April March: “In Cinerama” (2022) CD Review

It’s damn near impossible to get every title one might want on any given Record Store Day. So it’s always a wonderful and beneficial thing when the albums are later released on CD. Sure, like most folks, I prefer the vinyl. But really, as long as I have the music on some physical format, I am a happy boy. And so as I listen to April March’s In Cinerama, I am a happy boy. This was released on vinyl on July 17, 2021, and then early this year was released on CD, with two bonus tracks and new liner notes, the liner notes presented in both English and French. Also, the CD release has a somewhat different cover. April March (her real name is Elinor Blake) is a singer and songwriter working in the pop realm, delivering a glorious kind of pop that is totally enjoyable. She co-wrote most of the material on In Cinerama. The album was produced by Mehdi Zannad and Elinor Blake.

The album opens with “Lift Off,” which is both cool and totally adorable, a bright pop song with a string section. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “And all the colors/Above me/Became the colors of you/And the world below/Need never know/When I go.” Yes, this is like a pop heaven. This track was written by Elinor Blake and Mehdi Zannad. The good vibes continue with “Rolla Rolla,” this one written by Tony Allen, Elinor Blake and Mehdi Zannad. I love those backing vocals. The backing vocalists performing on this release are Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford, Petra Haden, Rachel Haden, Lola Kirke, Benett Rogers and Mehdi Zannad. Things get even better with “Open Your Window Romeo,” one of my personal favorites. It has a delicious groove, and features a wonderful vocal performance, along with a timeless vibe. There is certainly something of a 1960s influence on April March’s work. This one is sung partially in French, and includes an excellent string section, arranged by Sean O’Hagan. Does pop get any better than this?

It seems that everyone (or nearly everyone) wants to believe in the magic of California, especially those of us who make our homes there, and April March taps into that special sense on “Californian Fall.” It even opens with the line, “Hollywood is magical.” And though I’ve been here quite a while now, sometimes it still seems that way to me. “Neighborhoods full of promises/All the sweet possibility/Sip the wine, feel the mild/Californian fall/Bringing up the scents from the canyons.” This song feels like a California breeze, carrying sunshine and pixie dust and hope. It leads straight into “Stand In The Sun,” a song which seems to grow out of the previous track, just developing a stronger groove. This one features some wonderful work from the brass section. And the tone certainly changes from the last song, which we might not realize at first. But here April March sings, “When the blood comes rushing down the street/Tell me, where will you be/Will you take my hand and come and stand in the sun with me?”

There is a certain 1960s influence on “Ride Or Divide” too, both in her vocal performance and in certain elements of the overall sound. I love that rhythm. “Can you hear me when the night is darkest/Singing to you underneath your eyelids/Wanna hold you, wanna hold you so much/I’m not afraid, I’m gonna let it happen.” I also really like that kind of trippy jam at the end. This is another of my personal favorites. That’s followed by “Elinor Blue,” a title that leaves us wondering how much this song tells her own story. After all, her real name is Elinor. “Daddy died when I was a child/How could I know a mercy mild?/But Mama tried/She told me when I cried/To sail it like a victory.”

“Runaway” is the first of five tracks on this disc that April March did not have a hand in writing. This one was written by Mehdi Zannad. It has some classic elements, even “shoo-wop” backing vocals, but combined with more modern sounds, to interesting effect, creating its own time. “I just need to survive/With you life is boring and sad/I just can’t seem to find/A way to treat you kind.” That’s followed by “Baby,” also written by Mehdi Zannad, and also having something of a classic vibe, taking us back to the early 1960s. There is something sweet about this one, particularly in that final section, which features some beautiful work on strings. “Here comes my baby in my arms/I’ll know what you know/Sing what you sing/Play what you play.” That’s followed by a cover of “Down The Line,” a song written by Perry Botkin and Barry De Vorzon, this version featuring a pretty vocal performance. Then the final of the original release’s tracks is “Born.” There is something rather sweet and comforting about this one. “You’re in your day/Pick up your trail again/‘Cause you are never far from the day you were born.”

Bonus Tracks

The CD contains two tracks not included on the original vinyl release. Both were written by Mehdi Zannad. The first, “Goodbye,” is gentle and adorable, with a folk vibe, and the strings playing a prominent role. “Waking up by your side/Means a lot to me/It’s enough just sitting/Better enjoy what we’re living.” Toward the end the song kicks in, begins to swell and becomes even more joyful. I am sure this song will draw a smile out of the darkest of hearts. The final song is titled “Friends Peculiar,” a pop song that even includes hand claps at certain points. I love the way this one builds in its second half. “All my friends peculiar/They jump start/So joyous/I’m jealous/When I’m worth a token/I come by/To cheer up and listen.”

CD Track List

1. Lift Off
2. Rolla Rolla
3. Open Your Window Romeo
4. Californian Fall
5. Stand In The Sun
6. Ride Or Divide
7. Elinor Blue
8. Runaway
9. Baby
10. Down The Line
11. Born
12. Goodbye
13. Friends Peculiar

In Cinerama was released on CD on March 18, 2022 through Omnivore Recordings.

Rusty Tinder: “Alchemy Road” (2022) CD Review

Rusty Tinder is a singer, songwriter and pianist based in Los Angeles. You might know him from his work in the country rock band Von Cotton. In 2019, he released a solo album titled Dear To You, featuring the single “Don’t Grow Old In Hollywood.” His new album, Alchemy Road, was recorded during that time in the pandemic before everyone was vaccinated, and so the musicians learned the songs remotely. Then when it came time to record, they were tested regularly and kept a safe distance from each other, something that is still important to do, as it turns out. The disc features all original material, written or co-written by Rusty Tinder. Joining him on this release are Mike Cionni on acoustic guitar and backing vocals, Blake English on electric guitar and mandolin, Greg Reeves on bass, and Paul Allen on drums, along with guests on certain tracks.

Rusty Tinder opens this album with “Moonlit Kissed,” which has a passionate sound, particularly in the vocal performance, the music somewhere between folk and country, with the surprising addition of trumpet, which ends up working really well. That’s John Fricke on trumpet. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “The wind on your eyes/Like waterfalls at night/Moonlit kissed/It’s gonna be all right.” And toward the end, as the music is at its peak, he repeats “It’s gonna be all right” until we are all believing. That’s followed by “Without You,” which features a cool, catchy bass line, and kicks in to become a cheerful-sounding number, including some good work on mandolin. “Without you/The road goes nowhere,” Rusty Tinder sings in this one. This track has a lively ending with some excellent work on piano. Then in “Tululah,” he sings, “All our luggage/Filled with hopes and dreams/Behind them green eyes/Was a sadness/I couldn’t imagine.” Yet there is a touch of that sadness in his delivery.

The CD case lists “No Longer In The Gray” as the next track, but my disc actually has “Remember Why You’re Here” in that spot. This is a pretty song. As it builds, there is a good amount of joy in the delivery. How could it be otherwise with a line like “La di day la di da”? This track features wonderful stuff on piano. Plus, Julie Pusch joins on fiddle, adding to the sweet and friendly vibe. And Bree Doehring provides some nice backing vocals. This is one of those songs with the ability to unite us and lift us up. That’s followed by “Stay,” which also builds in power, and which also features Julie Pusch on fiddle. “My legs are feeble/My mind a waste/I see your colors/Of black and gray/It seems I’m able/A disgrace/‘Cause I’m going to stay/With you/Anyway.” Then “Alchemy Road,” the title track, has a vibrant sound that seems to scale mountains and to take us with it. “Acting like I know what I’m doing here/The more I think, the more I fear/Wake up slow in this reality.” This song was written by Rusty Tinder and Mike Cionni. It is after the title track that my disc positions “No Longer In The Gray,” a song with a softer opening, drawing us closer. “Inside your sun is burning/Reaching across this plain/A new constellation/For all to see/No longer in the gray.” (I suppose this track makes more sense here, so that it comes after “Stay,” with the lines “I see your colors/Of black and gray.”) In this song, Rusty Tinder also sings, “Gonna wake this planet up/Going to set things right.” It is when I listen to songs like this that I most believe that this is possible. If the energy is there, if the passion is there, as is clear in the music, then why can’t we set things right?

The lines from “On Top Of The World” that stand out for me each time I listen to it are “I want myself again/I want that feeling/Of being/On top of the world.” I think we all want that. Sometimes it seems possible. And I love Rusty Tinder’s honest, earnest vocal delivery. This track also features nice work by Blake English on electric guitar. The song builds toward a beautiful and strong instrumental section. Julie Pusch plays both violin and viola on this one. It is one of my personal favorites. That is followed by “My Name.” Death has been on my mind a lot lately, along with questions of what is left behind, what is remembered, and for how long. Namely, how strong is our impact on those we knew? To me, that is what this song addresses. “When I wake no more/Will you call my name/When the dirt takes my veins/Will you cry my name.” As he repeats “On and on” at the end, we get the sense of a continuation of the spirit or of life. This beautiful song was written by Rusty Tinder and Greg Reeves.

“Infinite Grace” is an instrumental track in which Rusty Tinder plays harmonium and wind chimes, with Mike Cionni on synths and electric guitar. It has dreamlike feel, like standing atop a mountain, over clouds, without fear, and without age. It leads straight into “Let Me Be Found,” which was written by Rusty Tinder and Mike Cionni, and is another of the album’s highlights. These early lines certainly strike a chord with me: “Paralyzed/‘Cause I analyze too much/Keeps me in the west.” The lyrics of this song contain the title of the previous track: “Lift me away/From this carnival of sadness/To infinite grace.” These lines also stand out: “Let silence reveal/The song of the universe/Peel off my skin/Wash away sin and dirt/My heart open wide/To the cosmic sound.” The line about silence reminds me of Hamlet’s last line before his death, “The rest is silence.” While that seemed to indicate a definite end, here silence seems to bring a beginning. The album then concludes with “Copper Penny Sun,” a song about this troubled nation. It seems clear just whom is being referred to in the lines, “Selling lies as the truth/Making money on being ruthless.” Have we learned nothing? It seems to be the case, doesn’t it? This song swells dramatically, leading to the climax, then fades as if to indicate the struggles continue. Julie Pusch is again on violin and viola. Chris Tedesco plays trumpet, flugelhorn, and trombone on this track, while David Silverman is on tuba, and Kahlil Sabbagh is on percussion.

CD Track List

1. Moonlit Kissed
2. Without You
3. Tululah
4. Remember Why You’re Here
5. Stay
6. Alchemy Road
7. No Longer In The Gray
8. On Top Of The World
9. My Name
10. Infinite Grace
11. Let Me Be Found
12. Copper Penny Sun

Alchemy Road was released on July 29, 2022.

Jeff Berlin: “Jack Songs” (2022) CD Review

Jeff Berlin has gathered a remarkable group of musicians together to pay tribute to the music of fellow bassist Jack Bruce on his new album, Jack Songs. Among those playing on these tracks are Sammy Hagar, Bill Frisell, Geddy Lee, and Gregg Bissonette. I was fortunate enough to get to see Jack Bruce in concert once back in the late 1980s, opening for The Moody Blues. He did several Cream songs, but also songs like “Theme For An Imaginary Western,” which is covered here. Most of the songs on this disc were written by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown, with just a couple of exceptions. Jeff Berlin, in addition to bass, plays keyboards on these tracks, and provides some backing vocal work. On most tracks he is joined by John McCracken on guitar, Pat Coil on organ, and Bruce Guttridge on drums.

The album opens with “Creamed,” which is a medley of Cream songs, a good place to begin a tribute to Jack Bruce. As the track starts, we are treated to a bit of “I Feel Free,” presented without any vocals. The musicians then segue into “Politician,” and soon “White Room,” these with Ron Hemby on vocals. Interestingly, they at times combine a couple of different songs, which works surprisingly well. During another instrumental section, we get a tease of “Sunshine Of Your Love.” Alex Lifeson delivers some excellent work on guitar. There is also a little instrumental tease of “Spoonful.” They return to “I Feel Free,” this time with vocals. That is followed by “Theme For An Imaginary Western” (here titled “Theme From An Imaginary Western,” as it sometimes called), one of my favorite Jack Bruce songs. I suppose it is one of everyone’s favorites. It is a great song from Jack Bruce’s first solo album, Songs For A Tailor, and Jeff Berlin does a really good job with it. Ron Hemby is again on vocals, his voice containing the right amount of passion. Pat Coil is on keys. Special guest Gregg Bissonette plays drums on this track, and Eric Johnson comes in to deliver that great lead on guitar.

Alex Ligertwood then joins Jeff Berlin on vocals for “A Letter Of Thanks,” a song from Jack Bruce’s 1971 LP Harmony Row. Both Pat Coil and Michael Whittaker play organ on this one, and Pat Bergeson provides a delicious harmonica lead. But it is Jeff Berlin’s bass work that I love most about this lively blues track. Then Sammy Hagar sings lead on “L’Angelo Misterioso,” one of the disc’s most fun tracks. My appreciation for Sammy Hagar’s work has increased in recent years. I saw a video of him singing with Jerry Garcia at some tiny venue, and that is what caused me to take another look at his output. This track also features a brass section. Emmanuel Echem and Tyler Jaeger are on trumpet, while Tyler Summers and Don Aliquo are on alto saxophone, and Max Abrams plays tenor sax. And there is a great jam in the second half of the track, featuring Scott Henderson on guitar, and Gary Husband on drums. Alex Ligertwood returns to sing lead on “Rope Ladder To The Moon,” a song from Songs For A Tailor. This track also features Tracy Silverman on electric violin, a cool lead on guitar by Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and of course some great work on bass by Jeff Berlin.

Bill Frisell is the special guest guitarist on a “One Without A Word,” which is basically the song “One,” with just a bit of “Without A Word” at the end. John Cowan joins Ron Hemby on vocals for this one. This track features some really nice work on drums. There is more good work on drums on “Smiles Story And Morning Grins,” which is another combination of songs, this time “Smiles And Grins” and “Morning Story,” both originally included on Harmony Row. On this track, Michael Dearling joins Ron Hemby on vocals. The first lyrics sung are from “Smiles And Grins,” and soon some lines from “Morning Story” are mixed in, and they go back and forth between the two songs. The most exciting part of this track comes approximately halfway through, when the jam begins, featuring a whole lot of talented bass players, including Tony Levin, Billy Sheehan, Michael League, Mark King, Ron Carter, Marcus Miller, Nathan East and Geddy Lee. That section helps make this track one of the disc’s highlights. Then Alex Ligertwood again sings lead on “Folk Song,” another song from Harmony Row. This track features some nice work on piano by Mariano Agustoni. Gabriela Sinagra provides backing vocals.

While most of this album is material written by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown, the final two tracks were written or co-written by Jeff Berlin. The first of those, “Traintime Time,” comes on like a train, that rhythm pushing steadily along while Jeff Berlin’s work on keys plays over it. This is a lively and fun number, featuring a hopping harmonica lead by Pat Bergeson, helping to make it another of the disc’s highlights. Both Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and Johnny Hiland play guitar on this one, while Gumbi Ortiz is on percussion. I love how wild that bass gets toward the end. Then “Fuimos (We Have Been)” was written by Jeff Berlin and Pete Brown, and here we get a vocal performance by Jeff Berlin. He sings about a Jack Bruce concert performance seen on DVD, but the song really functions as a goodbye. “You cheated the reaper/Time and time again/Though the odds were steeper/As you paid the price in pain/You couldn’t go on forever/I really thought you would.” Mario Agustino is on piano, and Michael Dearing provides some backing vocals on this track.

CD Track List

1. Creamed
2. Theme From An Imaginary Western
3. A Letter Of Thanks
4. L’Angelo Misterioso
5. Rope Ladder To The Moon
6. One Without A Word
7. Smiles Story And Morning Grins
8. Folk Song
9. Traintime Time
10. Fuimus (We Have Been)

Jack Songs was released on August 2, 2022.

David Young And Friends: “Love Wins” (2022) CD Review

On the cover of Love Wins, underneath the title, it says, “A Feel-Good Album of Healing Messages.” And, yeah, I know what you’re thinking, that this is going to be full of corny and possibly preachy tunes. But that’s not the case. And, let’s face it, we need music that will make us feel good. It’s been a rough several years, with the pandemic and gun violence and the attack on women’s rights and the rise of fascism and domestic terrorism. Scary times. So this music is welcome, no question about it. David Young provides the lead vocals and plays acoustic guitar on these tracks. The friends joining him include Tony Levin (known for his work with Stick Men, Peter Gabriel, and King Crimson) on bass, Jerry Marotta (known for his work with Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, and Indigo Girls) on drums and percussion, Pete Levin on piano and organ, Keith Martin on mandolin and backing vocals, Lisa Maria on crystal bowls and backing vocals, Sarah Perotta on accordion and backing vocals, and Lindsay Morano on backing vocals. All of the material on this album is original, written by David Young.

The first line of the first song is “Everybody in the world is going crazy.” There is no way to argue with that. Look what has been happening in our country over the last six years or so. Look at Italy. Look at Russia. Look at Hungary. Even Sweden, for crying out loud. Things are ugly out there, as the world seems to eagerly embrace fascism again. Anyway, it’s the perfect line with which to kick off an album of songs designed to make us all feel better. And David Young delivers the line gently, like a friend offering empathy. But, you know, it’s a line that should unite us too. After all, we are all experiencing this reality, more or less. And, as he sings on this track, “We all need someone/We all need someone/We all need someone.” And I love that work on mandolin, which seems capable even on its own of raising our spirits. “Everybody In The World” is followed by the album’s title track, “Love Wins,” a sweet-sounding song about how in the fundamental ways we are all the same. It is a song against racism, and it features more good work on mandolin. Here David Young sings, “We all hold the future in our hands.” I do believe that love wins, but sometimes it is just so difficult to offer love in the face of bigotry and meanness. I mean, could anyone love Marjorie Peach Tree Dish Greene, for example? I don’t think I’m strong enough for that. My gag reflex is stronger. Then “Heaven Is The Place” has a bright, pleasant sound.

Dave Young And Friends offer an original song titled “The Best Is Yet To Come,” not to be confused with the song associated with Frank Sinatra. That optimistic saying has been around a long time, of course, but that sentence now sadly reminds me of that foul, coked-up creature Kimberly Guilfoyle. Remember when she screamed that at the world, like some kind of twisted threat? You remember, it was creepy as hell. But this song should knock that image out of your noggin relatively quickly with its delightful groove, which leans toward reggae. I love the bass line and the percussion. “And the best is yet to come/In the years ahead/And the best is yet to come/Listen what I said/I guess I never knew/How hard this life could be.” Let’s hope the best is yet to come, and not securely fastened to the deep past. I suppose we are all optimists; otherwise we wouldn’t still be here. And that mandolin work certainly helps to cheer me up. That’s followed by “Clues,” which has a pretty sound. Check out these lines, which open the song: “Seems to me/Pretty obviously/There’s something I keep failing to see/I’ve got clues right in front of me/Right in front of me/Right in front of me.” And from the tone of his vocals, we get the sense that he will heed those clues soon enough. This track features some wonderful, uplifting backing vocal work as well. There is also some nice work on accordion, and some wonderful percussion, particularly in that final section. And from the title of the next track, “I See The World With Different Eyes,” it seems that he has availed himself of those clues. There is a gentle, yet joyful sense behind this song’s presentation. It has a bit of a 1970s soft rock and folk vibe. “And see the world around me/With the feeling of surprise/I see the world with different eyes/With all my friends around me/And the love that’s in their eyes/I see the world with different eyes.”

“The Other Side Of The Clouds” has a sweet, pretty folk sound from its start, featuring some lovely work on mandolin. And in the lyrics, David Young paints an ideal scene in which “Everyone is happy, everyone is happy.” Sometimes I can imagine it. But other times it seems impossible, since some folks’ happiness seems to depend upon the unhappiness of other people. This song builds in strength and power. That is followed by “Everyday,” which has a reggae vibe. The song is delivered with a joy that seems determined to manifest itself in reality all around. “I said everyday/Only the good comes my way.” I do wonder how much power a thought can have. Can we create a better world just by saying it exists, by believing in it? “I’m ready for the troubled water to turn to wine,” David Young repeats near the beginning of “Troubled Waters.” There is optimism in this song, a song that has a softer sound. There are some beautiful instrumental sections, particularly at the end. I love that the musicians are given the chance to stretch out a bit, to take us on a gentle ride. “I don’t need to figure it all out/I don’t need to know what it’s all about/I just need to give myself some time/And allow myself to be/At the perfect place at the perfect time,” David Young sings in “The Perfect Place At The Perfect Time.” This song really helps ease my mind, and it features some pretty backing vocal work. The energy returns for “The Way Of Love,” the album’s closing track, a lively number. I especially like this one on its chorus, with that piano, and those backing vocals. It may go on just a tad long at the end, but no worries.

Track List

1. Everybody In The World
2. Love Wins
3. Heaven Is The Place
4. The Best Is Yet To Come
5. Clues
6. I See The World With Different Eyes
7. The Other Side Of The Clouds
8. Everyday
9. Troubled Waters
10. The Perfect Place At The Perfect Time
11. The Way Of Love

Love Wins is scheduled to be released on October 28, 2022.