Beth Bombara: “Evergreen” (2019) CD Review

Beth Bombara is a singer and songwriter based in St. Louis, Missouri. She has been performing for more than a decade, and has released several CDs during that time. Her new album, Evergreen, features original music, most of it written by Beth Bombara and Kit Hamon. The music is combination of pop and rock, but with some folk and country elements, and a singer/songwriter’s sensibilities and attention to lyrical content. The band backing her includes Samuel Gregg on electric guitar and backing vocals; Mike Schurk on drums and percussion; John Calvin Abney on piano, organ and harmonica; and Kit Hamon on bass, backing vocals, percussion and synthesizers.

The album opens with “I Only Cry When I’m Alone,” a good pop song with shades of Aimee Mann in the vocal style. Check out these lines, which begin the song: “Been holding this inside/Try to keep my head high/Breaking down behind the door/When I can’t hide this anymore.” I have a feeling this song is going to speak to a lot of people. Despair and depression abound these days, and I feel one of the best instruments to battle these things is music. Perhaps I’m foolish, but I honestly think songs like this help a great deal. That’s followed by “Upside Down,” which features some nice work on electric guitar and a good bass line. Beth Bombara sings, “Leave behind your could’ve beens/And we’ll get going somewhere else.” It’s difficult, though, isn’t it? The past and the mythical present are always with us, and it’s hard to refrain from comparing our reality to what we believe our reality should be. “Upside Down” was written by Beth Bombara, Seth Porter and Kit Hamon.

One of my personal favorite tracks is “Anymore.” I bet we can all think of an occasion or two when we want to sing – or shout – these lines: “I didn’t choose your game/And I’m not gonna play anymore.” This song features a sweeter vocal performance, with a bit of country to the style at times. And check out these lines: “Blinded by the unseen/Am I losing my mind?/Watch an elusive dream/Disappearing on the horizon.” Then “Tenderhearted” has more of a country flavor to the music, and a more positive vibe. “It’s never gonna be perfect/But I’m still gonna try.” Also, I dig that harmonica. “Growing Wings” is another of my favorites. I like the work on bass and on keys, but Beth’s vocal performance is really what makes this track special. It’s a powerful performance, one that is beautiful and emotionally engaging. And she has plenty of excellent lyrics to sing, such as these lines: “Nothing lasts, and that’s okay” and “Try not to hold on too tightly/‘Cause the strain ain’t gonna do you no good” and “All this progress, but nothing new.” Man, that last line really feels dead-on, doesn’t it?

Another of the disc’s highlights is “Good News,” which has a rock feel and a really cool bass line. Lines that stood out for me the first time I listened to this album were “Wasn’t it enough to feed your ego/Without feeding my despair?” Her vocal performance here has something of an edge. “Why can’t it be good news?/I need some good news.” Yes, we all could use some good news. Every day I read the news to see what else has gone wrong, what new racist shit Donald Trump and his Republican hacks have uttered, what new environmental disaster has occurred, how many more have lost their lives to gun violence. It seems we are just completely fucked as a nation. We need some good news, and we need it immediately. “Good News” is followed by the album’s title track, “Evergreen.” Maybe I’m mad, but the vocal delivery of the first line reminds me of Olivia Newton-John’s “Xanadu.” But then there is something of a country thing to this track as well. “When the chaos is taking over/You said letting go is easy.”

“Criminal Tongue” is another powerful track, more of a rock tune with a bluesy edge at times. There is a play on one of Shakespeare’s most famous lines, with Beth singing “All the world’s a cage.”  The disc then concludes with “All Good Things,” which was written by Kit Hamon. The first lines are “Do you get the feeling/That everything is broken/And every word that’s spoken/Is lying through its teeth.” Yup, that’s about the size of it. This is yet another of my favorites, and is one I think basically everyone I know (and everyone I would want to know) is going to appreciate. It has more of a raw and immediate sound, her vocals supported by piano. This song directly addresses the horror occupying the White House in lines like “If this is great again/Then where did we begin?” This is such an excellent song, and it nearly has me in tears today. In the line “All good things must end” could she be referring to democracy, or to our country itself?

CD Track List

1. I Only Cry When I’m Alone
2. Upside Down
3. Anymore
4. Tenderhearted
5. Growing Wings
6. Does It Echo?
7. Good News
8. Evergreen
9. Criminal Tongue
10. All Good Things

Evergreen is scheduled to be released on August 9, 2019. By the way, in addition to CD, it will be released on yellow vinyl. I admit, I am a sucker for colored vinyl. Who is to say music can’t look cool as well as sound cool?

Potter’s Daughter & Annie Haslam: “Blood And Water” (2019) Vinyl Review

Potter’s Daughter is a group led by pianist and vocalist Dyanne Potter Voegtlin, with Amit Chatterjee on guitar, Randy Crafton on percussion, Ian C. Voegtlin on guitar and electronic wind instrument, and Walter Sitz on drums. Last year they released their debut full-length album, The Blind Side, an album combining jazz and rock elements to create an interesting and at times beautiful progressive pop sound, with several instrumental tracks. Now they are following that with a new single, “Blood And Water,” which finds them partnering with special guest vocalist Annie Haslam, whom you likely know from her work with Renaissance. The single, which is being released on both vinyl and CD, contains two versions of the song “Blood And Water,” written by Ian C. Voegtlin and Dyanne Potter Voegtlin. The label on the record contains no writing whatsoever, but rather the same cool artwork of a tree against a red sky on both sides. The CD, however, labels the tracks.

The first is “Blood And Water,” which has a strangely pleasant electronic sound to start, then soon kicks in. When the vocals begin, there is an otherworldly folk vibe to them, which is wonderful. “My heart’s made of blood and water/My bones are of sticks and of stones.” And check out these lines: “From you, I’ve learned how love’s meant to be/I’m spoken and broken and free.” Then, more than halfway through, there is a pretty vocal section, before the song goes into a more progressive rock direction led by guitar. The second track is titled “Blood And Water Revisited,” and this version begins on piano, which is the driving instrumental throughout the track. Both versions are good, but I think I actually prefer this second one, which has a glorious classical vibe.

Blood And Water is scheduled to be released on both vinyl and CD on August 8, 2019.

Grateful Dead Meet-Up At The Movies 2019

Today is Jerry Garcia’s birthday. He would have been, what, 77 years old. To mark the occasion, the annual Grateful Dead Meet-Up At The Movies is happening tonight. Every year, one concert is chosen to be shown in movie theaters across the country (and now in other parts of the world as well), and this year that concert is one I attended.

A friend and I drove from Massachusetts down to New Jersey to see the band play a two-night stand at Giants Stadium in June of 1991. The first show was the 16th, and my friend and I somehow got split up before the show started. No matter, I figured, you always make plenty of friends at Dead shows. But the band was just not on that night. The music felt tired and routine. There were no moments of magic. I actually went and sat down in a section sort of behind the stage, where nobody else was. Sitting down at a Dead show? Right, it was weird. Anyway, after the show, I met up with my friend at my van, and I didn’t want to say how disappointed I was, just in case he had a fantastic time. But soon it was clear he thought the show was terrible too. In fact, we considered giving away our tickets for the next night and just driving home. It was that bad. We wondered if this show signaled an end to the band.

Of course, we thought better of it. After all, we were already there, and neither of us was up for a long drive that night. The next night, June 17th, we got split up again. I decided I wanted to be on the floor, and so lowered myself over the wall at the back of the venue. Moments later a light rain began to fall, and the tarp on the floor became a slip-and-slide. A bunch of us were having a grand time sliding around, and then the band came out. And immediately there was magic in the air. We could feel it even before the band played its first note. And once they did play that first note, the place erupted in joy. They were opening the first set with “Eyes Of The World.” It seemed to me that the band was determined to make up for the previous night’s dull show. And they certainly did! This was one of the best concerts I ever attended. And this is the show that is being shown in theaters tonight. I am seriously excited to revisit this concert.

Soulsha: “Carry It On” (2019) CD Review

Soulsha is a band that seems to have come from everywhere at once, like it came rushing at us from various corners of the musical universe in order to raise our spirits and strengthen our resolve. The band’s music seems to say, “There is beauty everywhere, enjoy your life, but don’t become complacent.” In these dark days of gun violence and racism and treachery and an extremely divided nation, this band tells us not to give up, and to take great joy in not giving up. The music has Celtic and African elements. But where the band actually comes from is Boston. I’m always excited when folks from my home state of Massachusetts excel like this band does. The band, by the way, is made up of Elias Alexander on bagpipes, low whistle and vocals; Lamine Touré on sabar drums and vocals; Neil Pearlman on piano, organ, accordion, mandolin, banjo and vocals; Conor Hearn on guitar and vocals; Dylan Sherry on saxophone and vocals; Jake Galloway on trumpet and vocals; Charles Berthoud on bass; and Chris Southiere on drums and vocals. Carry It On is the group’s debut full-length release. Alastair White joins the group on fiddle on this album.

The album opens with “Isle Of Skye Reel,” an excellent and exciting instrumental piece. This tune is a wild celebration, combining elements of Celtic music and funk and disco and whatever else seems to strike the musicians’ fancy, taking a traditional number and adding a whole lot to it. It’s like a folk band was dropped into a dance club and was able to adapt immediately and get everyone onto the dance floor, even drawing in people from outside who might otherwise have passed the club by. Then in the middle of everything, there is fun percussion section, which I love. This track is a delight, a fantastic way to get the album going. Then when “Carry It On,” the album’s title track, begins, it sounds like it might be a folk song. But very quickly it takes on a different vibe, a very positive sound, with friendly vocals offering hope and a way through the darkness. “I want to see people making music, being proud of who they are/Proud of where they come from/I want to see people shaking hands with each other/No judgment at all/I want to see people listen to each other, really listen.” And then that wonderful Celtic folk element comes in. The drum beat combines Celtic and African styles. If you need something to lift your spirits (and who doesn’t need just that these days?), you’re going to appreciate this track and this album. Let loose, forget any inhibitions, and just dance – with yourself, with each other. I love that section when the horn and bagpipes listen and respond to each other, a dance of their own. When I hear music like this, it strikes me as impossible that someone like Donald Trump can even exist. Wouldn’t the world of this song destroy him and those like him? Or at least change them? Like a bright ray of light passing through them and negating all their toxicity.

On this disc, there are several tracks labeled “Interlude,” which are short tracks, most of them instrumentals. The first, which follows “Carry It On” and is titled appropriately “Interlude I,” is a percussion piece. The second, “Interlude II,” is a sort of funky groove. The third, “Interlude III” (are you seeing the pattern?) is not an instrumental. It features spoken word over bagpipes. “Where are the voices that have carried us across the generations, across the seas?” “Interlude IV” comes straight out of “Beautiful Line,” and feels like a short extension of one of that track’s musical themes. The final of these short pieces, “Interlude V,” is a cool bass piece, with the sounds of nature in the background.

Things get nice and funky with “Come On Down,” offering more positive, joyous vibes even as it touches on some serious subjects in lines like: “And if a child want to grow right wild eyed, we’d got to give him peace/It’s hard to grow when the guns keep blazing every day in the land of the free/Come on down now, people just come on down/We’ve got work to do, ain’t no use lying around.” I love that this music helps to make us feel like we can be effective, that we can fix things, because often it feels so overwhelming, and we feel ineffectual and powerless. This track also features some delicious work on keys. “We’ve got work to do,” indeed! There is a lot to do, a lot to repair. “Rhythm’s In The Melody” should certainly get you dancing and grooving. My favorite part is that Celtic instrumental section. That kind of thing always makes me smile, pushes my cares away. The track then explodes to another realm to get you dancing harder. “Now let it move, let it move you.”  Just let this music envelope you, lift you up, to the point where you almost lose all sense of self, and become part of the whole flow of the sound.

“Standing In The Water” is a prettier instrumental number, soaring at the beginning, as if at the edge of a cliff as the heavens shine down upon the instruments. Then the tune takes on a greater force, its voice becomes louder, stronger, as if the light is now not shining on the instruments, but shining from them. This is a glorious and beautiful tune. Toward the end, it relaxes a bit for a sweet lead on horn, then rises again. I could do without the sounds of waves crashing at the end, of course, as they seem to detract rather than add anything to this track. The percussion is really what drives “A’Ghrian,” and halfway through, there is a drum solo, so yeah, I fucking love this track. The album concludes with “What A Day,” the horns blast in, announcing the track, lifting us from our seats, and that is just the beginning. Check out that insistent rhythm, the horn flying over it, which gives way to a funkier vibe. What a day, indeed! As this instrumental track continues, it seems to grow in joy.

CD Track List

1. Isle Of Skye Reel
2. Carry It On
3. Interlude I
4. Fetchal
5. Come On Down
6. Interlude II
7. Rhythm’s In The Melody
8. Interlude III
9. Standing In The Water
10. Beautiful Line
11. Interlude IV
12. A’Ghrian
13. Interlude V
14. What A Day

Carry It On was released on May 31, 2019.

Larry Wolf With Four Cats & A Canary: “Mood Swings” (2019) CD Review

There are some songs you can completely rely on. To lift you up, to connect you to the human race, to speak to whatever it is that we have in common, that which makes us human, that which keeps us breathing and trying even if we’re suffering. And Mood Swings, the new disc from Larry Wolf, is full of them. These songs are classics for a reason. They will continue to delight and move people for generations, perhaps forever (or until this planet becomes uninhabitable and humanity is extinct, which will be in like fifty years if the Republicans have their way). Larry Wolf offers wonderful, personal takes on songs like “Embraceable You,” “Goodnight Irene” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” Joining him on this release are Adrianne Duncan on piano and vocals (Adrianne also produced the album); Jason Luckett on guitar, harmonica and vocals; John Tegmeyer on clarinet; Edwin Livingston on bass; and Dan Schnelle on drums.

Larry Wolf gets the album off to a delightful start with a fun rendition of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.” How can you fail to smile while listening to this track? There is a love for the song heard in every note, and this track features some wonderful stuff on clarinet. This song breathes and floats, and includes a cool bass solo. “Blue days/All of them gone/Nothing but blue skies/From now on.” The clarinet begins the following track “Laura,” sounding sweet and soft at moments, effectively pulling us in. Then that nice, rather laid back rhythm is established. Larry Wolf’s vocal performance is smoother here, with a romantic bent. And there is some more excellent work on bass, particularly in the second half of the track.

I may have mentioned this once or twice, but you can never go wrong with Gershwin. Larry Wolf chooses “Embraceable You,” his voice backed by guitar. His vocal delivery here has at times a relaxed quality that gives the impression he’s close to us, giving us a private performance, perhaps at a small dinner party. “I love all the many charms about you/Above all, I want my arms about you/Don’t be a naughty baby/Come to papa, do/My sweet embraceable you.” Things then take an interesting turn with his take on “Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor,” a classic and beloved bluesy gem. I love his playful approach to the lyrics, and I dig the clarinet. This track also boasts some wonderful guitar work during that instrumental section partway through, and some cool stuff on bass, moving along beneath that pretty clarinet lead. This is one of my favorite tracks on the disc. It is a total delight from beginning to end. “Mmm, I do not want no pork chops/Give me some cherry pie/Gonna love you, mama/‘Til we say goodbye.”

When I was growing up, Saturday Night Live did one of those fake commercials for Linda Ronstadt’s What’s New album, with a play on its title track, the line being “I sing old songs for you/Because I can’t do what’s new” (with Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Ronstadt). I’m not sure why that has stayed with me all these years, but it has, and it comes to mind whenever I hear this song. And so here it is again. Anyway, this version is done as a duet with Adrianne Duncan, and has a light, fanciful quality. That’s followed by “Good Night Irene,” a song I love. Larry Wolf offers a kind of cheerful rendition, his vocals supported by guitar. These lines always tickle me for some reason: “Sometimes I live in the country/Sometimes I live in town/Sometimes I get a great notion/To jump into the river and drown.”

There are several songs that I learned from the Grateful Dead or the Jerry Garcia Band. “That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)” is one of them. I saw Jerry Garcia Band perform it in 1989 when I was still a teenager, and fell in love with the song. I really like the way Larry Wolf approaches this one. The track has a folk vibe, and his voice has a gentle and slightly weary quality, which works perfectly with the lyrics. Plus, that guitar instrumental section is absolutely wonderful. This is another of my favorite tracks. It’s followed by an interesting rendition of “Georgia On My Mind,” which is beautiful at times (I love that clarinet), and kind of playful too. And there is some sweet work on piano. Larry Wolf also offers a sweet version of “You Are My Sunshine,” featuring harmonica. Nancy Wolf provides additional vocals on this track. Another of this disc’s highlights is the moving rendition of “I’ll Be Seeing You,” with its late-night vibe and nice work on piano. There is a bit of heartache, a bit of sorrow in his delivery, as well as love. “I’ll find you in the morning sun/And when the night is new/I’ll be looking at the moon/But I’ll be seeing you.”

CD Track List

1. Blue Skies
2. Laura
3. Embraceable You
4. Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor
5. What’s New
6. Good Night Irene
7. I Won’t Cry Anymore
8. Lucky Old Sun
9. Georgia On My Mind
10. Motherless Child
11. You Are My Sunshine
12. Autumn Leaves
13. I’ll Be Seeing You
14. Twinkle

Mood Swings is scheduled to be released on August 16, 2019.

Ross Osteen Band: “Williwaw” (2019) CD Review

Two thirds of the citizens of this country have the blues (the other third having apparently suffered irreparable brain damage from inbreeding and tainted water, resulting in racism and stupidity beyond measure). We are living in scary and incomprehensible times. So again and again we turn to music, and often it is the blues that speak strongly to us. Ross Osteen Band’s latest release, Williwaw, provides a good dose of blues for us to sink our teeth into. This is the band’s third album, following 2016’s Glenhead Station. The band, by the way, is made up of Ross Osteen on guitar and vocals, Patrick Gaynor on drums, and Jim Vint on bass.

The back of the CD case claims “All songs written and recorded by Ross Osteen Band,” but that just isn’t quite true, is it? For the album opens with a cover of Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy.”  And these days I am grateful to hear someone sing, “Everything, everything, everything gonna be all right this morning.” Well, okay! The guitar that follows that line seems to confirm the truth of the statement, and I am eager to believe. And then that familiar riff, that familiar rhythm comes in, and Ross Osteen belts out the lyrics in an honest, powerful way. No bullshit here, just some damn good blues. That’s followed by “Show Her,” electric blues with a bit of attitude in the playing. Guitarist Bill Altman joins the band on this track. Ross draws out certain words, certain syllables. “Well, the stars at night start blinking, there ain’t no one else you can call/My woman, she walks with her head held high/’Cause I show her.”

“Make It” has a more fun vibe, more of a rock flavor. It also has a positive message we can grab onto, in the line “I’m going to make it anyway.” We need to keep telling ourselves just that. Ross Osteen’s vocals at moments go into John Fogerty territory on this track. There is also plenty of delicious guitar work here, helping to make this one a thumping blues rock gem. “Ain’t nobody out there giving me a sign.” Then “Little Rooster” puts Ross Osteen firmly in the company of George Thorogood, particularly the way he delivers the song’s lyrics, the way he tells us the story. This solid blues jam rocks us, making me imagine this tune is a good part of the band’s live performances. That’s followed by “A No. 1,” which also features some cool work on guitar.

“Nighttime” is a loose, enjoyable tune with something of a Bo Diddley beat. It has an air of celebration and excitement at the possibilities, as night falls. “Come on now, we don’t need no car.” That’s followed by “Willie G,” blues with a southern rock flavor, a cool tune that moves along at a good clip with a beat you dance to. On this one too, Ross Osteen’s vocal delivery reminds me a bit of John Fogerty. “Broom” then features some delicious work on drums. “Yeah, they told me that we lost the way/Ain’t nothing like it used to be now.” That’s followed by “Road I’m On.” I’m struck by the energy of his vocals on the entire album, but on this track in particular. The power of his voice seems so natural, almost effortless. The album then concludes with “Jellyfish Jam,” the only instrumental track, a kind of slow jam with a cool bass line and more good work on guitar.

CD Track List

1. Mannish Boy
2. Show Her
3. Make It
4. Little Rooster
5. A No. 1
6. Nighttime
7. Willie G
8. Broom
9. Road I’m On
10. Jellyfish Jam

Williwaw was released on March 21, 2019.

Princess Frank and Sunset Junction Band at The Thirsty Crow, 7-28-19 Concert Review

Princess Frank

Yesterday was a day of excellent music. I started my day at The Federal Bar, where I saw Freedy Johnston and Amilia K. Spicer. Then I made my way down to Silver Lake, to The Thirsty Crow, where Princess Frank holds his residency. Sharing the bill with him was Sunset Junction Band, which features Leslie Knauer on lead vocals and guitar. Parking is always a bit challenging in that area, and I ended up farther away than usual. It was a scorcher of a day, so I was soaked with sweat by the time I arrived at the venue. As I walked in, I suddenly recalled that this place has no air conditioning. No matter. There were fans, including one box fan pointed at the band. No one there seemed to mind the heat. And there were misters just outside the door, so you could step out for a moment and cool off. I got a beer (friendly staff there, by the way), and said hello to some people I hadn’t seen in years. Clearly there was some kind of sale on hair dye somewhere nearby, with green and purple being the colors of choice. Wonderful! Those are my favorite colors.

You might know Leslie Knauer from her work in Precious Metal and Kanary. Kanary was how I got turned onto her music. That was the second band I saw after moving to Los Angeles (the first was Kelly’s Lot) more than twenty years ago (holy shit, time is flying). Sunset Junction Band, like Kanary, is a trio (though it wasn’t always). Guitar, bass, drums. The bass is stand-up acoustic, which made me happy. At 4:42 p.m., Leslie called out, “Yes, we’re ready.” She mentioned how the name of the band had changed (they used to be called Naked Hand Dance), but that she was a bit leery of the new name. “It sounds like it could be successful,” she explained. They kicked off their set with a cool cover of The Mavericks’ “Come Unto Me.” That was followed by a somewhat new song, a fun and playful tune that had something of a Bo Diddley rhythm, with drummer Dave Alvarado providing the beat. Sunset Junction Band also did a nice rendition of John Prine’s delightful “In Spite Of Ourselves,” a surprise, with bassist Al TeMan singing the second vocal part. The strangest choice of covers was Klaus Nomi’s “Total Eclipse,” which was a whole lot of fun. A good chunk of the set, however, was made up of songs from the Kanary days, including “Do You Swear,” which featured a powerful vocal performance. Would you expect anything less from Leslie Knauer? “Can’t Stop Crying” is one of my favorite songs from the Kanary days, and it was so good to hear it again. “Something Beautiful” is another of my favorite Kanary songs, one I put on a couple of mix CDs. The version they played yesterday was quite a bit different from those earlier versions, particularly on drums. But I was digging it. After that one, Leslie said: “I love my band. They follow me wherever I go.” They wrapped up their set with “Don’t Be Scared.” Their set ended at 5:28 p.m.

A break between bands gave me a moment to get another beer, and catch up a bit with folks. And then at 6:01 p.m., Princess Frank shouted “Happy Sunday!” Indeed, it was. If you live in Los Angeles, you’ve likely seen Princess Frank at some point. I first met him back in the days of Heartkour, Holland Greco’s project following the end of The Peak Show. For a while now, Princess Frank has been doing a one-man rock band gig. His set yesterday consisted of several original tunes, with a bluesy rock edge and some excellent and often wild vocal work. He also delivered some good covers, including a seriously cool version of “Helter Skelter” that felt at first like a deconstruction of the song, then a rebuilding of it, with only the necessary elements, delivered with passion, unleashed in an exciting way. He also covered The Beatles’ “Oh! Darling,” as well as The Doors’ “Love Me Two Times” and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” He concluded his set with a cover of the Misfits’ “Where Eagles Dare,” getting some help on vocals from a guy sporting a Misfits T-shirt. Princess Frank joked a few times during his set that every Sunday he is there to harass people, so show up next week for the best harassment you’ll ever experience.

Here are a few photos from the show:

Sunset Junction Band performing "Come Unto Me"

"Forgive Me"

"Forgive Me"

"Don't Be Scared"

Princess Frank

Princess Frank

Princess Frank performing "Where Eagles Dare"

The Thirsty Crow is located at 2939 Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, California.