Darren Nicholson: “Man On A Mission” (2021) CD Review

Darren Nicholson is a singer, mandolin player and songwriter known for his work in the bluegrass band Balsam Range, of which he is a founding member. In September, Balsam Range released a new album, Moxie And Mettle, and just two months later Darren Nicholson put out a solo disc, an EP titled Man On A Mission. This EP features all original material, each of the tracks co-written by Darren Nicholson. Joining him on this release are David Johnson on acoustic guitar, banjo, dobro, steel guitar, harmonica, fiddle and cello; Tony Creasman on drums and percussion; Jeremy Medkiff on bass and electric guitar; and Jeff Collins on keyboards and piano. Audie Blaylock, Jennifer Nicholson and Leeda Lyric Jones provide backing vocals. If you are familiar with Darren Nicholson’s work with Balsam Range, you might be surprised by some of what you hear on this new disc.

The disc’s first track, “Love Is War,” begins with some sweet bluegrass sounds featuring fiddle and banjo, giving you the feeling it is going to suddenly kick in to become a fun bluegrass number, just as you might expect from this artist. The song soon does kick in, but takes a more surprising turn, becoming a lively country number. And it’s good. Darren Nicholson sings, “I’m willing to surrender to make a brand new start.” And then check out that instrumental section, that great back and forth between electric guitar and fiddle, perhaps like two people trying to work things out in a relationship. “Nobody ever wins, so let’s stop keeping score/Love, love is war, love is war/Let’s call a truce, I can’t take it anymore.” That’s followed by “Southern Ground,” which has a sweeter country vibe. “By the time you get back, well, I won’t be around/Because I’m headed home, home to southern ground.” It’s a song about wanting to head home to a simpler place. There is always something appealing about this idea – maybe not going south, but going home, resetting ourselves in a way, and forgetting worldly cares. And these days seem to call for some introspection. “Well, I look into the mirror and I don’t like the man I see.” This track features some nice harmonies.

“Them Hateful Woman Blues” is a lively, fun, humorous tune, one to get you up and on the dance floor. It features some excellent work on fiddle, and I love the way Jeff Collins rocks the piano. Yeah, this is like bluegrass rock and roll. And Darren Nicholson provides plenty of delicious stuff on mandolin, as well as an energetic vocal performance. “I’ve got a hateful woman who means the world to me/Well, that old hateful woman, she means the world to me.” I love the way he holds onto the word “world” there. Those first three songs were written by Darren Nicholson and Charles Humphrey III, and they are followed by “The Fool For You Is Me,” written by Darren Nicholson and Mark Bumgarner. This one has an easygoing country rhythm, with some nice stuff on steel guitar and a lot of great work on fiddle. “Just when I thought my troubles were no more/Just when I thought the pain was gone forever/The two of you came walking through the door.” Oh yes, country music is just right for expressing this sort of ache. “Not just the many lies that you have told me/But the ones I told to hide the way I feel/Still I’d take you back just like I did the last time.” Lines you can imagine Buck Owens writing.

Speaking of that ache, check out these lines, which begin “All Night Long”: “When you said goodbye/I swore I wouldn’t cry/Oh, but I did/All night long/How do I go on/In this awful world alone?” This song features what might be the best vocal performance on the album, and it also features David Johnson on cello. This is a beautiful, slow number that pulls you in and holds onto you. It was written by Darren Nicholson and Charles Humphrey III. The EP concludes with its title track, “Man On A Mission,” which has quite a different feel, featuring a good, solid groove and some soulful backing vocals. This one was written by Darren Nicholson and Eric Gibson. “Life’s not a competition,” Darren Nicholson sings here. The backing vocalist agrees, “No, it’s not.” And check out these lines: “Make a little fun of the human condition/I want to go out roaring and kicking.” Oh yes.

CD Track List

1. Love Is War
2. Southern Ground
3. Them Hateful Woman Blues
4. The Fool For You Is Me
5. All Night Long
6. Man On A Mission

Man On A Mission was released on November 26, 2021.

The HawtThorns: “Tarot Cards And Shooting Stars” (2022) CD Review

The HawtThorns released their first full-length album, Morning Sun, in 2019. At that point, the husband-and-wife duo was based in Los Angeles, and even had a great song about the 405 freeway (which you can hear on that album). Since then, they’ve relocated to Nashville, and now are putting out their second album. Titled Tarot Cards And Shooting Stars, it features mostly original material. Both KP Hawthorn and Johnny Hawthorn provide the vocals and play guitar (though it is KP who takes lead vocal duties), and KP also plays keyboards, percussion and mandolin. Joining them on this new album are Matt Lucich on drums, Eliot Lorango on bass, Kaitlin Wolfberg on strings, and Sasha Smith on keyboards.

The album kicks off with “All The Right Reasons,” written by KP Hawthorn and Debbie Hennessey. It has a catchy pop sound, with a nostalgic vibe and a memorable main line, “You had all the right reasons for doing me wrong.” And check out these lyrics: “No one ever tells you/‘Cause no one really knows/How to play the game/You learn it as you go.” This song is apparently going to be released as a single too, so keep an ear out for it. “All The Right Reasons” is followed by “On The Way,” the song from which the album gets its name. “Tarot cards and shooting stars can’t say/Whether we should try to break away/Or stay the course to run another day.” This country tune features some great work on guitar and has a good, positive bent that is tremendously appealing. We would all like to hear someone tell us, “you’re right where you belong.” This one was written by KP Hawthorn and Johnny Hawthorn.

“Let’s Get Together” is a good song about seizing the moment and enjoying the present. Here are some lines that stand out for me: “I don’t feel like digging up the past today/It’s such a waste/I don’t need to see the future/Because I know what’s happening/It’s just tomorrow/It’s going to happen anyway.” And of course these lines have a certain appeal: “We’re over the bad times/Look back with no regret.” This one was written by KP Hawthorn, Johnny Hawthorn and Steve Berns, and has a joyful energy during the chorus, and a certain amount of soul at other moments. “Let’s get together/Hard days won’t last forever.” This song too is going to be released as a single. That’s followed by the album’s only cover, Neil Young’s “Lotta Love,” a song from his 1978 LP Comes A Time. This song seems perfect for our strange times, doesn’t it? Particularly because of these lines, which open the song: “It’s gonna take a lot of love/To change the way things are/It’s gonna take a lot of love/Or we won’t get too far.” It’s difficult to keep that in mind at times, particularly as we don’t see “eye to eye” with nearly half the country, and those folks don’t seem ready, or even able, to listen to reason. It is going to take a whole lot of love, indeed.

“Baby It’s A Gift” is a beautiful song, featuring an excellent vocal performance from KP Hawthorn. Check out these lines: “But hey, look at everything we’ve got instead/Baby, it’s a gift/The pain and the struggle/Push through the trouble/It gives us more than we know/Maybe this is it/Learning as we go/To become better people along this crazy road.” It’s probably best for our mental well-being to adopt this attitude. Of course, it’s difficult, but listening to this music makes it seem possible. Let’s do our best, and hold onto each other along the way. This is one of my personal favorite tracks. It was written by KP Hawthorn, Emily Bell and Shane Alexander. Then “Keep It Alive” has a bright, strong sound right from its opening moments. “Dreams never die/They only grow cold/So remember to hold on/And keep them alive.” During the chorus, this song feels like an anthem, and you might find yourself singing along. This one was written by KP Hawthorn. Then “One Human At A Time” features another beautiful vocal performance by KP Hawthorn. “I have friends on every side,” she sings. “Good people, crazy people, angry people, and lonely people.”

“Get me off this roller coaster/Tell me that we’re going to be all right,” KP sings as “This One Is Ours” begins. Now there is a sentiment, a desire most of us share. There is a joy to this song’s rhythm, and a positive bent to its sound. It’s a song designed to raise our spirits, and not only that, but make us active. “At the end of the road there’s a sign says keep going if you dare.” And check out these lines: “Somewhere between aiming high and laying low there’s got to be a place/Where the radar cannot find us/And no one cares if we’re from outer space.” This one was written by KP Hawthorn, Johnny Hawthorn and Steve Berns, and is another of the disc’s highlights. That’s followed by “The One That Got Away,” a pretty song, their voices blending so sweetly. “I thought if I could make you see/That we’re just travelers/And all of this means nothing in the end/I could be your friend.” This is yet another of my favorites. It was written by KP Hawthorn and Johnny Hawthorn. There is always something appealing in lines like “Let’s get in my car and drive/We’ll let the interstate decide.” The album then concludes with another beautiful song, “When Georgia Cries,” which features a passionate, moving vocal performance and some gorgeous work on strings. “And all the answers that I need/Are getting lost inside a dream/But I could wake up anytime.”

CD Track List

1. All The Right Reasons
2. On The Way
3. Let’s Get Together
4. Lotta Love
5. Baby It’s A Gift
6. Keep It Alive
7. One Human At A Time
8. This One Is Ours
9. The One That Got Away
10. When Georgia Cries

Tarot Cards And Shooting Stars is scheduled to be released on February 25, 2022 on Mule Kick Records.

The Hoodoo Loungers: “So Beautiful” (2022) CD Review

The Hoodoo Loungers are based in New York, but a lot of their inspiration seems to come from New Orleans. You can hear that influence, and that sense of fun and joy, on their new release, So Beautiful, the band’s third album. It features mostly original material, with three band members contributing songs. The band is made up of Dawnette Darden on vocals, David Deitch on keyboards and vocals, Douglas Dean on drums, Marvin Joshua on vocals, Dan Koontz on keyboards and vocals, Joe Lauro on bass, Michael Schiano on guitar and vocals, John Brierly on trumpet, Bob Hovey on trombone, Eric Kay on saxophone and clarinet, and Eric Miler on trombone. This album is full of positive vibes, which we desperately need these days. It is an hour of music to remind us of what the world can and should be.

The album gets off to a great and lively start with its title track, “So Beautiful,” in which they sing, “At least one thing on which we all can agree/Reach out to love and love will set you free.” Ah yes, sometimes it’s easy these days to forget that there actually are a few things on which everyone can agree. This track is a delight and will have you smiling. It is ridiculously positive and optimistic, but these guys are in earnest, and it isn’t long before you’re thinking yeah, it’s a beautiful world. Those vocals completely sell it, and of course it doesn’t hurt that there is a horn section. If the world is going to get better, a horn section will definitely have to be involved. Also, I dig that lead on keys. This song was written by David Deitch. “There’s a little bit of everyone in everyone.” The positive vibes continue with “Hoodoo Time Machine,” this one written by Dan Koontz. It’s a funky party, coming at you from the 1970s; after all, this song is about escaping. “Show the world that you don’t care what’s real and what is not/And you will see how happy you can be/When you leave reality in our hoodoo time machine.” In these days of dangerous misinformation, we might have mixed feelings about people not caring what’s real, but this is an incredibly fun song. Who wouldn’t want to go along with these guys and travel wherever their machine might take them? Besides, this song addresses those other people: “So many people can’t tell right from wrong.” And these musicians don’t want to take us too far back, after all, just to when Obama was president. Remember those days? Before things went completely wrong. Before we all turned into news junkies, reading about our own doom daily. Ah, if only someone could go back to 2015 and keep that racist megalomaniac from running for office, this world would be truly beautiful.

In “Get Ready For The Party,” they sing, “Nothing ever lasts forever/Nighttime always turns to day.” It’s good to remember when things seem dark, which is most of the time these days, that this too shall pass. This band tells us, “The party’s going to come/Get ready for the party/We’re going to have some fun.” I want to believe them, that at some point this pandemic will end, that at some point democracy will be safe from those who seem hell-bent on its destruction. This song, even if it doesn’t completely make a believer of you, will get you dancing, and that is certainly a step in the right direction. And yeah, it features more good stuff on keys. This one was written by Michael Schiano. It is followed by the first of the album’s covers, a completely wonderful rendition of “Careless Love.” This one certainly takes us to a different time, particularly the delightful work from the horn section. This album is like a time machine itself. Then the group gives us “Hit The Ground,” a fun, funky song that at first is about traveling the country in a VW Microbus, something that still sounds incredibly appealing. As fun as this track is, it, like most of this band’s material, has something to say. “And it’s hard to tell when you’re falling/‘Til you hit the ground.” And check out these lines: “This is the end of history/We’re going around the bend/We’re solving an ancient mystery/We know how the world will end.” This one was written by Dan Koontz.

The second of the album’s covers is “Yes We Can Can,” which written by Allen Toussaint, and made popular by the Pointer Sisters. This is another positive, optimistic, energetic, and encouraging number. “Now is the time for all good men/To get together with one another/And iron out their quarrels and their problems/And try to live as brothers/And try to find the peace within/Without stepping on one another.” It’s a huge task, granted, but we should be able to do it. Right? “I know we can make it work/I know we can make it if we try.” This track features an excellent, passionate vocal performance. And I love that guitar work. That’s followed by “Shake It, Quake It,” another fun number featuring some delicious work on piano. This song, written by Michael Schiano, is about dancing and moving. I am looking forward to the day when we can go dancing without worry about the pandemic. In the meantime, I will be dancing in my apartment, and this album is just the thing to have playing.

Things get seriously cool and jazzy with “Circe,” written by David Deitch. How can you not love a song that includes the word “sycophants” in its lyrics? These are the song’s opening lines: “It was midnight in the city, an icy wind did howl/Through the concrete canyon alleyways where the moonlight shadows prowl/And the sycophants and toadies caught favor with a muse/Who throws out inspiration to the cats who paid their dues.” This is a wonderful track, with an enchanting vibe fitting for its subject. It features both male and female lead vocals, the latter as the goddess Circe. That’s followed by “Fast And Loose,” a tune that will have you off your seat and shaking yourself like an electrified rag doll within fifteen seconds. Shake away your cares to this fun song. “She got a cute little face and a mighty fine caboose.” Then he admits, “I try to keep up but, man, it ain’t no use.” And I love that work on saxophone. Then we get the album’s third cover, a seriously cool rendition of “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It,” a song made popular by Hank Williams. This version sounds like it’s coming from New Orleans of the past. There is so much joy here. It is a total delight, and it is followed by another playful song, “Watch Your Mouth,” written by Dan Koontz. This silly and fun song is about a mouth that seems to have a mind of its own: “It will say a lot of things you don’t want it to/It will kiss a lot of people that it should not do/It will cause a lot of trouble before it’s through.” It even features hand claps and a cha cha cha ending.

“Rockin’ The Mardi Gras” comes at us at a good clip, and is another enjoyable song about having a good time, this one taking us down to New Orleans and including nods to “Iko Iko” and “Hey Pocky Way” (two songs that Grateful Dead used to cover, by the way). This track also mentions some of the artists associated with that great city, such as Dr. John and Fats Domino. It was written by David Deitch. That’s followed by “Real, Real Gone,” which has a cheerful, loose vibe, and features another delicious lead on keys, as well as some great stuff on guitar. It was written by Michael Schiano. “Let’s get real, real gone for a change/No telling where we could get to/If we get going like I know we could.” Then we get the album’s fourth and final cover, a soulful rendition of “I’ll Fly Away” that begins as a slow gospel gem, then kicks in with a great joy. You’ll undoubtedly be singing along at home or in your car or wherever you are. This disc then concludes with “Another (Hunkered-Down) Day,” which has more of a pop vibe and reminds me of ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” (with a bit of a Beatles thing too). This is a song for these days of the pandemic, with lines like “It’s just another hunkered-down day/It’s just another day/It’s pretty much like yesterday/Because every day is just another hunkered-down day.”

CD Track List

1. So Beautiful
2. Hoodoo Time Machine
3. Get Ready For The Party
4. Careless Love
5. Hit The Ground
6. Yes We Can Can
7. Shake It, Quake It
8. Circe
9. Fast And Loose
10. Bucket’s Got A Hole In It
11. Watch Your Mouth
12. Rockin’ The Mardi Gras
13. Real, Real Gone
14. I’ll Fly Away
15. Another (Hunkered-Down) Day

So Beautiful is scheduled to be released on January 21, 2022 on Paradiddle Records.

Julie Christensen: “11 From Kevin: Songs Of Kevin Gordon” (2022) CD Review

Julie Christensen is known for her work in Divine Horsemen and The Flesh Eaters, but I fell in love with her voice through her work with Leonard Cohen. She and Perla Batalla sounded so great together backing him (you can hear them on the 1994 release Cohen Live), and I was lucky enough to attend “A Leonard Cohen Evening” back in 2006, at which they performed (that was also the night I met Leonard Cohen, so a very special evening indeed). In 2019, The Flesh Eaters released I Used To Be Pretty, that band’s first new album in fifteen years. And now Julie Christensen is releasing a new solo album, 11 From Kevin: Songs Of Kevin Gordon. Kevin Gordon is a singer and songwriter from Louisiana who began his career in the early 1990s. Songs of his have been recorded by Irma Thomas and by Keith Richards with The Band. Julie Christensen recorded his song “Saint On A Chain” with her band Stone Cupid, including it on that band’s The Cardinal album. Sergio Webb and Chris Tench, who played on that album, join Julie Christensen on this disc, along with Chris Benelli on drums, and Gregory Boaz on bass.

The album opens with “Find My Way,” a song from Kevin Gordon’s 2005 album, O Come Look At The Burning. Julie Christensen delivers a moving and passionate vocal performance, as you’d expect. There is something both beautiful and raw in her delivery, which is fitting. “No destination, no woman waiting/Just a rage inside my mind/I’m feeling things I don’t understand/Baby, can you sympathize/’Til I find my way.” I’m guessing these lyrics will speak to a lot of folks these days, as well as the line “World’s got me crazy.” That’s followed by “Crowville,” on which Julie Christensen plays guitar as well as sings. This is a rather pretty, mellower track, with a kind of dreamlike vibe. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “From out in the field, outside the wall/Coyotes coming, hear ‘em call/Running on hunger and free will/Gone in the morning/Crowville.” This song was included on Kevin Gordon’s 2015 release Long Gone Time.

I love the slow, haunting vibe of Julie Christensen’s rendition of “Fire At The End Of The World,” a song that originally comes from 2018’s Tilt And Shine, the same album that includes “Saint On A Chain.” “Around here things stay pretty slow/Hound dogs sleep in the middle of the road/Gotta shuck the oyster to find the pearl/And I heard about a fire at the end of the world.” This track features a cool bass line, and some good work on guitar, but it is her voice that is the focus here. She inhabits the world of this song, relating its story to us with ease and honesty, not trying to sell it to us but just present it. “Sometimes you just want things to tilt and shine/Change it up a little bit inside your mind.” Indeed. This is a fantastic song, one of my personal favorite tracks. That’s followed by “Joey And Clara,” which has a sweet, easygoing folk and country sound that is soothing. Sergio Webb plays banjo on this track. This track makes me smile every time I listen to it. “Joey And Clara” was included on Kevin Gordon’s Salvage & Drift Vol. 1.

“Gloryland” has more of a blues rock edge. Julie Christensen plays electric guitar on this track and gives a powerful, passionate vocal performance. This song does not hold back. Check out these lines: “You might be the president/Take a lot of power in your hands/Bend the laws to your advantage/Drive your armies to a foreign land/You say your cause is just/Lie only if you must/Just to keep them believing/They’re on their way to gloryland.” I especially love the way Julie delivers the lines “You say your cause is just/Lie only if you must.” So good. This song is the title track to Kevin Gordon’s 2012 album. The album then gets into country with Julie Christensen’s rendition of “Heart’s Not In It,” which has that great, sad, pensive country sound. I love the way she delivers it. This song was included on O Come Look At The Burning. On this album, it leads directly into “Down To The Well,” the title track from Kevin Gordon’s 2000 release. It’s an interesting transition, as the pace picks up a bit and the music gathers more energy. Also, since this track contains two songs, shouldn’t the title of this album be 12 From Kevin? Anyway, these two songs do share some thematic elements. “Heart’s Not In It” opens with the line “I’ve played this bar a hundred times”, and in “Down To The Well,” she sings, “You played that dive twenty some-odd years.” (By the way, Lucinda Williams sings that line on the Kevin Gordon recording.) I dig the bass line of “Down To The Well.” That’s followed by “Jimmy Reed Is The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” a cool, slow, bluesy number, this one also from Kevin Gordon’s Down To The Well. “You lose your mind ‘til it can’t be found/Now your head is burning/Your heart is yearning.” There is some gorgeous work on this track.

There is a bluesy element to “Gatling Gun,” with a somewhat haunted aspect to its sound. Like all these songs, this one has some memorable lyrics, particularly lines like “Keep sinking low ‘til I come out on higher ground” and “I could take a razor to my blank stare/Bleed out every memory of her in there” and “These days nothing stays the same/But my tongue remembers the shape of her name.” I especially love that last line. And I love the way this one builds. Then Brent Moyers joins Julie Christensen on trumpet for “Following A Sign,” a song from Long Gone Time, where it is titled “Following A Sign (The Preacher’s Wife)” and listed as a bonus track. This song features yet another excellent and moving vocal performance from Julie Christensen.  That’s followed by “Goodnight Brownie Ford,” also from Long Gone Time. This song paints a vivid portrait of Brownie Ford, recounting the time when Kevin Gordon met him. This song offers a goodbye. Brownie Ford died in 1996 at the age of ninety-two. “Declared me dead twice, he said/But I never was that far gone.” Karen Hammack plays piano on this track. The album concludes with “Rest Your Head,” from Kevin Gordon’s Tilt And Shine. This is a pretty and sweet rendition. I think we can all relate to lines like these: “Work is good but wants to steal away our time/Hours and frustrations lead to nothing but/Paper dollars and thin dimes/It’s here and then it’s gone/So we labor on.”

CD Track List

1. Find My Way
2. Crowville
3. Fire At The End Of The World
4. Joey And Clara
5. Gloryland
6. Heart’s Not In It/Down To The Well
7. Jimmy Reed Is The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll
8. Gatling Gun
9. Following A Sign
10. Goodnight Brownie Ford
11. Rest Your Head

11 From Kevin: Songs Of Kevin Gordon is scheduled to be released on January 21, 2022 (which also happens to be Julie Christensen’s birthday).

Sam Moss: “Blues Approved” (2022) CD Review

Last year, guitarist Sam Moss was honored on the Winston-Salem Walk Of Fame, both for his talent and for the influence his guitar store had on the local music scene. The store was a place where other musicians found inspiration as well as instruments, where they were mentored and soaked up some of the owner’s music knowledge and passion. That store closed in 2005, and Sam Moss died in 2007. But recently an unreleased Sam Moss album was discovered and is getting a release, so those of us outside that area will have a chance to appreciate this guy’s ability on the guitar, as well as his singing and songwriting. Most of the tracks on Blues Approved were recorded in 1977, and feature Mitch Easter on drums, though a few were recorded at later sessions. The songs are a mix of covers and original compositions. Chris Stamey, who produced and mixed this release, provides some of the liner notes for this disc, including biographical information. Mitch Easter also shares some memories about the 1977 sessions, which took place in his home. Musicians Henry Heidtmann and Jay Johnson talk about the later sessions, and Ed Bumgardner provides the rest of the liner notes, including the reason for the album’s title. The liner notes booklet also includes several photos.

The album opens with “Rooster Blood,” an original blues number with a good groove. Sam Ross plays bass in addition to guitar at the 1977 sessions. “You know you’re not bad-looking, baby/Good for talking to/You never let me down/Keep me up when I feel blue.” This track features plenty of good guitar work, of course. And the addition of Crispin Cioe on saxophone gives another layer to this totally enjoyable tune. That’s followed by another original song, “King Of My Hill,” with a slower groove and a good, soulful vocal performance. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll take some good, good whisky too/I’m going to take my guitar here, baby/But I’m not taking you.” This is such a cool track, one of my personal favorites of this release. “Nobody can touch me now/I’m the king of my hill.”

The first of the album’s covers is “Ain’t That Peculiar,” originally recorded by Marvin Gaye. This track wasn’t recorded during the 1977 sessions, but later, between 1989 and 1993, and features a full band, including backing vocals. Henry Heidtmann is on bass and piano, Jay Johnson is on drums, Mike Kennedy is on congas, and Mike Wesolowski on harmonica. There is a loose, fun vibe about this rendition, and Sam Moss delivers a strong vocal performance. That’s followed by “Vida Blanche,” written by Sam Moss. This song totally rocks. It has that great 1970s rock vibe, that delicious, youthful thing that I latched onto when I was growing up, with lines like these: “I tried my best to get into your mistress’s pants/But it seems she didn’t like my kind of romance.” And there is some great work on guitar here, and this track features the addition of saxophone. “I’d do it all again in a flash, babe, if I had the chance,” he sings just before the song starts to fade out. The album’s second cover is a totally fun rendition of “If You See My Baby,” the opening track from Mike Bloomfield’s debut solo record, It’s Not Killing Me. This is another from those later sessions, with a full band, this time with Ted Lyons on both drums and piano. It features some great stuff on guitar and harmonica.

One of the album’s best original tracks is “Trying To Do Better.” It has a smooth, cool vibe, an excellent vocal performance, and some nice changes. “I never know if one of us is crazy whether I should pack or stay/Said I’m trying to do better/Going to make a brand new start.” Would this have been a hit had it been released in 1977? I don’t know. I would have loved it then, and I love it now. Then “To Those Still At Sea” has more of a rock sound and drive, with another strong vocal performance. And check out these lines: “Wasting no time, leaving this madness/Come on with me/See what we can be/I lift my glass in a toast to those still at sea.” That’s followed by “My Man Mike” which has a delicious, kind of funky groove. Then “Nightflight Over Berlin” has a heavier blues rock vibe, led by some great work on guitar. This is an instrumental track. “PJ” is the last of the tracks from the 1977 sessions with Mitch Easter. It has a strong groove, and of course some nice work on guitar. A playful vocal approach makes this track fun.

A cover of Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally” comes from a rehearsal in 1967 by a group Sam Moss was in during his early teens called The Clique. That group was also made up of Jerry Lee on drums, Corky McMillan on bass and backing vocals, and Dale Smith on rhythm guitar. The sound may not be perfect, but it’s great to have this track included. You can hear how talented Sam Moss was on guitar already at that early age. The last three tracks on this release are all from the later sessions, and are all covers. The first is an unexpected delight, The Monkees’ “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” As I recall, this was my favorite Monkees song when I was really young (when I knew only the songs that were featured on the television series and hadn’t yet seen Head), and I still love it. Sam Moss delivers a surprisingly faithful rendition. Henry Heidtmann plays organ on this one. That’s followed by another interesting choice, an instrumental version of “Can’t Get Used To Losing You,” which was written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, and recorded by Andy Williams. This disc concludes with a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Who’s Driving Your Plane?” (a song that was originally the flip side to “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?”). Sam Moss delivers a seriously cool rendition, totally getting into the spirit of the song.

CD Track List

1. Rooster Blood
2. King Of My Hill
3. Ain’t That Peculiar
4. Vida Blanche
5. If You See My Baby
6. Trying To Do Better
7. To Those Still At Sea
8. My Man Mike
9. Nightflight Over Berlin
10. PJ
11. Act Naturally
12. Pleasant Valley Sunday
13. Can’t Get Used To Losing You
14. Who’s Driving Your Plane?

Blues Approved is scheduled to be released on CD on January 28, 2022 on Schoolkids Records. A vinyl edition will be coming out a little later this year.

Jeff Tweedy: “Chelsea Walls” (2022) CD Review

In 2001, Ethan Hawke, known for his work in films like Before Sunset and Boyhood, directed his first feature-length movie, Chelsea Walls. It featured Natasha Richardson, Rosario Dawson, Kris Kristofferson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Uma Thurman, and Robert Sean Leonard, with music by Jeff Tweedy (from Uncle Tupelo and Wilco).  The soundtrack was released in 2002, soon after Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. And now to mark its twentieth anniversary, it is getting reissued in an expanded edition, both on CD and as a double album on vinyl (for vinyl fans, it will be available in both black and yellow variations). The album features mostly original material, written by Jeff Tweedy, and performed by Jeff Tweedy and fellow Wilco member Glenn Kotche. There are also a couple of tracks featuring Wilco, and a couple performed by cast members of the film. This re-issue features two bonus tracks, and includes new liner notes, both by Ethan Hawke and Glenn Kotche, as well as an interview with Jeff Tweedy. The original liner notes by Ethan Hawke are also included.

The album begins with “Opening Titles,” which has a strange, haunting sound, quickly drawing us into its own peculiar realm. I haven’t seen the movie, but I am even more curious about it now listening to this soundtrack. This piece has an improvised feel, which makes sense, as Jeff Tweedy in the album’s new liner notes says the score was created by improvising while watching the movie. Its overall sense is like walking on broken glass without injury, as something stronger pulling us forward to it, and we ignore any pain as we become part of the strange landscape ourselves. At that point, it feels almost soothing, as an unexpected beauty surrounds us. Then “Red Elevator” begins with some solo guitar work, and when it kicks in, there is a gloriously raw vibe, like out of one of those twisted 1960s underground films. It is like a cry from the darkness of the city that pierces us and then somehow becomes a party, the kind where it is better to be out of one’s head than to witness too clearly what is taking place. There is that sort of excitement to it.

“Promising” is a song by Wilco, recorded in the mid-1990s, the first of the album’s tracks to feature vocals. It has a wonderfully wistful and dreamlike folk sound. “I promise you, and you promise me/Not to admit defeat.” There is something rather sweet about this song, in Jeff Tweedy’s vocal work and in the song’s overall sound. That’s followed by “Frank’s Dream,” which has an uncertain, hesitant feel at first, an interesting combination of piano and percussion. But it comes together beautifully toward the end. Jeff Tweedy plays piano on this track. Frank, by the way is played by Vincent D’Onofrio in the film.

In 1998, Billy Bragg and Wilco teamed up for the first Mermaid Avenue album, in which they took lyrics by Woody Guthrie and wrote their own music. A couple years later, they released Mermaid Avenue II, and then in 2012, they released the third volume, which included “When The Roses Bloom Again,” a traditional song about a soldier having to part from his sweetheart. That song is also included here. It’s a sad and yet hopeful song. That’s followed by a cover of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy,” this done not by Jeff Tweedy, but Jimmy Scott (who, as I understand it, appears in the film). This is an incredibly moving jazz rendition, slow and passionate and honest and completely captivating. Jimmy Scott included a somewhat shorter version of this song on his 1998 album, Holding Back The Years. Then there is something magical and curious about “The Wallman, which features Glenn Kotche playing vibraphone.

Actors Robert Sean Leonard and Steve Zahn perform Wilco’s “The Lonely 1,” a song from that fantastic 1996 album Being There. Robert Sean Leonard, who starred with Ethan Hawke in Dead Poets Society, is on vocals, and, I believe, plays violin at the beginning. Both he and Steve Zahn play guitar. That’s followed by “Hello, Are You There?” This is a cool and somewhat hypnotic instrumental tune. Then we get a second song performed by Robert Sean Leonard, this time the old hymn “Softly And Tenderly Jesus Is Calling.”  Robert Sean Leonard is on both guitar and vocals. That’s followed by “Finale.” There is something kind of beautiful about this track, even in that repeated groove on guitar. It is gentle and strangely soothing, something you listen to and let your mind just drift off, a track to help you let go of whatever thoughts are plaguing you. Then we get “End Credits,” a totally delicious folk instrumental number with some really nice work on guitar. This is one of my favorite tracks, and it is how the original released ended.

Bonus Tracks

This expanded re-issue includes two bonus tracks. The first is an extended version of “Finale.” The original version is eleven minutes, and this is thirteen. A difference is noticed right away, for this version includes what I assume is dialogue from the film at the beginning, and again a minute and a half in. This version feels more hypnotic. Some more dialogue is included at the very end. This disc then concludes with a different version of “Promising,” this one performed by Robert Sean Leonard. This version has more of a raw, immediate vibe, like he’s playing in his room, and we just happen to be there to hear it.

CD Track List

1. Opening Titles
2. Red Elevator
3. Promising
4. Frank’s Dream
5. When The Roses Bloom Again
6. Jealous Guy
7. The Wallman
8. The Lonely 1
9. Hello, Are You There?
10. Softly And Tenderly Jesus Is Calling
11. Finale
12. End Credits
13. Finale (Extended)
14. Promising

This special re-issue of Chelsea Walls is scheduled to be released on January 14, 2022 on Omnivore Recordings.

Mick Kolassa: “Uncle Mick’s Christmas Album” (2021) CD Review

Sure, the holiday is over and it’s time to take down the decorations. But why not listen to a good holiday blues album while you pull down the tinsel and box up the bulbs? Mick Kolassa has just the thing, Uncle Mick’s Christmas Album, featuring a mix of covers and original material, all with a great Memphis sound. Joining the vocalist and guitarist on this release are Jeff Jensen on guitar, Bill Ruffino on bass, Rick Steff on keyboards, James Cunningham on drums, Eric Hughes on harmonica, and Marc Franklin on trumpet, with Reba Russell and Susan Marshall on backing vocals. The arrangements are by Mick Kolassa and Jeff Jensen.

This album opens with a delicious bluesy rendition of “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Yes, the Mariah Carey song. But this version has a very different feel from what you’re used to, and, as far as I am concerned, is much better than the original. It features some nice work on guitar and some lovely backing vocals. This is how the song should have been presented all along. It feels natural and just exactly right. “All I want for Christmas is you, baby.” Then we get a groovy rendition of “Frosty The Snowman,” with a cool bass line, a cheerful vocal performance, and some great touches on harmonica and trumpet. It is like Frosty journeyed on down to New Orleans and started swinging in the French Quarter. You can imagine Frosty leading a second line down the street, and that is one hell of a magical snowman indeed!

The first of the album’s original numbers, “The Best Christmas Ever,” has a bit of funk to its groove. This is an optimistic song, as he sings “This is going to be the best Christmas ever,” and the backing vocalists echo the sentiment. This track is kind of catchy and fun. “You know, I’m never, never ever gonna take down that Christmas tree,” he sings in this one. And if you still have yours up, well, this is the song for you. By the way, he follows that line by saying “‘Cause I got my angel living right here with me.” Ah, so smooth. This one features some totally delightful work on backing vocals, as well as a great lead on keys. That’s followed by one of my personal favorite holiday songs, “Merry Christmas Baby,” this version featuring some excellent blues guitar, setting the mood immediately. “I’m feeling mighty fine/Got good music on the radio.” Oh yes, that will do it for me every time. This is a superb rendition, definitely a highlight of this disc.

Mick Kolassa delivers an interesting take on “Jingle Bells.” “Jingle Bells” is not one of my favorite holiday songs, but Mick Kolassa does something different and original with it, giving it a good blues vibe. Sure, the lyrics are still weak, but he makes something good out of this song. He puts sunglasses on those on the sleigh, and even on the horse pulling it. And that horse is in no hurry, just grooving his way over the fields and through the town. That’s followed by a fun, joyful rendition of “Winter Wonderland,” featuring a wonderful vocal performance. “Parson Brown” becomes “Reverend Brown” in this version. Then we get a good, bluesy version of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” featuring some great stuff on trumpet. Especially as it’s a blues version, I’m a little disappointed that he went with the “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough” line instead of the much better and more appropriate “Until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow.” Still, it’s a really good, passionate rendition.

“Christmas Morning Blues” is an original tune written by Mick Kolassa, a rocking blues number. It begins with a variation of that traditional blues opening line “Well, I woke up this morning,” with Mick singing, “Well, I woke up Christmas morning,” showing a sense of humor. That sets the tone. This is a Christmas when things have gone wrong, as he tells us: “First thing Christmas morning I see that you are gone/You didn’t leave no letter, didn’t tell me what I’d done/I bought you all these presents, put ‘em underneath the tree/I spent my money on your presents, laid ‘em down underneath the tree/Looks like you took ‘em with you, but you didn’t leave none for me.” The album then concludes with another original tune, “Beale Street Christmas Jam,” this one written by Jeff Jensen and Mick Kolassa. It should come as no surprise that this delicious instrumental number features some excellent work on guitar, but everyone gets a chance to shine, to groove on this track. There is even a brief drum solo. It’s a fun way to wrap things up, with little nods to other holiday songs.

CD Track List

1. All I Want For Christmas Is You
2. Frosty The Snowman
3. The Best Christmas Ever
4. Merry Christmas Baby
5. Jingle Bells
6. Winter Wonderland
7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
8. Christmas Morning Blues
9. Beale Street Christmas Jam

Uncle Mick’s Christmas Album was released on October 15, 2021 on Endless Blues Records.