the photo? Weird. Though the more I look at it, the more I think it might be a different photo from the same shoot. His head might be tilted just slightly away on the first cover. Still, what a strange choice. Anyway, both Symbol Of Reality and Serious Thing are being re-issued by Omnivore Recordings, with bonus tracks. While the bonus tracks on Symbol Of Reality were positioned throughout the album (alternate versions following the album versions), on Serious Thing, the bonus tracks are all placed at the end. Two of the bonus tracks were included on an earlier release of this album, where they were positioned directly after the album versions. It is interesting that they decided to rearrange them this time. The rest of the bonus tracks were previously unreleased. All of the tracks on this CD are originals, most of them written by Albert Griffiths. This CD includes liner note by Leroy Jodie Pierson.

Like Symbol Of Reality, this album opens with its title track, “Serious Thing.” “Today you hear this, tomorrow you hear that – a serious thing.” I can’t wait to find out what we hear tomorrow, especially about that wonderful raid on Michael Cohen’s office. Could the end of this horror show be in sight? “Stop going around with your false sayin’/’Cause man must be sure of what he’s saying.” Indeed. This is a good song with a positive groove. The bonus tracks include an alternate version of “Serious Thing,” which was previously unreleased. On this version, some of the vocals are removed, with the focus being on the groove.

“Serious Thing” is followed by “My Thoughts.” I don’t particularly care for the religious aspect of reggae, which of course is often an important element, but it has never kept me from enjoying the music. And so “My Thoughts” has me smiling and bopping around in my apartment. After all, it has a cheerful, uplifting vibe. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “The lord is my light and my salvation/Whom shall I be afraid of? No one/Yea, though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” There are two other versions of this song in the bonus tracks, the first of which is one of the previously released tracks. The second is an instrumental version.

One of my favorite songs on this album is “Fling It Gimme.” It is a lot of fun, and makes me feel good. It has such a positive sound, a positive vibe. “Anywhere at all girl you can fling it gimme, all right.” I can’t help but smile whenever I listen to this one, and I am grateful for that. The bonus tracks include another version of this song, which was previously unreleased. “Fling It Gimme” is followed by “Rearrange,” another of my favorites. The vocal line is kind of beautiful, particularly on the lines “I’m hoping and I’m praying that very soon things will rearrange/Too much innocent blood’s been shed/Our heart cries out, our souls do grieve.” Also, I dig the smooth sound of the horns. It’s a wonderful track.

In “Mid-Range,” they sing, “Can’t you see the time that we livin’ in, man you got to be on your guard.” An alternate version of “Mid-Range” is included in the bonus tracks, with the percussion featured more prominently. This track was included on an earlier release. And in “Good Foundation,” they sing, “Some people love justice, some love revenge/Some believe in building a good foundation.” This is a good song, and I especially love the way Albert Griffiths sings “’Cause a hungry, hungry, hungry, hungry man is an angry man, angry man” toward the end. A different, shorter, and mostly instrumental (except for the beginning and end) version of this song is included in the bonus tracks. The original album ends with “After You,” which has a touch of a New Orleans vibe, particularly at the beginning. I love the horns. And how about these positive lyrics: “There will always be someone to give you a helping hand/So your well should never, ever run dry/I said the sun will shine for you each day/And the moon will shine for you at night.” This song is, for me, another of the highlights.

Bonus Tracks

There are eight bonus tracks, only two of which were previously released. Yes, half of this CD’s tracks are bonus tracks. In addition to the ones I’ve already mentioned there are “Bless Our Soul” and “New Song/New Vibe,” the only two songs on this CD to not be written by Albert Griffiths. They are written by Clinton Fearon. And Clinton sings lead on both tracks. “Bless Our Soul” has a cheerful vibe and carries a social message. Then in “New Song/New Vibe,” the line that always stands out for me is “Let me speak the truth quietly.” It was only a few years after the original release of Serious Thing that Fearon left The Gladiators to form The Defenders and then the Boogie Brown Band.

CD Track List

1. Serious Thing
2. My Thoughts
3. Fling It Gimme
4. Rearrange
5. Mid-Range
6. Freedom Train
7. Good Foundation
8. After You
9. Bless Our Soul
10. New Song/New Vibe
11. Serious Thing Version
12. My Thoughts Version
13. My Thoughts Instrumental Dub
14. Fling It Gimme Version
15. Mid-Range Version
16. Good Foundation Dub

This expanded version of Serious Thing is scheduled to be released on April 20, 2018.

The Gladiators: “Symbol Of Reality” (1982/2018) CD Review

In these twisted days, my musical needs are great. Music is what is keeping us sane, isn’t it? And sometimes nothing works better than some good reggae. Omnivore Recordings is re-issuing a couple of 1980s albums from The Gladiators, Symbol Of Reality and Serious Thing. Symbol Of Reality, featuring mostly original material written by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Albert Griffiths, was originally released in 1982. The new re-issue includes several bonus tracks. Interestingly, most of the bonus tracks are sprinkled throughout the CD rather than all placed at the end. Alternate versions of songs are included directly after the album versions, and simply have the word “Version” added to the titles. A couple of these tracks were previously included on an earlier CD release of this album, while the rest were previously unreleased. Liner notes by Leroy Jodie Pierson are included in the new CD. By the way, you might notice a difference in the cover from the original release. The “The” is missing from “The Gladiators.”

Symbol Of Reality opens with its title track, a good tune with an easygoing reggae beat. “Where there is reality, there is dignity/Look at the Rastaman, he is the true messiah.” I’m not into the religious aspects of reggae music, but that doesn’t keep me from enjoying the music. It’s followed by another version of this song, titled “Symbol Version.” The bass and percussion are given more prominence in this version, and I dig it. What’s strange is that a lot of the vocals are missing from this version, focusing on the music. This track was also included as a bonus track on the 1997 CD release of Symbol Of Reality.

There are only two covers on Symbol Of Reality, and both are Bob Marley songs. The first, “Small Axe,” eases in before then kicking in with a wonderful, cheerful vibe. Light up and dance around your home, and you’ll be feeling good in no time. “If you are a big tree/Let me tell you that I am the small axe/Ready to cut you down, ready to cut you down.” Yes, these are lines we should sing to Donald Trump and his gang. The song “Cheater” also makes me think of Donald Trump (I really can’t wait for this administration to be buried out in the desert), with the lines, “A girl like you is a big disgrace/’Cause only when you see money, your eyes begin to shine.” Yeah, it’s about a girl, but whatever. The Gladiators also cover Marley’s “Stand Alone” on this album.

“Bumping And Boring” is a total delight, which you might expect from its playful title. I love the backing vocals echoing the end of the lines, reminding me of certain 1960s pop songs (particularly “She Hangs Out” by The Monkees). Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Well, you don’t know what you want in life (want in life, want in life)/I said, you don’t know what you’re looking for (looking for, looking for)/Always talkin’ about the past (not the present, not the present)/That’s why you’re always bumping and boring (bumping and boring, bumping and boring).” This is one of my personal favorites. Another highlight is “Watch Out,” again in part because of the way the backing vocals are used. But there is something about the overall vibe that I really like. “He who have ears will hear/He who have tongue will tell/He who have eyes will see/What you sow is what you shall reap.”

“Streets Of Gold” is another highlight. It is so sad that these anti-discrimination songs, these songs about standing up for your rights are still needed. “If I am wrong, be not afraid to say so/Is there any difference between black and white?/Oh no/We are all of one skin, same blood, same soul.” This CD also includes an alternate version, which was previously unreleased. Like the other version of “Symbol Of Reality,” this track has the vocals cutting out at points to focus on the beat, so not all of the lyrics are present in this version. “Righteous Man” contains a play on the phrase “love and understanding,” with them singing, “love and overstanding.” I like the work on keys. There is also an alternate version, which was included as a bonus track on the 1997 release of this CD.

The original album concluded with “Not Afraid To Fight,” a positive tune that opens with these lines: “I won’t give up, hey, I won’t give up this fight/Said I’m not running away from reality/I’m not afraid, hey, to fight for what is right.” It is interesting to me that the album opens and closes with songs that mention reality in their first lines. Maybe that’s because reality is something I don’t want to have much to do with these days. On this disc, this track is followed by a different version, previously unreleased. This version is nearly an instrumental, focusing on the rhythm, with only the first two lines of each verse being heard. The CD then ends with a couple of instrumental tracks, both of which were previously unreleased – “Symbol Of Reality” and “Streets Of Gold.”

CD Track List

1. Symbol Of Reality
2. Symbol Version
3. Small Axe
4. Bumping And Boring
5. Cheater
6. Watch Out
7. Mister Goose
8. Streets Of Gold
9. Streets Of Gold Version
10. Righteous Man
11. Righteous Man Version
12. Stand Alone
13. Not Afraid To Fight
14. Not Afraid To Fight Version
15. Symbol Of Reality Instrumental Dub
16. Streets Of Gold Instrumental Dub

This special expanded re-issue of Symbol Of Reality is scheduled to be released on April 20, 2018 (hmm, that seems the perfect date, doesn’t it?).

Late Blossom Blues: The Journey Of Leo “Bud” Welch DVD Review

When I heard Leo Welch’s first CD release, Sabougla Voices, several years ago, I had the same questions most people had – Where had this guy been all that time? How did it happen that suddenly, at the age of 81, he released a CD? Where had he been performing? His story seemed perfect for a feature-length documentary film. And now we have that film. Late Blossom Blues: The Journey Of Leo “Bud” Welch tells the story of a man for whom music was an important part of life and who finally got to share his music with the rest of the world while in his eighties, proving that it is never too late to achieve one’s dreams. His is an uplifting and positive tale.

The film opens with footage of a soundcheck, all in close-ups – a drum head being tightened, a guitar tuned, a vocal microphone tested. And we hear Leo Welch say: “Well, that sounds good. That’ll work.” Indeed. And we’re taken to rural Mississippi, with shots of life in the area, before we see Leo Welch. Interestingly, the film shows him doing ordinary, routine things before we’re treated to any concert footage. We see Leo getting a coffee at a convenience store, his gait slow, his back somewhat bent.  He is, at times, difficult to understand, as when he’s talking to two men at that store, but the DVD includes different options of subtitles, including subtitles just for moments when the dialogue is hard to hear.

The documentary features an interview with Vencie Varnado, who worked as Leo Welch’s manager, and is basically responsible for Welch having a recording career. Interestingly, he had absolutely no experience in the music realm, but because of his passion for Leo Welch’s music, he made it a point to learn. His involvement is part of what makes this story so interesting. There are also interviews with club owners and people from Big Legal Mess Records, and with Dixie Street, who played drums with Leo. She talks about how she first began playing with him.

Leo Welch gives us some information about his early life, detailing some of the other jobs he’s had. And we’re introduced to Leo’s family, who tell some anecdotes about him. Leo does talk a bit about the church, and we are shown some cool footage of him singing in church. There is interesting material about the blues being the devil’s music, and how Leo Welch did both the lord’s music and the devil’s music, gospel and blues. The film gives us a good amount of footage of Leo Welch in action, both in the studio and on the concert stage. He seems like a tremendously sweet person. I particularly love that footage of him listening to his CD in the studio. His excitement is absolutely charming.

I like that the word “journey” is in the film’s title, because this documentary does take us on what seems like two connected journeys – that of a beloved resident in the regular life of Mississippi, and the journey of a touring musician who signs autographs and plays gigs in foreign countries. And it all feels so natural. Leo’s is an excellent story, and this documentary does a great job of getting it across. By the way, during the closing credits, there is some footage from 1985 of Leo Welch performing “Praise His Name,” which is apparently the earliest known footage of him.

Special Features

The DVD has quite a lot of bonus material, including several deleted and extended scenes. Much of this footage is from the interview with Vencie, in which he talks about approaching Leo for the first time, and about the way Leo worked in the studio. “The studio was just like a venue for him,” he says. He also talks about Leo’s first gig after he began managing him, and interestingly he had no idea what Leo was going to do. There is also footage of Leo talking about his family, as well as Dixie Street talking about their best concert. The deleted and extended scenes total approximately twenty-one minutes.

There is also more performance footage, including Leo Welch at Bukka White Blues Festival, as well as at the recording studio and at his church. There is a bit of footage of Leo Welch jamming on his front porch with Leo Welch Jr. and John Kilgore. The performance footage is approximately twenty-eight minutes. And the DVD includes approximately a half hour of archival footage of Leo Welch, including Leo Welch & The Spiritual Airs performing in 1985, a portion of this footage being included in the closing credits. We also see Leo Welch performing a couple of songs on a television program in 1988, plus a brief interview, in which he talks about getting started playing the blues and about playing with BB King. There is also television footage from 1990 (in which the host – clearly not the brightest guy – says “brung his guitar” and “very unique”). The last of the archival footage is video footage from 1997 of Leo playing “Cadillac Baby.”

Late Blossom Blues: The Journey Of Leo “Bud” Welch was directed by Wolfgang Almer and Stefan Wolner, and is scheduled to be released on DVD on April 20, 2018.

Reverend Freakchild: “Dial It In” (2018) CD Review

We are now approximately sixty-three years into the Trump administration, and everyone is feeling exhausted, anxious and ill. When will this horror show be canceled? It’s anyone’s guess. Let’s hope it happens before democracy and the planet itself are completely destroyed. Meanwhile, folks continue to release good albums to help sustain us, help us keep our heads above the river of shit pumping out of the White House, help us retain at least a shred of faith in humanity. And in a time when the whole damn world seems to have the blues, the blues might be just the force to save us. Dial It In, the new release from Reverend Freakchild, features music based in the blues, but with other elements as well. Unlike his previous release, Preachin’ Blues, which was a solo album, this one finds several special guests joining the good reverend. Folks like Hugh Pool, Chris Parker, Jay Collins, Mark Karan, and Hazel Miller perform on various tracks. Most of the tracks were written or co-written by Reverend Freakchild, but there are a few good covers as well.

Dial It In opens with “Opus Earth,” which has a glorious back porch blues feel, but has some other things happening too, an ethereal, otherworldly wind blowing in, and strange beings taking part in some spiritual dance. And then more than halfway through, the vocals start, the lines delivered as spoken word. “Grant your blessing so that the path may clarify confusion/Grant your blessing so that confusion may dawn as wisdom.” This wild combination of sounds is effective and intriguing. I’m on board, and curious where the good reverend will take us on the rest of the journey of this album. What follows is a very cool rendition of “Personal Jesus,” here titled “Personal Jesus (On The Mainline).” This is a driving, bluesy version of the Depeche Mode song, with some cool work on guitar. And I love the harmonica when this one kicks in (that’s Hugh Pool on harmonica and backing vocals). From the title, I did expect it to be a medley with “Jesus On The Mainline,” but none of that song’s lyrics are included.

“Hippie Bluesman Blues” is a kind of playful tune, with some phrases that made me smile, like “psychedelic cul-de-sac.” Mark Karan (known for his work with RatDog) is on lead guitar and backing vocals; Hugh Pool is on rhythm guitar; Robin Sylvester is on bass; Chris Parker is on drums. “Dial It In!,” the title track, has a great groove and a cool lead vocal performance, with some good backing vocals, all of which help to make it one of my personal favorites. By the way, the backing vocals are by Hazel Miller and Garrett Dutton (G. Love). This one also features some fun stuff on harmonica by G. Love. And man, I dig that bass line by Tim Kiah. This is an all-round damn fine track. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Well now, can we go beyond/What we think of as right and wrong/Like loss and gain, obscurity and fame/Praise and blame, and pleasure and pain.” That’s followed by “Skyflower,” which also has a good rhythm, but is quite pretty at times.

“Roadtrance” is a trippy, kind of heavy jam. “Roadtrance” is a good title for it, particularly if the road goes through some strange, harsh alien landscape. Then in “Damaged Souls,” Reverend Freakchild asks, “Is life but a dream?” These days it’s a nightmare for anyone with a soul. This is an interesting track, making use of some familiar lines like “Well now, things ain’t what they seem” and “Well, you may be done with your past, but it ain’t done with you.” His vocal delivery at times reminds me of Lou Reed. “All I want to do is comfort you.” Ah, we all need that, don’t we? Particularly now, when a gross, mendacious racist is doing his best to drive the country to ruin, and his moronic followers are itching for civil war. This song is another of the disc’s highlights. Then “15 Going on 50” comes on like a classic rock ‘n’ roll country roadhouse tune, with fun work on piano by Brian Mitchell. “You’re between realities.” Oh yes. Rachel Benbow Murdy (who sang on “Janine” on Soul Coughing’s first album) provides backing vocals on this track.

Reverend Freakchild delivers an interesting take on Bob Dylan’s “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding).” It has a blues base, with some cool work on saxophone by Jay Collins. I love that saxophone; it gives the song a different voice, a different sense. Also, Chris Parker’s work on drums has a kind of jazzy feel. The reverend inserts some interesting pauses; for example, he allows a slight pause after “While others say don’t hate nothing at all” before “except hatred.” The line “But even the president of the United States must sometimes have to stand naked” has a different feel these days, doesn’t it? After all, there is a good chance we are soon going to be seeing naked pictures of Donald Trump, after which we will all want to scrub our eyes with bleach. I like this version of “It’s Alright, Ma” more and more as it goes on. Reverend Freakchild gives a strange delivery of the line “What else can you show me.” This rendition gets a little chaotic toward the end, which works well. I definitely recommend checking out this version.

Another highlight is Reverend Freakchild’s rendition of Blind Willie Johnson’s “The Soul Of A Man,” here titled “Soul Of A Man.” Ah yes, some classic blues, but with some new lyrics. Here, the reverend is joined by Lisa Marie on backing vocals. I love Reverend Freakchild’s work on National steel guitar. Well, the album began with “Opus Earth,” and it ends with “Opus Space,” which is basically the same thing, back porch blues with that strange atmosphere surrounding it. It’s like the wild journey has brought us back to the beginning. Are you ready to go round again?

CD Track List

1. Opus Earth
2. Personal Jesus (On The Mainline)
3. Hippie Bluesman Blues
4. Dial It In!
5. Skyflower
6. Roadtrance
7. Damaged Souls
8. 15 Going On 50
9. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
10. Soul Of A Man
11. Opus Space 

Dial It In was released on CD on April 1, 2018 on Floating Records.

Salvo Losappio: “Long Story Short” (2018) CD Review

If you are in the mood for some good, honest jazz, you might want to check out Long Story Short, the debut album from tenor saxophone player Salvo Losappio. Born in Italy and now residing in New York, Salvo Losappio started on alto saxophone before switching to tenor several years ago. Joining him on this release are some seriously talented players from New York, including Sacha Perry on piano (Perry is a band leader himself, with the Sacha Perry Trio), Ari Roland on bass (Roland is a band leader as well, with The Ari Roland Jazz Quartet), and Phil Stewart on drums (Stewart has played with a lot of bands, and recently released his own CD, Melodious Drum).

The album opens with a rendition of “Shaw ‘Nuff” that has all the excitement and energy of early jazz recordings, when things were daring – at least, that’s the sense I get. It’s fast and wonderful and real, and feels spontaneous and alive, exactly how a Charlie Parker composition should be. Lose yourself in the moment, or wrap yourself in the moment, breathe, tap your toes and let go. This track includes a brief drum solo toward the end. Then “The End Of A Beautiful Friendship” (often simply titled “A Beautiful Friendship”) starts off with piano, which has an interesting tone; it’s mostly romantic, but with something of a darker feel over it. Or am I mad? Anyway, the band then kicks in, and the song has a cool, gentle swing to it, with Salvo Losappio’s saxophone taking on the vocal line, and moving perhaps a bit more briskly than some other renditions. It eases in its own direction, and has a good, cheerful vibe about it, which I certainly appreciate.

“Boerum Hill,” an original composition by Salvo Losappio, is one of my favorite tracks. It moves at a quick pace, racing to get there while simultaneously already being there (you know?), the notes just flowing out of that saxophone – naturally, effortlessly, like the sax itself is telling a story, holding you captive with every sound. It’s tremendous, but in some ways I find the bass work even more impressive, holding everything together, and moving like a maniac too – and I’m talking about his work even before the great lead section. Phil Stewart’s drum solo starts off simply, then builds, and seems to tell a story as well. Wonderful playing all around. The group then slows the pace again with Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady,” this version beginning with just saxophone and featuring more wonderful work by Ari Roland on bass.

“Leo For Two,” another original composition, has a cheerful vibe, and is making me feel like the world is a pretty good place (despite the existence of people like Donald Trump and Ted Nugent, two pricks who should be removed from Earth as soon as possible). This one will gently spin you round and lift you up. There is a short drum solo toward the end. That’s followed by another delightful, quickly moving gem, “Avalon.” Sacha Perry is flying over the keys like some wild, amped-up sprite, and once again I am impressed by Ari Roland’s work on bass. And Phil Stewart does some wonderful (and wonderfully varied) stuff on drums. On top of all that, Salvo Losappio drives things forward, aiming the vehicle straight up the mountain and on higher after that. The album then concludes with “I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You” (sometimes shortened to “I Don’t Stand A Ghost Of A Chance” and here shortened further to “A Ghost Of A Chance”).  The saxophone has a romantic air, but things don’t get overly sweet in this rendition. There is still some excitement, particularly in Sacha Perry’s piano work.

CD Track List

1. Shaw ‘Nuff
2. The End Of A Beautiful Friendship
3. Boerum Hill
4. Sophisticated Lady
5. Leo For Two
6. Avalon
7. A Ghost Of A Chance 

Long Story Short is scheduled to be released on May 15, 2018 on Gut String Records.

Tennessee Jed: “Pimpgrass” (2018) CD Review

Yes, I was curious about Tennessee Jed in large part because I love that Grateful Dead song “Tennessee Jed.” (I always wonder, is the line “My doggie turned to me and he said let’s head back to Tennessee Jed” or “My dog, he turned to me and he said let’s head back to Tennessee Jed”?) But also, I am constantly in need of music to raise my spirits and reaffirm whatever faith I may still have in mankind, and bluegrass certainly does the trick. This isn’t strictly bluegrass, as Tennessee Jed mixes in elements of soul and rock. Most songs on this disc are originals, written or co-written by Jed Fisher (and, yes, Jed is from Tennessee; thus, the name Tennessee Jed). The group is made up of Tennessee Jed Fisher on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Scott Vestal on banjo, Todd Parks on bass, Luke Bulla on fiddle and backing vocals, Josh Shilling on key and backing vocals, Andy Hall on dobro, Patrick McAvinue on mandolin, Bob Mummert on drums, and Aaron McCune on backing vocals.

The album gets off to a great start with “Over The Mountain,” which has a cheerful bluegrass sound and features good harmonies, the first lines delivered a cappella. It’s a song about Tennessee, about traveling on Route 40. “Statesville, Asheville, Knoxville, Nashville/Back and forth, forever I may roam/Jesus blessed that stretch of Highway 40 West/Over the mountain to the place that I call home.” Tennessee Jed follows that with a ridiculously delightful cover of “Shout” that begins with a brief bit of dialogue from Animal House (“Do you want to dance?”/“Yeah!”). I love when bands take a pop or rock song, and tackle it bluegrass style (something Yonder Mountain String Band is so adept at doing). This track has a great energy, and I love the backing vocals. And, yes, they do include the “Yeah yeah, yeah yeah” bit. “Shout” is one of only two covers on the album. The other pop song covered bluegrass-style is Prince’s “Kiss.” I’ve seen Ellis Paul cover this one as a folk song, so I already knew it works well in this realm. Tennessee Jed delivers a fun rendition.

Tennessee Jed slows things down with a more serious number, “Can’t Get There From Here.” Check out these lines: “When the piper starts calling, this rodent comes crawling/To a cage that I built from my bones/And the key there with me, lord, that I failed to see/In my pocket, forgotten, unknown.” I also like the sweet sound of the fiddle, which comes as a contrast to the rough quality of the vocals. That’s followed by “Sweet Relief,” a fun, playful and humorous tune about misplacing things and then finding them again (hurrah!). I like how the pace and tone of the song change when each item is found; you can feel the relief as the pace slows. In the verse about car keys, he sings, “Fifteen minutes late, how much longer can this last/I’ve called up all the places I’ve ever driven past/Oh, I lost it, I’m losing it, I found it.” And I love that he thanks Jesus when the item is found, as if a god would really help out with some item. In the verse about cell phones, there is the line “Don’t know any numbers, this surely is a curse.” Ah, yet one more problem with current technology. No one bothers to remember anything anymore. This idea came up in The Claudettes’ new album too, that people will look up information rather than recall it. With regards to phone numbers, we used to memorize a significant number of them. Now, how many numbers do you have at the ready in your memory? This track features wonderful work on banjo.

“Cells” is a cool combination of bluegrass and soul, with a gospel vibe. I dig this interesting mix of sounds. This track becomes a good, relaxed jam. “Opie’s Intermezzo” is a pretty instrumental tune, the only instrumental track on this album, featuring some uplifting work on fiddle. The opening lines of “Soul-Country Pimpgrass” are: “I walked into a record store/I knew this was dream therefore.” That’s such a sad comment on how so many record stores have gone. I’m thankful there are still some around, and ones with knowledgeable folks working there (unlike the guy working the store in this song). This song is basically the title track, and it has a happy sound, about how certain music makes us think of home. The CD concludes with a mellower bluegrass song, “The Train For To Carry Me Home,” with good harmonies and a sweet vibe. “The smell of your skin still wakes me while dreaming/I open my eyes to the wall/I still hear the footsteps, you quietly leaving/There is no reason to stall.” This one was written by Jed Fisher and Phil Bates.

CD Track List

1. Over The Mountain
2. Shout
3. Can’t Get There From Here
4. Sweet Relief
5. Cells
6. Opie’s Intermezzo
7. Sunup ‘Til Sundown
8. Soul-Country Pimpgrass
9. Kiss
10. The Train For To Carry Me Home

Pimpgrass was released on March 1, 2018. By the way, there is a playful warning on the back of the CD case: “Warning: No electric guitars were used in the making of this recording.”