A Tribute To Eric Clapton (2022) CD Review

Eric Clapton, as probably anyone who listens to music knows, is an accomplished and incredibly talented guitarist. He’s near the top of every list of great guitar players, and in addition to his solo career he was a member of some influential bands, including The Yardbirds, Cream, and Blind Faith. He’s also written or co-written some excellent songs over the years. And whatever nonsense he may have spouted against safety protocols during the pandemic, he is still one heck of a good artist. Last year, several artists joined forces to pay tribute to Eric Clapton, choosing songs from his solo albums as well as from Cream, The Yardbirds and Blind Faith. Most of the songs picked for this tribute album are from fairly early in Clapton’s career. The album was produced by Jürgen Engler, who also plays guitar, bass and keyboards.

“Cocaine” is one of the first songs I recall hearing from Eric Clapton when I was growing up. It got quite a bit of airplay in Massachusetts in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and a live version of it was included on the compilation Time Pieces, which was the first Clapton album I ever got (I was ten or eleven years old at the time, and got it on cassette). And “Cocaine” is the song that kicks off this tribute, this version featuring Kirk Fletcher on vocals and guitar, and Brian Auger on organ. It is a fairly faithful rendition, and I like the work on keys during the instrumental section in the middle. “Cocaine” was included on Clapton’s 1977 album Slowhand, as was “Lay Down Sally,” this tribute’s second track. This was always one of my favorites. It’s a fun country number that Eric Clapton co-wrote, and the version here is really good. It features Sammy Kershaw on vocals, and Albert Lee delivering some delicious work on guitar.

This disc then goes back to the Cream days for a couple of tracks, starting with “I Feel Free,” which was written by Peter Brown and Jack Bruce. The version here is wild, with Arthur Brown on vocals, James Williamson on guitar and Rat Scabies on drums. It was also included on Arthur Brown’s Monster’s Ball, which was released in October. Then “Sunshine Of Your Love” features Eric Gales on vocals and guitar, and Doug Pinnick on bass. This song allowed me to get away with a lot of stuff in seventh grade. One of our teachers made a reference to this song, and only my friend Dan and I got it. And so from then on, we had a bit more freedom in that classroom. The song comes from Disraeli Gears, which was the first Cream album I bought, a cassette I listened to over and over. This version focuses on the guitar work, and has an interesting ending.

From Eric Clapton’s first album is chosen the track “Let It Rain,” this version featuring Jack Russell on vocals, and Sonny Landreth on slide guitar. They do a good job with it. I particularly like the guitar work in that last section. That’s followed by “Wonderful Tonight,” another song from Slowhand, and another of Eric Clapton’s best songs. It’s such a pretty number. Oli Brown is on vocals and guitar on the version included on this tribute album, and delivers a really nice performance. Wayne Proctor is on drums, Jon Trier is on organ, and Alex Phillips is on bass. Lynne Jackaman provides backing vocals. Then the band Molly Hatchet gives us “Layla,” one of Clapton’s most famous songs, this one coming from the only studio album by Derek And The Dominos, released in 1970. The song has two distinct sections, almost feeling like two different songs. I figured Molly Hatchet would kick ass on that first section, which the band does. But these guys also do quite a good job with the pretty second section.

The first version I heard of “I Shot The Sheriff” was that by Eric Clapton, which was included on 461 Ocean Boulevard, and then also on Time Pieces. It wasn’t until several years later, when I was in high school, that I heard Bob Marley’s recording. Clapton’s version still maintained much of the reggae feel, while adding some rock elements. The version on this tribute album has much more of a blues rock sound, particularly in the guitar work. Pat Travers is on guitar and vocals, Artimus Pyle is on drums, and David Sancious is on keys. That’s followed by “For Your Love,” a song recorded by The Yardbirds, and so the oldest song chosen for this tribute album. Mark Lindsay (of Paul Revere & The Raiders) provides the vocals on this version. Rick Nielsen is on guitar, Gregg Bissonette is on drums, Tom Petersson is on 12-string bass, and Robert Bird is on rhythm guitar. It’s a pretty cool and pretty wild rendition.

Then we get the most recent of the songs chosen for this album, “Tears In Heaven,” which came out in late 1991 (the version I mainly listened to was on the Unplugged album, which was released in 1992). This is an interesting choice to cover, because it’s such a personal song, about a heartrending subject. Ana Popovic delivers a strong bluesy vocal performance. She also plays lead guitar and slide guitar on this track, and is joined by Buthel Burns on bass and Jerry Wayne Kelley Jr. on drums. That’s followed by “White Room,” a Cream song that was written by Peter Brown and Jack Bruce, and was always one of my personal favorites. Graham Bonnet delivers a powerful vocal performance, backed by Snowy White on guitar. The album then concludes with the Blind Faith song “Can’t Find My Way Home,” written by Steve Winwood, and here sung by Shirley King, who puts her own touches on it. Martin Barre is on guitar. This is one of the disc’s best tracks.

CD Track List

1. Cocaine
2. Lay Down Sally
3. I Feel Free
4. Sunshine Of Your Love
5. Let It Rain
6. Wonderful Tonight
7. Layla
8. I Shot The Sheriff
9. For Your Love
10. Tears In Heaven
11. White Room
12. Can’t Find My Way Home

A Tribute To Eric Clapton was released on June 17, 2022 on Cleopatra Records.

Dizzy & Fay: “Hooked” (2022) CD Review

Dizzy & Fay are a jazz duo based in up in Ontario, influenced by the great standards and yet creating their own original material. Fay (Amanda Walther) is on vocals and kazoo, while Dizzy (Mark Lalama) is on piano. Performing with them on their latest release, Hooked, are David DiRenzo on drums; Rich Moore on bass; Drew Jurecka on violin and viola; Johnny Johnson on saxophone, bass clarinet, clarinet, flute and alto flute; William Carn on trombone; and Jason Logue on trumpet and flugelhorn. In addition, thanks to a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, the duo was able to include the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Adam Klemens. Hooked is the duo’s second album, following 2021’s Songbook, and it was produced by Mark Lalama, while Amanda Walther did the album design and artwork.

The album opens with its title track, which builds at the beginning like it’s going to reach an exciting climax immediately, a brief overture that suddenly stops, at which point Amanda Walther comes in on vocals. “Can’t sleep” is then the first line, which makes complete sense after that introduction. “Baby, I am hooked on you,” she then admits, her voice turning more sultry and certain. And the track grows and builds, sweeping us up in its motion. I love that, but I also love that there are breaks, where the vocals have an intimate sound. And then there is a section where the piano is on its own briefly, another wonderful surprise, before things build dramatically again. Ah yes, this music is alive, keeping us engaged. What an excellent opening track. It is followed by “In A Heartbeat,” a completely adorable song, a love song featuring some sweet vocal work, and even whistling, as well as delightful work on piano and bass. “I’m told I should take it slow/You know, never lose control/But only a moment face to face/And my heart begins to race/There’s nothing I can do.” We all know how great that feeling is. And there is such joy in this song. It like magic, like a different world, and the laughter we hear at one point feels genuine. As this track reaches its conclusion, it turns even more romantic and delicate, like beneath the joy and laughter, there is a serious love that needs to be conveyed.

Amanda’s vocals have an intimate quality at the beginning of “Home Is Where My Heart Is.” “Take me home/I want to go home/I want to see my baby,” she sings, and we can hear the need in her voice. This is a slower, beautiful number, with some gorgeous work on strings. That’s followed by “I’m Alright,” a song that grabs me immediately with its opening lines, “I’m alright, I’m okay/What’s the point in you asking me that anyway/I’ll be fine in a day/Get some sleep, and then dream all my troubles away,” lines which speak to me. This song makes me believe that I can dream my troubles away. It’s been a rough time, but this music is like a friendly hand. There is no bull here. I mean, seriously, how can you help but put things into some perspective when she sings “The world seems to be on fire/And everybody’s going to die/But it’s cool/No big deal/I’m alright”? I absolutely love it. And it has that classic sound and tone. This is such a damn good song, and it is hitting all the right spots for me as I deal with my own problems. I’m guessing it will do the same for anyone else who is struggling now.

“See Me In The Dark” begins on piano, and features a beautiful, seductive vocal performance. “Nobody else can see my heart glowing in the dark/You can hear me from a distance/Tune in and you’re always listening.” Oh, to be heard, to be known, and to know you will be heard. We all need that. And that instrumental section halfway through this track is so cool. I especially love that percussion. Then “There You Are (In My Heart)” has a magical quality as it begins, like it is taking us into a fairy tale. And perhaps all true love has a magical quality about it. “There you are/In my heart/Every beat is repeating your name.” Her vocal approach here is so beautiful and soothing. “So there you are/We’ll never be apart/‘Cause you are in my heart.” So true. And the strings seem to agree. That’s followed by “Valentine’s Day,” which features an adorable and lovely vocal performance, one full of joy and heart. This is a song about finding joy in being by yourself, about being good to yourself. And, hey, you’re never alone if you have a box of chocolates, right? This song has me smiling the whole way through. I dig that bass line. And that last line makes me laugh aloud.

I really like the piano work at the beginning of “All The Things,” setting the tone. This track also features some good and interesting percussion. In this song, at first it seems that she is bragging. After all, she tells us she has “Countless diamond rings” and her “room is filled with flowers/From suitors overseas.” But one thing is missing from her near-perfect life. “Well, I have all the things/I’m just missing you/What good are all these things/If I’m still missing you.” That’s followed by “Everything Is Always You,” another sweet, romantic song featuring another wonderful vocal performance. The world of this album is one of love, and isn’t that precisely the sort of world where we all wish to live? “Only trouble is/No matter who I’m with/Everyone I kiss is you/So even if I fall in love again with someone new/Everything I feel, love, even if it’s real love/Everything is always you.”

“Tell me everything’s gonna be okay,” Amanda Walther sings early in “Good News.” “I really gotta hear some good news/Good news today.” Well, those are lyrics for our time, aren’t they? In fact, I decided to take a break from the news for a couple of weeks because I couldn’t take it anymore. But it turns out the news on a more personal level was also terrible, and that was more difficult to avoid. And her need is believable. Everything about this duo rings true. “So please just pour me a drink/And pass me the phone/With baby on the line/Saying, ‘I’m coming home.’” Well, that would certainly do the trick. What better news could there be? And listen to those horns. Perfect. This is another of my personal favorite tracks. And it is followed by yet another delightful number, “Gotta Gotta Gotta.” A smile can be heard in her delivery. “You gotta follow your heart/You gotta go with your gut/Slide those fingers up the piano keys/If you want to find your harmony.” Then “All The Yous” is a fun and lively number, with a rhythm that seems to push you up from your seat and put you into motion, sets you on your way to wherever it is your heart wishes to go. “But then we might have never met/Of all the possibilities/I’m where I want to be.” The album concludes with “Never Mind,” which has a warm tone with a touch of sadness. Check out these lines: “Let’s just cash our chips and say/That we could have won it all/If we stayed/But I know the truth/We would lose/Let’s just never find out whether/Let’s just never mind.”

CD Track List

1. Hooked
2. In A Heartbeat
3. Home Is Where My Heart Is
4. I’m Alright
5. See Me In The Dark
6. There You Are (In My Heart)
7. Valentine’s Day
8. All The Things
9. Everything Is Always You
10. Good News
11. Gotta Gotta Gotta
12. All The Yous
13. Never Mind

Hooked was released on October 21, 2022.

Motihari Brigade: “Algorithm & Blues” (2022) CD Review

Motihari Brigade is the wildly and wonderfully original project of vocalist and guitarist Eric Winston, who wrote all but one of the tracks on the new album, Algorithm & Blues. First of all, I can’t help but completely dig the album’s title. I love the play on language, and I appreciate what it says about music. As I’ve been saying for years, there is no such thing as R&B anymore, because what is now called R&B has neither R nor B. And here the word “algorithm” suggests a lessening of the human element in music.  And so before you even pop in the disc, you can guess these tracks will actually have something to say. This is Motihari Brigade’s second album, following 2020’s Power From Below.

Algorithm & Blues opens with its title track, a kind of glorious rock song, with some guitar work that reminds me of the hard rock of my childhood, activating that part of my brain where that stuff still completely works. The lyrics, however, are certainly about the present: “Misinformed and confused/Optimized to amuse/A story made of dreams/A consciousness of memes.” I think there are entire groups of people that communicate solely in memes and acronyms. Humanity is splitting, and half of us have a case of the blues. And how much of our lives is dictated by algorithms? And who is creating them? Who is programming them? So many questions. But the song is also a lot of fun. “Monitored expression/Internalized repression/Illusion of free will/Swallowing the pill.” That’s followed by “Reality Show.” The music here is in the reggae realm, at least partially, and the lyrics deal with another piece of our current reality. “Reality Show/Is all that we know/Reality Show/Is all that we know.” When the so-called “reality show” fad began in earnest, I thought it would last four years on the outside. I was so wrong. This was before I realized just how stupid people had become. It’s probably time to revisit Shock Treatment, a movie that was seriously ahead of its time. It is interesting to me that there are still people who are unaware that there is in fact no such thing as reality programming. It’s all scripted, folks. You can think about this stuff, and about the observer effect, or just enjoy the delicious groove of this song.

Eric Winston certainly creates some good lyrics. Check out these lines from “The Party Is Over”: “History is changing/The emperor wears new clothes/In the time between the kingdoms/When the monsters are exposed.” That line “History is changing” is particularly good. Also, the monsters have been exposed, but that seems to have made no difference. They just seem to be accepted. And again, this is a good rock song, a fun one to dance to. The song itself begins to feel like a pretty damn good party. I fully expect to be dancing into oblivion. “The Party Is Over” is followed by “Rock-n-Roll Thoughtcrime,” a sort of Motihari Brigade theme song. We entered strange, ugly territory in 2016 (an argument can be made that we were already there long before then, but 2016 is when things became really screwed up), and for some reason we have not been able to raise ourselves from the mire, from the muck. And now our priorities are so far out of whack that many people can no longer recognize the problem. When drag shows are considered more of a threat than mass shootings, we are lost, just utterly lost. And so what is a crime in this altered reality that we find ourselves in? Certain creatures want to police our thoughts, proving once again that science fiction has always been closer to the truth. “The idea is half the battle/The thought that doesn’t occur/Danger averted/Threat is deterred.” Isn’t that it? A lot is contained in that line “The thought that doesn’t occur.” If the powers can keep the people from even considering an issue, they’ve won, haven’t they? People don’t have to pick a side when they don’t even have the initial thought, when they aren’t even exposed to the initial idea. Anyway, this song rocks and features some great stuff on guitar. By the way, this song’s lyrics contain the album’s title. I wonder which song was written first, this one or the title track.

Things then get bluesy with “Identity Theft.” This subject is interesting, because it seems that we are a party to our own identity theft, that we are complicit, as we offer so much of our identity to the internet for the taking. “Your profile and your avatar/Your social media repertoire/Nothing left to mystery/Your gender, race and pedigree.” And who are we really? There is the question of what is identity, what is actually being stolen. It’s no longer a philosophical question, but rather a practical one in this strange new world of social media. This song also offers a play on that famous line attributed to Andy Warhol, with Eric Winston singing, “Everybody gets their fifteen minutes of shame.” “Identity Theft” is followed by the album’s one cover, the Rolling Stones’ “Street Fighting Man.” And actually it is a bit jarring at first, for Motihari Brigade’s original work is truly original. So it seems strange to reach back to something as well known and popular as a Stones song, but Motihari Brigade covered a John Lennon song on the first album, and if you think of “Street Fighting Man” within the context of the rest of the tracks, its inclusion does make some sense. And it’s a good rendition, Motihari Brigade being fully committed to it. Plus, it is a damn good song, with a great energy. “I’ll shout and scream, I’ll kill the king, I’ll rail at all his servants.”

There is a psychedelic aspect to “Be Free” as it begins. This one brings the focus down to a more personal interaction between two people, or a hopeful interaction, anyway. “I’d like to pop a bottle of wine/And drink it down with you/Tell you all the things that are on my mind/Just to see what you would do, what you would do.” It becomes a rather catchy pop song. And it does still address the larger society in some lines, such as these: “It’s filled with people who follow each other/And make up each other’s minds.” A song about freedom and loneliness. Then “Minefields And Downfalls” has such a pleasant sound as it starts, and features some really good work on guitar. This one has a positive bent, as Eric Winston sings, “Glad to see that you’ve made it/Past the minefields and the downfalls of your youth.” And toward the end there is some really nice work on saxophone. That’s followed by “Disintegration Blues,” another great rock song addressing identity. “You’re gonna be someone else/If you don’t choose yourself.” The song acknowledges the difficulty in following your own path, and it’s probably even more difficult these days when we are all constantly aware of everyone else’s paths. Does introspection exist anymore?

“We Are The Germs” is an odd one, the vocals sounding like alien chipmunks, as they announce, “We are the germs/And we’re here to kill you.” Imagine if germs actually become conscious and began speaking to us. That would signify another shift in reality, certainly. But would they rock as much as this song? Doubtful. The track drifts into chaos and coughing at the end, which basically feels like our reality. That’s followed by “Too Big To Fail,” a verse of which uses the Monopoly game to describe the situation: “You passed Go, but didn’t get paid/They moved ahead, you got delayed/They ran the bank, you paid the rent/You missed a turn, they took a percent.” And suddenly we realize that the game has become our reality, which sounds about right. I mean, Monopoly is one of the meanest and most repetitive games. “Revolution Rock” also uses the idea of games: “The drone strike is real in the video game war/Spending down the funds, driving up the score/Who are we fighting and what is it for/Game over now, not playing anymore.” The album concludes with “Morningstar,” a sweeter song, that itself coming as a surprise. “You were the only one for me/I recognized you right away.”

CD Track List

1. Algorithm & Blues
2. Reality Show
3. The Party Is Over
4. Rock-n-Roll Thoughtcrime
5. Identity Theft
6. Street Fighting Man
7. Be Free
8. Minefields And Downfalls
9. Disintegration Blues
10. We Are The Germs
11. Too Big To Fail
12. Revolution Rock
13. Morningstar

Algorithm & Blues was released on September 8, 2022 on Creative Destruction Records.

Pierre L. Chambers: “Shining Moments” (2023) CD Review

Pierre L. Chambers is a vocalist who has been performing for several decades and yet never released a solo album until now. His debut album, Shining Moments, features some excellent and fresh renditions of standards, along with a couple of poems set to music. On this disc, he is backed by some talented musicians, including Karen Hammack on piano, Henry Franklin on bass, Clayton Cameron on drums, Jeff Kaye on flugelhorn, Dori Amarillo on guitar, and Cathy Segal-Garcia on backing vocals. Cathy Segal-Garcia also produced this album.

He opens the disc with a groovy rendition of “Work Song.” While the rhythm is delicious, and the track contains some really good stuff on drums, it is his earnest vocal performance that is the driving force behind this version. It is a performance that rings true because of the experience in his voice. He delivers some good scat halfway through. This track also features some nice work on piano, as well as a good lead on guitar. That’s followed by “My Favorite Things.” It’s funny, I was just talking about this song, and how I greatly prefer instrumental versions of it, for the lyrics don’t really do much for me, and then along comes this vocal rendition that provides a new appreciation of the song. Pierre L. Chambers makes this work. On a phrase like “when I’m feeling sad,” the emotion is present (often it seems lacking on renditions of this song). This rendition also features some excellent work by Karen Hammack on piano. And I love the way Pierre L. Chambers delivers that final line, “I don’t feel so bad.” Ah, yes.

As “The Nearness Of You” begins, his vocals are at the fore, supported by some wonderful work on bass. “It’s not the pale moon that excites me/That thrills and delights me/Oh no, it’s just the nearness of you.” What a great vocal performance. This song, which we’ve heard countless times, feels fresh, feels new, feels personal. It’s more than a minute into the track before the other musicians join him. The bass still plays a key role in this rendition, with Henry Franklin delivering a good lead halfway through. And then listen to the way Pierre L. Chambers delivers these lines: “When you’re in my arms/And I feel you so close, so close to me/All my wild, my wildest dreams come true/I need no soft light to enchant me/If you’d only, if you’d only grant me/The right to hold you ever so tight.” Love and romance thrive here. He then covers “Dear Ann,” a song written by his father, the great bassist Paul Chambers. This bossa nova rendition contains a good deal of cheer, particularly in his vocal performance. “Such love I am blessed to know.” The lyrics were written by Pierre L. Chambers. He follows that with “This Mother,” a poem Pierre dedicates to his mother. “This mother gave herself freely/Protected, cared for her young fiercely, like a lion/This mother laughed out loud/And cried when her children hurt/Forbidding some of our dreams/Because she feared harm would come to us/This mother vowed never to let one of her children fight for this country/That had destroyed so many black men.” His delivery is backed by Karen Hammack on piano. He gets into his mother’s love of jazz, which clearly influenced him. “A mother’s death is never accepted/And leaves children wanting.”

Pierre L. Chambers delivers an interesting take on “Paper Moon.” Like “My Favorite Things,” he gives fresh life to this well-known song, making it breathe, and adding some rather joyful scat. I also love that work on bass. That’s followed by “Lonely Girl.” Jeff Kaye delivers some wonderful work to start this gentle and lovely rendition, the horn having a gorgeously lonesome tone, expressing a longing. This track also features a touching vocal performance, and some beautiful work on piano. “You’re afraid of love, torrid and tender/Once I dreamed we’d share moments of splendor/Wish that I could have shown you.” This is another of the disc’s highlights. Things turn cheerful again with “My Shining Hour,” where the dreams seem to be true. “In my dreams your face will flower/Through the darkness of the night.” The band is grooving here, and the track includes a lead on bass in the second half. That is followed by “The Way You Look Tonight,” a song I love, and one that frequently gets in my head. Pierre L. Chambers delivers a sweet rendition, featuring some excellent work on piano. This track makes me happy, taking me back to certain moments with my love, and making me look forward to more wonderful nights with her. “Oh, you’re lovely/Never ever change/Keep that breathless charm.”

Earlier on the album, Pierre L. Chambers offered a tribute to his mother, and in “My Father,” he pays tribute to his father, and the influence he had on his life. On this spoken word piece, he is backed by bass, fittingly. “I used to stare at his bass/Leaning in the corner of the bedroom/At the foot of the bed/In between the bed and the dresser/Where my brother placed it for safe keeping/It watched us sleep at night.” By the way, the disc’s liner notes contain three more poems. The album then concludes with an excellent and heartfelt rendition of “Afro Blue,” featuring some wonderful work on drums. I appreciate the joy in the playing, leaving all who listen in a better place.

CD Track List

1. Work Song
2. My Favorite Things
3. The Nearness Of You
4. Dear Ann
5. This Mother
6. Paper Moon
7. Lonely Girl
8. My Shining Hour
9. The Way You Look Tonight
10. My Father
11. Afro Blue

Shining Moments is scheduled to be released on March 17, 2023 on Dash Hoffman Records.

Julie Christensen: “The Price We Pay For Love” (2023) CD Review

Like a lot of folks, I was first exposed to Julie Christensen’s vocal talent through her work with Leonard Cohen. And honestly, that would have been enough for me to love her. But then I started paying attention to her other projects, and was surprised at the wide range of musical interests she has. Who would have thought one of Leonard Cohen’s vocal angels was also into punk? Well, Julie Christensen is a member of the Divine Horsemen, and has also performed with The Flesh Eaters. In addition, she has sung on albums by artists like Steve Wynn, Robben Ford, and John Doe. She also put out an album with Stone Cupid, and has a solo career. Last year she gave us 11 From Kevin: Songs Of Kevin Gordon, an album of covers. Now she presents The Price We Pay For Love, which contains a mix of covers and original material. The album’s title comes from the message Queen Elizabeth II delivered to the families of those lost on September 11th: “Grief is the price we pay for love” (that line is printed on the back of the CD case). The songs on this disc do deal with love and grief, and for those of us currently grieving, we can find some solace in knowing we have loved. And we can find it in the music of this album. The album is in collaboration with Terry Lee Burns, who plays acoustic bass and does the string arrangements on these tracks. On several tracks, they are joined by guest musicians.

The album begins with a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Hejira,” the title track from Mitchell’s 1976 album. Julie Christensen delivers a gorgeous version, this track pulling us in with its contemplative, introspective air. “There’s comfort in melancholy/When there’s no need to explain,” she sings early in the song, and those lines really set the tone for this track. There is comfort here. And there is companionship, her voice meeting us along this strange, sometimes lonely road. She sings, “I see something of myself in everyone,” and perhaps we find something of ourselves in this song. That is followed by “Goldbridge Road,” a song written by Michael Moss, who joins her here on acoustic guitar. Sergio Webb, who played on 11 From Kevin: Songs Of Kevin Gordon, plays slide guitar here, and Steve Schwelling is on drums. At the beginning of this song, there is a return to the family’s old house, sparking memories. “I’m sorry I lied to you about Easter/And I lied about Santa Claus/I lied about the tooth fairy/And that monster in the hall.” Those lines grabbed me. There is something playful about them, but also kind of sad. And how often do we hear an apology about those stories from childhood? And how often do parents wonder about the effect they might have had on the person’s development and choices? For this song is about the present, when the child is grown and distant. “You’re so far away now/The weather is cold/I hear you don’t have a decent coat, my baby/I wish you were here now, wish you could stay/Wish I could put you on my shoulders.” This song had me in tears, for there is certainly some regret and longing. Though there is also a positive aspect to it, as Julie sings, “Because good love never dies/It just hides deep inside.”

Julie Christensen covers “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress,” written by Jimmy Webb, delivering a moving vocal performance. She is joined on this track by John Funkhouser on piano. The song’s title, as you likely know, comes from a Robert Heinlein novel. I’ve been meaning to revisit some of his books, for lately I keep coming across references to his work. Then we get the first of the album’s tracks co-written by Julie Christensen, “How He Lost Her.” This is a song that she wrote with Wendy Waldman. It opens with these lines: “He stands by the window, staring at the rain/It came down all night and most of today.” It’s a song about loss and grief, and searching for answers that will not come. “And the wind roars like angels/And it sounds like her voice/How he lost her/He’ll never know.” She expresses some of that pain in her voice, delivering a passionate performance. John Funkhouser is again on piano, offering some gentle, beautiful work. Sergio Webb joins them on slide guitar, coming in partway through the track, and adding to the emotional impact of the song. That is followed by “Save Your Love For Me,” a song written by Buddy Johnson. There is something wonderfully soothing about this rendition, and Julie Christensen’s vocal performance is fantastic, helping to make this one of the disc’s highlights. “And though I know that no good/Can ever come from loving you/I can’t do a thing, ‘cause I’m so in love with you/So, darling, help me please/Have mercy on a fool like me.”

I love when Julie Christensen delivers a good jazz vocal performance, as she does on her special cover of Weather Report’s “A Remark You Made.” That song was originally an instrumental, but Julie Christensen has added her own set of lyrics to it. “Didn’t know at the time/What was on your mind/But I had a kind of premonition there in mind/And you know it might have been just fine/But I’m resigned/And now I know it’s time.” John Funkhouser plays melodica on this track. At the end, Julie sings, “Underneath the words/You tried to say you couldn’t stay/But underneath the words/I saw the day you’d walk away.” There is a sense of melancholy, but acceptance. That’s followed by “All The River,” which Julie Christensen wrote with Karen Hammack, who plays piano on this track. Chris Tench joins them on lap steel. “And when I woke up today/I forgot to cry/All my tears have been long dry/From filling the river.” Oh yes, I know that day will come. This is another beautiful and moving song. Check out these lines: “Hard times happen in every life/Nobody’s free from pain and trial/And all the birds will keep on singing/Even after they cannot fly.” Wow. This is one of my personal favorites on this album.

“Away With Words” is another piece that was originally an instrumental, composed by John Scofield, to which Julie Christensen added her own lyrics. It’s interesting that both pieces to which she added lyrics are about communication, about words – “A Remark You Made” and “Away With Words.” “And even though you want to say you’re sorry/Away with words.” There is a wonderful instrumental section in the middle. “Away with all the things I know you want to tell me/And away with all the words I wish I’d hear you whisper.” Julie Christensen then delivers a powerful rendition of “Can’t Find My Way Home,” featuring a strong, moving and earnest vocal performance. Even that “Ooh, ooh” section is striking. John Funkhouser plays piano, and Greg Leisz is on lap steel on this track. The album concludes with “Hilltop,” a song written by Terry Lee Burns. These are the opening lines: “In my mind, I see you/Just the way you used to be/Small and frail, but full of life/You were everything to me/Your face, your voice, your very soul/I’ll miss until I go.” It is a song of hope and love. Karen Hammack plays piano on this track, delivering some touching work.

CD Track List

1. Hejira
2. Goldbridge Road
3. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
4. How He Lost Her
5. Save Your Love For Me
6. A Remark You Made
7. All The River
8. Away With Words
9. Can’t Find My Way Home
10. Hilltop

The Price We Pay For Love is scheduled to be released on April 14, 2023 on Wirebird Records.

Mick Kolassa: “I’m Just Getting Started” (2022) CD Review

Mick Kolassa put out three albums in the second half of 2022 – one in July, one in August and one in December. The first of those three discs is fittingly titled I’m Just Getting Started, and it’s a delicious disc of mostly original blues material. Joining Mick Kolassa on these tracks are Jeff Jensen on guitar and percussion (Jensen also produced the album), Dexter Allen on bass and guitar, Rick Steff on keys, and John Blackmon on drums, along with several guests on various tracks.

Mick Kolassa opens the album with its title track, in which tells us he’s been around and has lost some friends, but is still standing. When life is knocking you down, as it likes to do now and again, it’s difficult to keep a positive attitude, but, as Mick Kolassa sings here, we have to keep getting up. And we have to be completely in, to not do things in a halfhearted way. We can all use the encouragement, and he offers it in a joyful way. “I’ve still got some tricks ain’t no one seen yet,” he sings here. This track features some nice work on harmonica. And there is a horn section, which adds to the spirit of the song. Marc Franklin is on trumpet, and Kirk Smothers is on saxophone. “Life can’t slow me down/I’m just getting started.” Let us all embrace that attitude. Mick Kolassa then turns romantic with “What Can I Do?” and he dips into that lower register at moments, which is wonderful. “What can I do, what can I say?/Only want you more and more each day/There’s a need I can’t control/And it reaches all the way to my soul.” This track contains some great work on guitar, particularly during that lead halfway through the track. Dexter Allen plays both guitar and bass on this one. “We’re too right to ever be wrong.”

“Bigger Dreams” is a delightful blues number about moving forward, striving toward new goals. Yes, it has another positive and needed message, like the opening track. Check out these lines: “I keep my eyes on the horizon/Instead of looking at the ground/Not always sure where I’m going/But I’m always amazed at what I’ve found.” This one has such a catchy, fun sound, in large part due to Rick Steff’s absolutely wonderful work on keys. And there is also some good stuff on harmonica. “So I just keep on dreaming/Pushing past tomorrow with a grin/Moving on toward better things/Instead of living back where I’ve been.” Never give up your dreams. He then slows things down with “Alibis And Lies,” the album’s first cover. This song was written by Steve Pasek. It has a cool, sly, jazzy vibe, and features some excellent work by Marc Franklin on trumpet. This song takes place on Beale Street. That’s followed by another cover, “Leavin’ Trunk,” which also mentions Memphis: “So I’m going back to Memphis, babe/Where I have much better luck.” This song has that great classic blues groove. It features some excellent work by Brandon Santini on harmonica. And I totally dig that bass. And then that section with keys and drums is delicious. Chris Stephenson plays keys on this track. The band is clearly having a good time with this song. It’s a blues party. When Mick sings, “You know I’m a man who just loves to sing the blues,” you know it’s coming from the heart.

“I know so many men/Lie to get what they can,” Mick sings on “That Kind Of Man.” Here he is referring specifically to lies men tell to women, but those lines apply on a larger scale, don’t they? Anyway, in this song, Mick promises that he’s not that kind of man, and I think it’s clear he’s telling the truth. You can trust that guitar. There is just a bit of funk to the song’s rhythm. That’s followed by a cover of “Are You Ready?” “If you breathe the air, you’ll die,” he warns us near the beginning of this one. But, no, he is not turning pessimistic here. “Wait, don’t you worry/There’s a new day dawning/We’ll catch the sun/And away we’ll fly,” he soon promises. This is a great rendition, featuring some really good percussion. The backing vocals have that wonderful gospel flavor and energy. Donna Jones Nickelson, Julia Melah and J. Remy Williams provide the backing vocals on this track. J Remy Williams is also on keys. Andrew McNeill is on drums, and Bill Ruffino is on bass.

Mick Kolassa turns to love again on “Take Me Away.” “I’ve been trying so hard to handle this heavy load/As I carry my burden down this lonely road/No more waiting, hear what I say/Take my hand, take me away.” Oh yes, these lines definitely speak to me. And this track contains a good blues jam, which feels like it has the ability to take us away. That’s followed by “Trying Not To Let The Darkness In,” a fantastic, slow blues number featuring one of the album’s best vocal performances. Here he begins by singing, “I used to stay above the clouds/Nothing ever got me down/And I never had a doubt,” lines that remind us of the optimism and positive attitude of earlier tracks, but right away with a hint that he no longer is able to maintain that outlook, that disposition. And soon he tells us, “Now I’m sliding to the bottom.” This song is so effective in part because of how positive the other songs are. It makes this one strike us all the more sharply. It feels true, that the darkness is getting to him, just as it’s getting to the rest of us. “What is it that I need to do to make the darkness stop?” he asks at one point. I have no answer, but here the keyboard offers a response, if not an answer. A companion, perhaps. And then that guitar shoots upward as if gathering enough energy to reach above the cloud again through sheer power. This is my personal favorite of the album’s tracks. I highly recommend checking it out.

The final cover of the album is John Hiatt’s “I’m A Real Man,” here titled simply “Real Man.” This song was on Hiatt’s 1985 album Warming Up To The Ice Age. The phrase “real man” has always struck me as rather silly. And yeah, this song is poking fun at the idea. Mick Kolassa changes the line “Elevator music in your computer program” to “Elevator music and your Spotify plan” and then “Elevator music and that I-phone in your hand.” And he changes the car too, from a Lincoln to a Ferrari. Brandon Santini delivers some powerful stuff on harmonica. That’s followed by “Hardhearted Woman.” In this one he provides a warning: “Don’t let her in your life/She’ll only take you down/Every man that woman gets/Ends up looking like a clown/She’s got a hard heart/She can crush any man.” And we can tell he is speaking from some experience. Bill Ruffino plays bass on this track, and Andrew McNeill is on drums. Then “How Much Can I Pay You?” is a fun and funny song about a woman at a club who gets a little nutty during a show. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “You got so crazy that you tore off your blouse/You showed your stuff to the whole damn house/It’s too late to unsee that/Oh man, that option’s gone/Tell me, how much can I pay you/Oh, to put that back on?” I used to joke that I had a job as a de-stripper, that I would start off naked, and folks would toss dollar bills at me to get me to put my clothes on. This is a playful number, a laugh in his voice as he delivers some of the lines. And the horn section returns for this one. I love the saxophone. Yeah, he ends the album with a song to keep us in good spirits.

CD Track List

1. I’m Just Getting Started
2. What Can I Do?
3. Bigger Dreams
4. Alibis And Lies
5. Leavin’ Trunk
6. That Kind Of Man
7. Are You Ready?
8. Take Me Away
9. Trying Not To Let The Darkness In
10. Real Man
11. Hardhearted Woman
12. How Much Can I Pay You?

I’m Just Getting Started was released on July 15, 2022.