My Song of the Week is “Psalm of Life”.  It is on the album Gift, the first collaborative recording by the mother-and-daughter team, Eliza Carthy and Norma Waterson, who make up part of British folk’s great dynasty.

The song puts to music the classic poem of the same name by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  It is one of my favorite poems.  Longfellow said of it, ‘I kept it some time in manuscript, unwilling to show it to any one, it being a voice from my inmost heart, at a time when I was rallying from depression.’  (Longfellow’s young wife was burned to death in an accident while lighting a candle.  The flames caught her skirts on fire and completely engulfed her.)

When I discovered that Carthy & Waterson had set this poem to music, I was anxious to hear what these two brilliant artists would do with it, but my eagerness was also tempered with some trepidation.  Such a powerful poem could be trivialized and ruined so easily with the wrong interpretation.  I needn’t have worried.  Carthy & Waterson nail it.  The melody they have chosen is perfectly suited to the spirit of the poem, as are the vocals and accompanying instruments.  Graceful piano notes contrast with earthy, almost clumsy-sounding trombone notes. The same contrast is echoed in the vocals, where Carthy’s beautifully smooth voice is heard alongside Waterson’s more rough, edgy one.  This smooth/rough, graceful/awkward, heavenly/earthy combination of sounds paints a very effective sonic picture of the literary message of Longfellow’s poem – a broken, depressed soul’s fumbling journey to reach an endpoint of comfort and contentment.  There is a beautiful, somewhat melancholy instrumental break featuring a violin that is also in perfect keeping with the spirit of the poem.  The song’s chorus, repeated throughout the song as one would expect,  repeats the poem’s last stanza (“let us, then, be up and doing/with a heart for any fate/still achieving, still pursuing/learn to  labor and to wait”), and is particularly fitting since it conveys the main point Longfellow wished to make.   I cannot think of a better way to express the poem musically than what Carthy and Waterson have accomplished.

Here are the lyrics, followed by the story behind the poem:

A PSALM OF LIFE

TELL me not, in mournful numbers,

Life is but an empty dream ! —

For the soul is dead that slumbers,

And things are not what they seem.

Life is real ! Life is earnest!

And the grave is not its goal ;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way ;

But to act, that each to-morrow

Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,

And our hearts, though stout and brave,

Still, like muffled drums, are beating

Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,

In the bivouac of Life,

Be not like dumb, driven cattle !

Be a hero in the strife !

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant !

Let the dead Past bury its dead !

Act,— act in the living Present !

Heart within, and God o’erhead !

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time ;

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,

A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate ;

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.

THE STORY BEHIND THE PSALM (from “Light from Many Lamps” 124-126 (Lillian Watson, ed., Touchstone 1988):

“It was early morning. The bright sun streamed through the windows of the Craigie house in Cambridge where George Washington had once had his headquarters, and where a young Harvard professor now lived. He lived, in fact, in the very room that Washington had occupied. And as he stood gazing out of the window at the sloping lawn and the elms, he wondered if Washington might not have stood here once feeling perhaps as he did–unutterably lonely and dejected. The young man’s wife had died three years ago, but he longed for her still. Time had not softened his grief nor eased the torment of his memories. He turned restlessly from the window and wondered how to spend the time before breakfast.

He was a poet too, this young professor; but he had no heart for poetry these days. He had no heart for anything, it seemed. Life had become an empty dream. But this could not go on, he told himself! He was letting the days slip by, nursing his despondency. Life was not an empty dream! He must be up and doing. Let the dead past bury its dead. . . . Suddenly Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was writing in a surge of inspiration, the lines coming almost too quickly for his racing pen. Longfellow called his poem “A Psalm of Life.” He put it aside at first, unwilling to show it to anyone; for as he later explained, “it was a voice from my inmost heart, at a time when I was rallying from depression.”

But later he allowed it to be published . . .and it went straight to the hearts of millions of people. No poem ever written became so well known so fast. It was taught in schools, recited on the stage, discussed from pulpit and lecture platform. It crossed the ocean, and spread like wildfire through England. It was translated into French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Danish–even Sanskrit! In China it was printed on a fan and became immensely popular. A whole generation of school children grew up under the influence of Longfellow’s “Psalm.” Many prominent men later acknowledged that influence with gratitude. Henry Ford, for example, memorized it as a lad, and in later years often said that the sixth and ninth stanzas came back to him all his life, inspiring him to effort and achievement. Firestone also freely acknowledged his indebtedness to the poem, as did many other famous men. Edward Bok made a special visit to Longfellow to tell him how much the last four lines meant to him. Even Gandhi, on the other side of the world, quoted a favorite line from it just a few days before his death (“….things are not what they seem”). The call to courage and action of a man emerging from a great sorrow, “A Psalm of Life” is one of the best-loved and most widely read poems in the world. Its lines are full of hope, its message clear and unmistakable. Its appeal is as vital and timely now as it ever was; in a recent poll to determine the nation’s favorite poem, it easily won first place.

For over a hundred years “A Psalm of Life” has helped the weary, unhappy, and discouraged to be “up and doing, with a heart for any fate.” No poem more richly deserves its place among the inspirational classics of mankind.”

O’ Be Joyful by Shovels & Rope (Dualtone Music Group).  (AMERICANA)  Shovels & Rope is Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, a husband-and-wife duo.  Their website says they “sing harmony driven folk, rock and country songs using two old guitars, a kick drum, a snare, a few tambourines, harmonicas, and maybe a little keyboard sometimes.”  There’s plenty of that on O’ Be Joyful, plus fiddles, banjos, and some wonderful, slightly off-kilter horns that take the genre to a new level (“Hail, Hail,” and “Tickin’ Bomb”).  Clanky percussion is prominent on most of the tracks.  Songs like “Carnival” demonstrate the duo can dazzle with slow-tempo ballads, too.  It’s just quirky enough that it may not be for everyone, but if you like an old-timey country sound with a rockin’ edge to it, this album just might be right up your alley. ( Listen to samples here.)
Little Blue Egg by Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer (Red House Records).    (COUNTRY FOLK/AMERICANA)  New recordings from folk duo sensation Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer came to an abrupt end in the summer of 2002 when Carter suffered a fatal massive heart attack.  Ten years following Carter’s death, we are blessed with a rare new recording from the pair, thanks to the discovery by Grammer of lost tracks that she discovered in a moldy basement.  The tracks were found to be in pristine condition and subsequently digitized for Little Blue Egg.  The new album contains never-before-heard “new” songs originally recorded between 1997-2002, including fully fleshed out songs that were left off other albums, some late-night living room recordings, reference tracks for multi-artist collaborations, and rare demos.  A true folk gem.  (Soundclips here.)
Shel by Shel (Moraine Records/Mad King).  (CONTEMPORARY FOLK/POP/AMERICANA)  Shel is a new four-piece band of  sisters from Colorado.  Their self-titled debut album was funded entirely by fans through a PledgeMusic project and it is one of the most unique and impressive albums to come out in a long time.  The classically-trained sisters play all the instruments and they have written all the songs, with the exception of a killer cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore.”  Beautiful harmony with catchy, unique melodies and arrangements.   One Ohio newspaper, “Cleveland Plain Dealer,” described their songs as “wonderfully weird and impossible to describe.”   I agree.  A very different and refreshing winner.  (Listen to it on Shel’s website).
Sailor’s Revenge (Limited Edition) by Bap Kennedy (Proper Records).  (CONTEMPORARY FOLK/FOLK-ROCK)  Some of the best in the music industry appreciate the talents of Irish singer-songwriter, Bap Kennedy, including Van Morrison, Steve Earle and Mark Knopfler, but Kennedy remains largely under the radar to most music listeners for some inexplicable reason.  With Sailor’s Revenge, his 8th solo release, Kennedy hits the ball straight out of the park.  Produced by Mark Knopfler and recorded in his studio, this double CD limited edition set includes 11 brand new songs plus a bonus CD of Kennedy’s personal favorites from his previous releases plus two previously unreleased tracks.   Musician guests include Knopfler, Michael McGoldrick and John McCusker.  Get it.  (Listen to four of the songs on Soundcloud.)
Are You There by Minnesota (Hymn & Holler Records).  (INDIE ROCK)  Peter Himmelman has been putting out great music since the late ’70s when he fronted the band, Sussman Lawrence.  Through the years, despite a low profile, he has captured the attention of Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, USA Today, NPR, and others.  Now Himmelman has teamed up with screenwriter/filmmaker David Hollander, and vocalists Kristin Mooney and Claire Holley under the collective moniker, Minnesota, to release a knockout debut with Are You There.  It’s  an album generously peppered with a dark-hued Appalachia that sets it apart from most indie rock records.  Pure dynamite.  (Hear three of the songs from the debut here.)
Gloryland by Kevin Gordon (Crowville Media).  (SOUTHERN ROOTS ROCK)  It’s been seven years since we’ve heard anything new from Gordon and Gloryland convinces us it was worth the wait.  It’s full of musical stories based on true incidences from Gordon’s growing-up years in the American South. The album works both musically and lyrically, the band is incredibly tight, and Gordon’s lyrics reflect the fact that he holds a master’s in poetry.  He has the perfect knack for choosing just the right phraseology and melding it with just the right musical passage for maximum effect.  All the songs are noteworthy (there are no fillers), but the song that will probably be remembered most is the 9+-minute opus “Colfax/Step in Time,” a recounting of Gordon’s trip to the nearby town of Colfax as a 7th-grader in the junior high marching band, led by their black bandleader, and the unexpected appearance of Ku Klux Klan members in the crowd.  The song is enveloped in an impressive musical aura that captures the drama of the event and transports the listener.  Containing elements of southern-drenched rock, blues and folk, the entire CD is spot-on and proves to be Gordon’s best release yet.  (Sample it here.)
Resonance by Under The Purple Tree (independent release).  (INDIE ROCK)  Resonance is the outstanding debut ‘mini-album’ EP from a new female-fronted rock group from Australia that has garnered a lot of local attention “down under”  and is destined to become more widely known in the coming year.  Under The Purple Tree is singer-songwriter/guitarist Megan Barnes, guitarist/producer Matt Lee, Anthony Lee (bass), and Stephen Barrett (drums).   Sir James Shipstone, former managing director for BMG Music Publishing’s Australia/New Zealand branch, frequently collaborates with the group as co-songwriter and serves as a valued mentor. Their style ranges anywhere from head-banging rockers to achingly beautiful songs of emotive themes.  What sets this group apart is the beautifully expressive vocals of singer, Megan Barnes, and the band’s use of electronic loops.  The EP contains five original compositions showcasing the band’s various styles  and one mind-blowing cover of the Beatles classic, “Help!”, which is so impressively original and unlike anything you’ve heard before that it should go down as a classic in its own right.  Resonance is the first in a series of mini-album EP’s the group plans to release in the near future, followed by a full-length studio album consisting of  additional new material and some “best-of” picks from the mini-albums.   Keep your eye out for Under The Purple Tree in 2013.  (Hear Resonance on Soundcloud.)
Seinn by Mary Jane Lamond & Wendy MacIsaac (Turtlemusik Records).  (CELTIC FOLK)   A wonderful album of old traditional and contemporary Cape Breton tunes.  It is part toe-tapping jigs and reels featuring MacIsaac’s superb fiddle playing, and part gorgeous Gaelic ballads sung by Lamond, who is well known for her vast knowledge of traditional Cape Breton folk tunes and gorgeous vocals.  MacIsaac and Lamond have toured together in the past, but Seinn is their first joint recording venture.  A real treat!  (Soundclips here.)
Belong by Susan McKeown (Hibernian Music).  (CONTEMPORARY FOLK).  Irish vocalist Susan McKeown possesses one of the most impressively strong and expressive vocal chords on the planet.   She has used this gift to great effect in celtic music, but considering the fact that this Irish lass has spent as much of her life in the U.S. as she has in her homeland, it is no great surprise that she equally wows in the contemporary American  folk category.  With Belong, a PledgeMusic funded project, McKeown has really outdone herself.  Her voice has never sounded better than here.   She blends it so well with the musical accompaniment and uses phraseology so impressively that it is as if her voice is not a voice at all, but rather one of the instruments.  Guest musicians include Erin McKeown, James Maddock, Declan O’Rourke, Dirk Powell and Ray Santiago. Absolutely stunning. (Soundclips here.)
We’re Usually a Lot Better Than This by Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott (Full Lights). (BLUEGRASS/NEWGRASS)  Don’t let the title of this album fool you – it would be hard for these guys to sound better.  The material on We’re Usually a Lot Better Than This was recorded  in 2005 and 2006 when O’Brien and Scott performed two benefit concerts as a fundraising project  for the Arthur Morgan School where each had a child attending.  They had not toured together for a number of years when they performed the concerts, but the magic is still obvious.  O’Brien’s banjo picking, Scott’s guitar picking, and the amazing harmonies the two of them make together, are impressive indeed.  The album includes alternate recordings of tracks from their previous album, “Real Time,” plus others never heard before.  Filled with one stellar song after another, the album closes with its standout track, “When There’s No One Around/Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”  If you think you don’t like bluegrass, give this one a listen (as well as Real Time) – they slap the strings with a fervor that is usually reserved for rock.  Word is out that the two plan to release a new recording in 2013.  It can’t be soon enough. (Listen to samples here.)
No Sheer Will of Force by Smokey Brights (independent release).  (INDIE FOLK/ROCK/POP)   This is the first in a series of limited run 45′s the group plans to release.  Hailing from Seattle, Smokey Brights describe their music as “warm vintage, pop savvy, yet slightly wry rock music. The kind that streams from the boombox all day at your uncle’s barbecue, or crackles through the AM radio on an all night drive through some expansive American highway.”  No Sheer Will of Force contains only 2 songs, but what it lacks in length, it makes up for in quality.  Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long for the release of the 2nd in the series.  (Listen to it on Soundcloud.)
Crowsfeet & Greyskull by Keri Latimer (independent release).  (CONTEMPORARY FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER).  This is the debut solo album by Keri Latimer, who is part of the Canadian folk/Americana group, Nathan, a group I wrote extensively about in a previous MiG review.   Acoustic Guitar describes Crowsfeet & Greyskull as “..infectious alt-country noir, fractured folk-swing and surreal songwriting.”  It possesses the same irresistible sweet quirkiness that Nathan’s records have, but it is mellower and, dare I say, perhaps more impressive than Latimer’s works with Nathan.  The whole album has such a captivating ambiance which washes over the listener that it can take repeated listens for the lyrics to soak in, which add even more enjoyment once they penetrate the ears.  With intriguing song titles such as “Crowsfeet & Greyskull” and “Mud and Slobber” (based on e.e. cummings’ poem, ‘Spring Omnipotent Goddess Thou’), this album contains intelligent and well-written lyrics and some of the best of the best singer-songwriter folk music.   You will want to hear it again and again… and then again.  Absolutely mesmerizing.   Listen to it, or better yet, download it free/nyop  here.
The Weight of Glory by Heath McNease (independent release).  (INDIE FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC)   McNease is more known as a hip-hop rapper than a singer-songwriter, but The Weight of Glory proves he is impresesive in this genre. Each of the album’s twelve tracks are named after one of C.S. Lewis’ books, except for one which is named after one of the Narnia characters.  Lewis is perhaps the greatest writer on the big questions of life since Augustine, and musically capturing the spirit of such daunting works can be challenging.  McNease beautifully pulls it off.  Each song perfectly captures the essence of Lewis’ books, reflecting McNease’s own personal struggles in a way that anyone who has ever questioned ‘why’ will relate to.  This is a beautifully done album.  You can get it  free/nyop at Bandcamp.
Body of Evidence (Box Set) by David Olney (Deadbeet Records).  (CONTEMPORARY FOLK/AMERICANA)  Body of Evidence is a trilogy of mini-album EP’s that Olney released over the past year and consists of the individual EP’s Film Noir, The Stone, and Robbery, Murder.  Olney is frequently touted as one of the best storytellers in music history and this set lives up to the hype. It is unique and captivating ‘art for the ears,’ as I described in my detailed review of Film Noir and The Stone. The final installment, Robbery, Murder, re-tells R&B/rock ‘n’ roll legend Chuck Willis’ story of Betty and Dupree from different angles and interweaves it with another darker love story about a rich mill owner and his unfaithful wife.  Both stories are full of surprises.  Each EP in the series can be purchased separately and stand in their own right, but Olney’s literary musical genius is fully realized in how he has brought all three together under the umbrella of a common theme ingeniously titled  Body of Evidence.  A one-of-a-kind production.  Don’t miss it. (Listen to songs from the series (and more) here).
Travelin’ Machine by The Ragbirds (independent release).  (FOLK ROCK/FUSION).   This latest album from the multi-faceted folk rock group, The Ragbirds, is aptly named.  Its tracklist will take you on a musical tour across the globe with the band’s unique sound, described by Wikipedia as “gypsy, middle eastern, Americana, rock and Latin influences, all stirred with a Celtic bow.”   The Ragbirds is a five-piece band led by classically-trained violinist and singer, Erin Zindle.  Instruments include fiddle, mandolin, congas, guitars, banjo, accordion and djembe.  The entire album is pleasant, with Zindle’s soft and smooth voice setting the tone, but the strength of the album lies in the last five tracks, beginning with “Moribayassa (I’ll Fly Away)”, a unique and memorable interpretation of the traditional gospel song featuring an African moribayassa beat that is prominent throughout.  The tempo picks up for the last minute of the song, when solo conga drums hypnotically bang it out.  (The African moribayassa has a fascinating history, by the way, which can be read here.)  ”Moribayassa” is followed by the equally strong “Tomorrow River” and “Acrobats.” (Listen to sound samples here).
 Birds Fly South by The Mastersons (New West).  (AMERICANA).   This the debut album from husband-and-wife duo, Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore.  Masterson formerly played in the bands of Jack Ingram, Son Volt, and Bobby Bare Jr., among others, and Whitmore has worked with Regina Spektor, Susan Gibson, Kelly Willis, Diana Ross, Will Hoge and others.  As a duo, the pair has frequently toured with Steve Earle.  Each is an impressive solo performer, but when the two come together, they really shine.    New West’s website describes Birds Fly South as “an album with soul and groove and teeth and not an ounce of schmaltz. Like the Jayhawks or Buddy & Julie Miller, it exists in an expansive territory that encompasses rock, pop, blues and country.”   The comparison to the Jayhawks is a good one – on my first listen of this album, I was reminded of how great I felt the first time I heard “Hollywood Town Hall.”  Thoroughly enjoyable.  Listen and/or download for free two of the tracks from Bandcamp.
Camilla by Caroline Herring (Signature Sounds).  (CONTEMPORARY FOLK BLUES)  Camilla has been described as a ‘career-defining’ record for folk singer Caroline Herring, and it is easy to see why.  It is a beautiful southern-drenched folk album consisting of heart-wrenching, memorable songs of historical people who endured and conquered extreme adversity, as well as a couple of traditional tunes with new arrangements by Herring.  Herring plays acoustic guitar and is backed up vocally by such luminaries as Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Claire Holley and Kathryn Roberts.  Fats Kaplin contributes pedal steel, fiddle, mandolin and banjo. A slow-tempo southern folk masterpiece, Camilla will take you on an emotional ride that is not soon forgotten.  Sample it here.
Signs & Signifiers by J.D. McPherson (Rounder).  (ROCKABILLY, ’50′s ROCK/R&B)  The inclusion of this album in 2012′s ‘best of’ list may be a little bit of a cheat since it was released on a smaller label in 2011 before being picked up by Rounder in 2012  for a wider distribution, but this record is too good to leave out on a mere technicality.  Country singer, Eric Church, describes it as “…very stripped down and refreshing… You feel like you just walked into a burger joint in 1955 and expect it to have hot rods outside.”  There have been numerous artists who have delved into the ‘retro’ sound, but no one as deeply nor as exclusively as McPherson has done.  While putting all your eggs into one retro basket can be risky business, McPherson pulls it off beautifully.  He doesn’t just repeat what’s been done before, but rather adds his own stamp that makes this music relevant in the 21st century.  If you can listen to this whole album and remain still, you had better check your pulse. (Sound samples here.)
Redhills by I Draw Slow (Pinecastle).  (BLUEGRASS/NEWGRASS)  Upon listening to this album, one would easily conclude that the five musicians who make up I Draw Slow are straight from the American Appalachian mountains, but this group hails from Dublin, Ireland.  Wonderfully melding elements of Irish traditional music with modern Americana, I Draw Slow has gained lots of attention in their homeland over the past couple of years, but 2012 saw their horizons widen when the group signed a contract with the U.S. label Pinecastle  after its CEO saw the video of one of Redhills’ tracks (“Goldmine”) on YouTube.   “Goldmine” is, indeed, a most impressive song, but so are all the songs on this album.  The band has played to audiences in the U.K., Germany, Denmark and Belgium, and began their U.S. tour last year with a performance with the legendary Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.  The British press has described I Draw Slow as “American top league equivalents” that will “blow the opposition away.”   ‘Tis true!  Listen to some of the songs, including “Goldmine,” here.
 The Great Despiser by Joe Pug (Lightning Rod Records).  (AMERICANA/SINGER-SONGWRITER)  Joe Pug has steadily gained a loyal fan base through the wise and successful marketing strategy of giving away his music to anyone who would listen back when no one had ever heard of him.  He still is not nearly as widely known as he deserves to be, but most who have heard him are hard and fast, loyal fans.    His lyrics are intelligent and thought-provoking, wrapped up in a musical aura that will get inside a listener’s head and take up residence.  The Great Despiser showcases Joe Pug better than ever before.  Guest musicians include Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Langhorne Slim) on piano, organ and marimba, and The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn.  If you aren’t familiar with Joe Pugg, you owe it to  yourself to check out this album (sound samples here).  Also check out his earlier releases – you can still get free downloads of a previous EP and a five-song sampler on his website.

John Fullbright, Woodyfest 2011, Okemah, OK

“I have no doubt that in a very short time John Fullbright will be a household name in American music.” – Jimmy Webb

“[At SXSW], this young Oklahoman’s name was on everybody’s lips.” – American Songwriter

In a graveyard on the north side of the small rural town of Okemah, Oklahoma, where 23-year-old John Fullbright was raised (and still resides) are two tombstones marking the graves of two very different men.  One is on the east side of the cemetery; the other on the west. In between the two is where Fullbright says he’d like his own tombstone to be placed. Why? Because the two tombstones bear the names of the two most influential people in his life - his grandpa  and Woody Guthrie.  It is the subject of a song Fullbright wrote called “Tombstone,” one of the standout tracks on a live recording of a concert he performed three years ago at the Blue Door in Oklahoma City bearing the simple title of Live at the Blue Door.  It was not promoted nationally, but it was an attention-getter for those who heard it (it set sales records at the 2009 Woodyfest, the annual folk festival honoring Woody Guthrie), and Fullbright has continued to promote the album through a heavy touring schedule with his shows steadily gaining him a growing fan base one gig at a time.

The recording project was simple – a one-man show with just a voice, a guitar, and a harmonica, but lest you are thinking (like I was) that this by definition spells ‘boring’,  think again.   I was surprised at the depth and fullness that is generated by this one-man band and captured in the live recording.  Thirteen of its 17 tracks are Fullbright’s own compositions, and he writes surprisingly insightful and mature lyrics that belie his youth (he was a mere 21  years old then, but had already become a favorite at outdoor music festivals before he was out of high school).  He is able to create quite a sound all by himself, slapping the guitar strings with such fervor that the lack of a drumset is not even noticed, and gives a unique vocal delivery that makes the listener stand up and take notice.

Live at the Blue Door was recorded and distributed in 2009 by a local label, Blue Door Records, with the aid of The Blue Door’s owner, Greg Johnson, who was so taken by Fullbright’s talent that he became his manager to help get his career off the ground.  Johnson, a native of Oklahoma City, had been involved with the singer/songwriter community in Austin as a music journalist, publicist and host of Woody Guthrie concerts for nearly a decade before returning to OKC and acquiring The Blue Door and convincing many of his Austin friends to perform there.  Since then, The Blue Door has become Oklahoma’s premiere venue for performing songwriters and has hosted such legends as Jimmy Webb, Joe Ely, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and many others.

John Fullbright seems destined to become a legend himself, and his time may have finally arrived with the release on May 8, 2012, of his debut studio recording, From the Ground Up.  The new CD was funded entirely by fans through Kickstarter, and is being released on Fullbright’s own independent label, Blue Dirt Records, with the distributor, Thirty Tigers, acting as label staff.   This time around, though, Fullbright is backed by a full band, including Terry “Buffalo” Ware, Andrew Hardin, and Ryan Engleman (guitar), Fats Kaplin (violin and steel guitar) Jess Klein (backup vocals), John Knudson (organ), Wes Sharon (bass), and Giovanni Carnuccio III (drums).  Fullbright plays the piano and harmonica parts, almost all of the organ parts and much of the guitar work, and co-produced the album with Wes Sharon, the  owner of 115 Studios in Norman, Oklahoma.

The CD release show is scheduled for May 3-4, 2012 at The Blue Door in Oklahoma City, and Fullbright will launch his first national tour with shows in Los Angeles on May 10 and in New York City on May 17.  The full tour schedule can be seen here.

Here’s the first music video of the track “Satan & St. Paul,” from the new CD:

Also, the new album’s first single, “Gawd Above,” was recently released through Paste Magazine, which you can stream here.  I have wondered just what Fullbright could do with a full band behind him ever since I heard what he is capable of solo on Live at the Blue Door, and if these previews are any indication of how good the rest of the album sounds, it should catch fire like crazy and burn the whole house down.

Four of the tracks on the new album are fleshed out fuller versions of songs that were recorded solo on  Live at the Blue Door - “Moving On,” “Jericho,” “All the Time in the World,” and “Satan & St. Paul”  – all outstanding songs, but I won’t be throwing out Live at the Blue Door.  There’s too many killer songs on it that you won’t hear anywhere else, like “Tombstone,” “Blameless,” “Unlocked Doors,” “New Arrival,” and  more, including a stunning cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” in which Fullbright puts all questions to rest as to whether we really need yet one more version of this song.

Three years ago a seed was planted at The Blue Door in Oklahoma City with the recording of that simple solo performance.  Fullbright performed it the night before he left for Memphis to attend the Folk Alliance, his very first big music industry convention.  He took some burned CDs of the concert with him to Memphis, hoping to stir up some interest.  Since then, the seed has had time to sprout ”from the ground up” and now, with the release of the new studio album, it is beginning to branch out far and wide.  It’s about time.

“It’s breathtaking…The achievement here is enough to make the stars weep.” – Sarah Liss, cbc.ca

Heavenly – that’s a concise but accurate description of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra’s newest release, The Galileo Project: Music of the Spheres - a fusion of the arts, science and culture in the 17^th and 18^th centuries captured in an imaginative DVD and CD soundtrack commemorating Galileo’s first public demonstration of the telescope. It’s not only heavenly in its subject matter, but it’s pure heaven both visually and in an aural sense.   With the recent January launch of their very own recording label, Tafelmusik Media, the Toronto-based ensemble (touted by Gramophone as one of the world’s top baroque orchestras) place themselves at the very cutting edge of what they describe as the “classical online recording revolution” of the 21^st century.   The new label’s first releases hit shelves on March 27, 2012, and include the debut of The Galileo Project.  It is Tafelmusik’s ace card and playing it now assures their new label gets off to an impressive running start.

The Galileo Project was conceived in 2007 and brought  to fruition in 2009 with its premiere performance at The Banff Centre in Alberta.  Since that time, Tafelmusik has been touring the world with performances before awe-struck audiences.  Now, for the first time ever, listening audiences everywhere can experience this one-of-a-kind production through DVD and an accompanying studio-produced CD of the gorgeous baroque music featured in the concert.  The DVD/CD set was co-produced by Tafelmusik and The Banff Centre and is being distributed by Naxos USA through the Americas and by Naxos Global Logistics in the rest of the world, as well as through most digital retail outlets.

The Galileo Project is the brainstorm of Tafelmusik’s double-bass player, Alison Mackay.  The seed was planted when Tafelmusik received an email from Dr. John Percy, professor of astronomy at the University of Toronto, suggesting that the orchestra consider doing a concert presentation in celebration of 2009′s International Year of Astronomy.  He hoped to inspire Mackay to create another of her imaginative concert programs similar to some of her past creations (like the multicultural The Four Seasons: A Cycle of the Sun, among others).  It worked.  Mackay was immediately intrigued by the idea of melding baroque music and astronomy together.  With the enthusiastic support of director Jeanne Lamon, Tafelmusik approached The Banff Centre to see if the orchestra could use its facilities to develop the project, and the rest is history.

What makes The Galileo Project so revolutionary, unique and satisfying is its over-all concept and, more importantly, how that concept is presented.  Inspired by the 400^th anniversary of Galileo’s telescope (which incidentally also coincides with the earliest beginning of the baroque style of music and with the birth of opera), it includes music from various composers, each of whom share a commonality with Galileo, mostly by virtue of being contemporaries who lived in the same time period or by virtue of the compositions themselves sharing a similar ‘solar system’ theme.  That in itself, performed by such an acclaimed ensemble as Tafelmusik, is enough to make it a worthy project.  But as the DVD demonstrates, Tafelmusik ups the ante considerably by performing the music in front of a backdrop of a unique 12-foot round projection screen (the shape of which is reminiscent of a telescope lens) displaying stunning photographs of the universe from the Hubble telescope, and NASA and Canadian astronomers.   The stage floor features a circular design of blue-and-gold illustrated with signs of the zodiac.

As if that were not enough, the performance is enriched with interspersed narrations by the talented Canadian actor, Shaun Smyth, who reads portions of texts from period diaries, letters and poetry, including selections from Shakespeare, Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses,’ a 1629 letter written by Galileo to his brother-in-law in which he recounts reporting his new telescope to the Venetian Senate, his controversial (at the time) book ‘The Starry Messenger’ (which ushered in a new era of scientific discovery but also set him on a collision course with the Catholic Church), and the Inquisition’s sentence of Galileo.  Smyth even performs an anonymous 18^th century drinking song about astronomers.

But wait – there’s more.  Throughout all of this, Tafelmusik’s musicians perform these baroque beauties entirely by memory – a daunting feat which has never before been accomplished by an entire orchestra, but became necessary due to the dimmed lights needed for projection screen visibility thereby making the reading of sheet music all but impossible.  What might have seemed a liability actually proved to be a huge asset to the entire performance, as it freed the individual players to participate in some very effective choreography.  At times they move about the stage in circular formations that resemble the orbiting of the planets around the sun; at other times they break out into almost dance-like movements as they play.  The result of all this freedom is uninhibited musicians projecting their whole beings into the music and springing it to life in ways that would not have been  possible with a stationary orchestra tied to their music stands.  Instead of reading sheet music, they make eye contact with one another as they exchange musical passages in a playful bantering back and forth that makes it obvious they are thoroughly enjoying themselves.  Such “conversations” are wonderfully entertaining and provide convincing evidence that music is indeed a language in itself.  One occasion of such playful interaction can be seen in the video below in which two ciacconas are featured (one composed by Monteverdi, and one by Merula).  Watch the two musicians enter the stage about halfway through the video when the music transitions from one ciaccona to the next.

The accompanying CD is beautiful enough to stand on its own, with excellent sound production that makes the strings absolutely sing through the speakers in crisp and clear notes against full and lush basso continuo harmonies of  double-bass, violoncello, bassoon and harpsichord, with some gorgeous contributions from oboes, lute and guitar adding their own dazzle to the mix.  The musical score is divided into sections of astronomical themes:

The Harmony of the Spheres (I) - The score begins and ends with music related to the ancient concept that the planets and stars are separated from one another by intervals corresponding to the harmonic lengths of strings, and thus their movement through space produces a musical sound coined ”harmony of the spheres.”  This section opens with a rousing and impressive performance of the first two movements of Antonio Vivaldi’s concerto for two violins in A major from L’Estro Armonico (which loosely translates ‘harmonic inspiration’).  It’s been recorded numerous times, but Tafelmusik infuses new fire and gusto into this old workhorse that really gets the blood pumping.  It is followed by excerpts from Jean-Baptiste Lully’s opera, Phaeton, performed with all the pomp and fanfare one expects from a Lully composition.  The libretto is based on Ovid’s story of the son of Apollo, the Greek sun-god. Ovid personifies the minutes, hours, days and seasons as denizens of the palace of the sun.  King Louis XIV, who built his own “sun palace” in Versailles and elaborately decorated it with depictions of Greek gods throughout, employed Lully as resident musician. The influence of such grandiose cosmic surroundings on Lully can be seen in his choice of subject for this particular opera and by the titles of some of its movements with references to the four seasons.

Music From the Time of Galileo – Includes works from Claudio Monteverdi, Tarquinio Merula, and Biagio Marini, the most important composers in Galileo’s world.  One of the highlights is a lively excerpt of history’s first full opera, Monteverdi’s Orfeo, which debuted in Venice in 1709, the same year that Galileo’s telescope was introduced to the world.  Years later Galileo would arrange for Monteverdi to purchase a Cremonese violin for his nephew, Alberto Galilei.   A beautiful, lamenting lute piece composed by Michaelangelo Galilei, Galileo’s brother (and Alberto’s father), immediately follows a somber narrative of the Inquisition’s sentence of Galileo.  Galileo came from a family of professional lutenists, and he himself played the lute, and it is easy to imagine that Galileo might have occasionally sought solace by strumming his own lute during lonely hours of house arrest.

Music From the Time of Isaac Newton – Isaac Newton, England’s most important astronomer, was born within a year of Galileo’s death and was buried in Westminster Abbey near the tomb of the English composer, Henry Purcell.  Tafelmusik includes here the Rondeau movement from Henry Purcell’s Abdelazer, one of the most enjoyable selections in the program.

The Dresden Festival of the Planets - Includes excerpts from the music of Georg Philipp Telemann, George Frideric Handel, Jan Dismas Zelenka, and Silvius Leopold Weiss, all of whom performed at Dresden’s ”Festival of the Planets” in 1719, a month-long extravagant celebration that commemorated a royal wedding with numerous operas, balls, outdoor events and special concerts in honor of each of the known planets.  As such, the tracklist includes some works representative of the planets – Jean-Philippe Rameau’s “Entrée de Jupiter,” “Entrée de Venus,” and “Entrée de Mercure”, and Lully’s “Air for the Followers of Saturn.”  A lute concerto in C major by Weiss is a rare treat reconstructed by Tafelmusik’s lute player, Lucas Harris.  All that survives of the original manuscript is the solo lute part, but the title page confirms that the lute was accompanied by two violins, viola and violoncello.  Lucas has composed the missing parts, and the result is gorgeous.

The Harmony of the Spheres (II) – The program concludes with a return to the “harmony of the spheres” theme in a grand finale of  music from none other than the great J.S. Bach.  It is in Bach that all the different forms and styles of the baroque come together and are brought to perfection.  I once read baroque music described in this way - “music which is melodious yet so constructed as to reflect the perfect order of the universe.”  The baroque composer and theorist Johann Fux voiced similar thoughts when he said, “a composition meets the demands of good taste if it aims at the sublime, but moves in a natural ordered way.”  Heavenly bodies, too, move through space in their own orderly pattern.  The 17th century mathematician-astronomer Johannes Kepler combined these two thoughts when he used the formulas from his laws of planetary motion to derive musical intervals and short melodies associated with each planet.  Tafelmusic beautifully weaves these short tunes of Kepler’s into Bach’s “How Brightly Shines the Morning Star,” as they eloquently bring the program near its conclusion. It is a stunning piece, perhaps surpassed only by the spirited sinfonia which follows, an adaptation of the opening movement of Bach’s cantata of the same name.

There simply could not be a more fitting way to conclude this extraordinary release  than by melding the beauty of the baroque with the beauty of the stars in the music of Bach, the perfect conduit to convey the message of the mission of the International Year of Astronomy – to celebrate the wonders of the cosmos and the achievements of the human spirit.

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Aleady, Tafelmusik and The Banff Centre have collaborated in a second co-production, House of Dreams, which premiered in Banff last month and is currently embarking on concert tours throughout the world, with the U.S. tour scheduled to begin in March 2013.  House of Dreams is “a magical journey to the meeting places of baroque art and music – five European homes (which still exist) where works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Marais were played against a backdrop of exquisite paintings by Vermeer, Canaletto and Watteau.”  As in The Galileo Project, the orchestra has memorized all the music and the concert is enlivened with choreography, narration, and stunning projected images of paintings on a 12×16 foot screen bordered by a baroque frame.   An interview with Alison Mackay about the project can be viewed on Tafelmusik Media’s Watch & Listen feature (where film and audio excerpts of The Galileo Project can also be seen).  Hopefully, House of Dreams will also be captured on a DVD/CD set in the not-too-distant future. Until then, check out other upcoming releases on Tafelmusik Media’s website.  There’s a whole baroque learning center full of great resources to be found there, too, and there’s even a free and fun online baroque adventure webgame for kids (and for grownups who are still kids at heart!).

When I wrote a recent review on Kate Campbell’s last album, Two Nights in Texas, I predicted that we would be treated to a new one from her any time.  Well, the time is here – the new CD, 1000 Pound Machine, was released April 3, 2012, on Kate’s independent Large River Music label, and it’s a beauty filled with all the Southern folk charm that fans have come to expect in a Kate Campbell album.  Her unique stamp is imprinted all over the tracklist, including songs about the American South of Kate’s youth, people of the South (famous and not-so-famous), gospel tinged spirituals, a love song, a Mississippi delta blues piece, and a couple of instrumentals.  This time around, though, the arrangements are sparser and the music more subdued.  It is a beautifully cohesive album held together by an overall “lay-your-burdens-down” kind of theme offering rest for the weary and peace for the troubled soul.  This is comfort food at its most palatable, served up in classy southern soul fashion.

Oddly enough, the medium through which all this comforting music for the human soul comes to us is a quite inhuman-sounding monstrosity called a “1000 pound machine.”  What kind of machine can do this?  Kate ponders this enigma in the opening title track -

“The pressing of the key / rocks the center rail / pushes down the jack / which makes the hammer fall …  //  And this is how it works / a simple pair of hands / still a mystery / the music of the spheres / a thousand pound machine.”

The machine, of course, is a piano, and Kate dedicates her new album to “all the piano teachers in the world, especially Diamond Murphy and Mary Todd Young.”  Indeed, the title track opens with a simple repetition of quarter notes over which a part of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” is played, sounding much like what a student’s piano lesson might sound like.  Yet the sound that comes from the speakers is far from a stale, academic one.  Rather, there is a lovely, ‘other-worldly’ quality to the music that somehow makes the mystery more profound, more magical.  Kate herself sits at the piano bench, as she does on all the songs on this album.  She began playing the piano at age seven, but switched to the guitar as a teenager during the folk-rock heyday of the ’70s and since that time she has written, recorded and performed almost exclusively on the acoustic guitar.  On 1000 Pound Machine, however, she returns to the instrument of her childhood, passing the baton for the guitar parts into the capable hands of Will Kimbrough, 2004′s “instrumentalist of the year,” who also produces the album.

Kimbrough’s not the only stellar musician who contributes to the album.  The entire lineup is a powerhouse of top-notch artists, including FAME Studio’s legendary Spooner Oldham on organ, Wurlitzer and Rhodes piano.  Oldham, a 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, is a linchpin of the early southern soul and R&B sound (that’s his organ on Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman,” and many other hits of the era).  He also was a co-founder of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (dubbed ‘The Swampers,’ and mentioned as such in the lyrics of Lynyrd Skynrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”). Oldham remains a much sought-after session artist.  Then there’s David Hood on bass, one of the most influential bassists in rock and R&B history (his most famous lick probably being on The Staple’s “I’ll Take You There”).  Hood is another one of the co-founders of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, the group that left FAME Studios (Florence, AL), to form their own recording studio – the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, home of recordings by The Rolling Stones, The Staple Singers, Cher, Herbie Mann, and the list goes on.  Hood is the father of Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers, and is a contributor to countless recordings.  John Deaderick (keyboards), Dave Jacques  (string bass), David Henry (strings), and Paul Griffith (percussion) are all in-demand Americana stalwarts of the Nashville scene.   Backup vocals are provided by Will Kimbrough, the great Emmylou Harris  and Sloan Wainwright  (yes, she is a member of that Wainwright family – she’s Loudon Wainwright’s little sister and Rufus’ aunt, and she possesses a gorgeous alto voice).

With a lineup like that, great things are expected and 1000 Pound Machine doesn’t disappoint.  Across all 11 tracks, its theme of peaceful rest is consistently and beautifully expressed in various ways.  Sometimes the source of rest comes from deep within our own selves, as in the track, “Alabama Department of Corrections Meditation Blues,” a slow, burning Delta blues song about a real meditation program that the Alabama prison system uses to turn some of its most violent death-row prisoners into peaceful inmates.  The song gets some very fine contributions from Will Kimbrough’s resonator guitar and Emmylou Harris’ haunting harmonies, ending with a repetitive chanting of “Alabama here we rest, live in light and peacefulness.”

In other songs, the source for peace and rest comes through help from others around us.  Even the simple love song, “Wait For Another Day,” has a nurturing quality to it (“only one thing that I need to do / is sit right here and tend to you”).   ”God Bless You, Arthur Blessitt” reflects Kate’s interest in trivia and lesser-known historical figures which often comes out in her songwriting.  In this case, it is a traveling preacher from Greenville, MS, who holds the world’s record for the world’s longest walk.  He’s best known for carrying a cross through every nation of the world.  The song’s lyrics provide more glue to the overall theme - “God bless you, Arthur Blessitt / you have done your part / for peace in every land / and love in every heart.” 

In “Montgomery to Mobile” the road to peace comes through cooperation with others dynamically different from ourselves, as in an imagined journey where Rosa Parks and George C. Wallace share a bus ride from Montgomery to Mobile:  “You can take the window seat / and I’ll sit right beside you / we’ll see if the view has changed // So much pain / and so much struggle /when will there be / trouble enough / if we plow this field together / surely we can rise above.”

Then there’s “Spoonerville,” Kate’s tribute to Spooner Oldham with lyrics that allude to hit songs that Spooner has written and famous artists he has associated with throughout his career.  I would have expected a kind of funky groove to the song, but here Kate wisely chooses to keep the sound consistent with the disc’s overall theme, and it is very beautifully done.  It, too, ties in to the theme lyrically when the last verse suddenly but seamlessly switches to a spiritual tone (“Lift up your head / and roll up your bed / if you want to be healed”) and then just as suddenly and seamlessly switches back to Spooner’s career with one final allusion to a major heavyweight musician in the very last line.

Even “Red Clay After Rain,” a song that reflects on memories of home in the South with a hint of homesickness, uses spiritual phrases like “dyeing the rivers with that crimson stain” and “there ain’t enough water to wash it away.”  The pensive instrumental, “The Occasional Wailer,” is a beautiful composition of piano, bouzouki, vibraphone, strings and percussion that steadily builds as it goes.

Other songs speak of a higher spiritual source for rest and comfort. The track, ”I Will Be Your Rest” best encapsulates the entire album’s theme, not only in its title, but also in its lyrics and musical composition.  Kate’s voice is in top form here, never sounding more soulful, accompanied only by piano and organ in the beginning and building with the addition of guitar, bass, drums and background vocals from Kimbrough as the song progresses.  Clocking in at around 3 minutes, this track left me wanting more.  Kimbrough’s brief but dynamite guitar solo could have easily been expanded to last another couple of minutes and the rousing chorus repeated again without the song overstaying its welcome.  I found this one to be a real standout track, surpassed only by the gorgeous traditional African American spiritual, ”Walk With Me.”

With “Walk With Me,” Kate shoots the ball completely out of the park, singing with a conviction that is not only heard, but felt.  It is a song of former slaves who sung it for comfort and relief from their heavy burden.  Years later, their descendants sung it as a civil rights anthem (changing a few lyrics) to help carry their own burden of social injustice during the tumultuous 1960′s.  I imagine it is exactly the kind of song that would touch Kate deeply.  As the daughter of a Baptist minister who spent her formative years in Sledge, Mississippi, during the 1960′s, her upbringing not only provided her with an early foundation of spiritual faith, but also placed her in circumstances where she witnessed social injustices first-hand.  Kate has written numerous songs of her growing-up experiences in the south during that particularly troubling time in history, and the lyrics would seem to indicate that she and her family were compassionate people not untouched by what was going on around them.  In one of her trademark songs, “Crazy in Alabama,” she refers to an incident where her father goes to the county jail to post bond for a poor black woman, an act that would not have been a popular one among the majority of whites at the time.  Thus in the old spiritual, “Walk With Me,” two things come together that Kate would identify with - a deep spiritual faith in God, and a compassion for the downtrodden.  Perhaps this is why she can sing this old hymn with such beautiful expression.  Of course, I can’t speak for Kate; I can only respond as a listener to the music she has created, and this is my best explanation for the feeling that spills out of her voice as she sings this song.  It is just achingly beautiful.  Listen to the full song yourself (and all the rest of them) on Kate’s website.

The album ends beautifully with an instrumental, “1000 Pound Machine (Reprise),” which brings us back around full circle to the magical ‘other world’ – a place where a simple pair of hands mysteriously carries the listener to “the music of the spheres” by a thousand pound machine.

A place of rest.  A place of beauty.  Visit it – you’ll be glad you did.

Townes Van Zandt’s short list of favorite music writers included Mozart, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Bob Dylan, and … his buddy, David Olney.  Obviously Olney keeps pretty good company, and deservedly so (except Eric Taylor once said, ”Townes must have had a drink or two when he said Olney was up there with Mozart – Olney’s about as good as it gets when it comes to writin’, but he don’t sing like Mozart.”).  With a career spanning more than four decades, he’s had time to polish his art to a fine shine.  Whether performing blues, jazz, country, or folk ballads, Olney excels in them all – not to mention he can seriously rock.   In short, David Olney is one brilliant artist – even if he doesn’t sing like Mozart.   I am constantly amazed at what he comes up with next.

His latest venture is a unique series of thematic mini-album EPs on his own Deadbeet Records label, two of which have been released so far.  Each EP consists of reinterpretations of some of Olney’s classic catalog tunes combined with brand new songs to create its own unique theme.  The series capitalizes on Olney’s special talent for spinning a tale, which has made him one of the most original and impressive storytellers in the music business.

“Something happened. Back there all those centuries ago. Something not easily believed or easily dismissed. Two thousand years of glory and horror, of love and hate, of beauty and violence have only made those long ago events more murky and more enigmatic. But nothing comes of nothing. Something happened. The Stone is an attempt to address those events. From varying points of view (a con man, a donkey, a murderer and a soldier), a story is told. A picture struggles to emerge. Nothing is proved. Nothing is denied.’” (From the CD cover)

Newly released on March 20, 2012, The Stone is the latest in David Olney’s thematic mini-album series. The cover art and song titles don’t leave much room for doubt as to what the theme is.  Although timed to be released just before Palm Sunday, this is not so much a religious recording as it is simply the telling of “the greatest story ever told” by one of America’s greatest storytellers.  As Ray Waddle, columnist for The Tennessean, said, “Olney is a folk/roots/rocker who comes at his occasional subject of faith from odd angles.  He writes about people on the periphery of revelation, witnesses rattled by a glimpse of the blinding light.  Whatever the subject, Olney is likely to stay in touch with an ancient theme of the human story – a heartsick restlessness, a longing for homecoming.”  The Stone follows this angle, approaching its subject from the outside looking in - in Olney’s words, “from the points of view of some of the peripheral characters. How did they respond to these events (whatever they were)? What in the world did they think was going on?”

Olney has used unusual perspectives in his songwriting before,  most notably in the song Titanic.  While the Titanic may be most often associated with the hymn “Nearer My God to Thee,” or Celine Dione’s hit from the movie soundtrack, “My Heart Will Go On,” Olney’s song is uniquely written from the perspective of the iceberg.  It’s powerful, and it’s quite frightening in its intensity – just one demonstration of the talent of the songwriter who has penned these little mini-albums.

The Stone develops its theme over six tracks (three previous compositions, plus three brand new songs) cleverly arranged in chronological order to tell the Easter story, beginning with the journey to Jerusalem and ending with the missing body. Olney admits he’s sure “something” happened, but isn’t convinced it happened as it has been handed down to us.  Not exactly the kind of stuff the Christian music industry would be interested in.   Still, with the exception of the imagined scenario for the motivation behind Judas’ betrayal, the songs are not outside the realm of possibilities when stacked up against biblical records and Olney’s imagination brings a powerful human element into the 2,000-year-old story.  It takes a huge talent to pull off such a project, and Olney pulls it off very well.  Regardless of your personal beliefs, it will affect you – if for no other reason than for the sheer drama in which it is performed.

The opening track, ”Jerusalem Tomorrow,” is a powerful spoken-word piece narrated by a con-man healer who “can’t make a dime” since a stranger came through town ahead of him who “has everyone convinced he’s for real.”  A backdrop of Sergio Webb’s acoustic guitar steadily drives the music forward as the story unfolds.  The song  appeared on one of Olney’s earlier albums, and was also a hit recorded by Emmylou Harris.   Next up is “Brays,” another previously recorded song completely reworked.  As one might expect from the title, it is sung from the perspective of a donkey who triumphantly enters the city of Jerusalem  as palm leaves are placed at its feet.  The musical arrangement is impressive, with some ingenious orchestration consisting of a low, beastly, cello-like sound coupled with reverberating higher notes that struck me as being similar to what is heard in a donkey’s braying.   The blues-rocking “Brains” picks up the pace with lyrics about the betrayal punctuated by a smoking harmonica.  We are then brought to the upper room with the song, ”Flesh and Blood,” the only song that isn’t from a peripheral character’s point of view.  Rather, it juxtaposes the passover meal  eaten in ”a faraway place, a faraway time” with the present, where it is still observed and held sacred by believers.  The track list returns to the periphery with the arrest, presented from the perspective of a thief and murderer in “Barabbas,” a previously released song composed in classic Olney storytelling fashion.  The final track is the chilling and somber “A Soldier’s Report,” which recounts a Roman soldier’s reluctant report to his superior in which he tries to explain the disappearance of the body under his watch.  It is a most effective ending to a very impressive mini-album.

Supporting musicians for The Stone are few, but more than adequate – Olney (vocal, guitar and harmonica), Jack Irwin (harpsichord, percussion and orchestrations), Sergio Webb (classical guitar), and Dave Roe (string bass).  ”When we started recording these songs, I thought they would be complicated,” said Olney.  “More voices, more instruments.  But the songs have a peculiarity to them that called for a simple approach.  The sound is very minor key.  Like a voice inside your head.”

The first in the mini-album series debuted in May of 2011:

“Downtown streets. Slick with Rain. Watch your step. Don’t talk to strangers.”

So says the blurb on Olney’s website about his first EP in the series, David Olney Presents: Film Noir.  The words are the opening lyrics to its first song, “Frank is Gone,” and they set the stage for everything that follows on this five-song mini-album of ‘50s-‘60s detective music that artfully evokes that film noir atmosphere with “arrangements as smoky as Bogart’s ashtray,” as Rochester’s Democrat & Chronicle puts it.

Indeed, this little mini-album drips with the atmosphere of film noir enough to wring it out like a rag. From the moment the ear catches the opening sinister-sounding riffs of a descending walking bass spilling from the speakers, the mind’s eye conjures up an image of a vintage movie screen where desperate and shady characters come to vivid life. We are introduced to characters like Frank, who abruptly skips town in a shroud of mystery, and to his girlfriend Gracie who “keeps the front light on” as she waits for him, but by the second track (“Blue Moon Hotel”) admits against a backdrop of a smoky, sultry sax that she thinks Frankie never made it. We get hints of a deal, and the double-cross, and we’re pretty sure who the man is who’s holed up in a cheap hotel room with just a bed, a blanket, and a pillow that amounts to not much more than a prison cell. Then there’s “$20 Serenade” about a robber who strikes up an amiable enough conversation with a stranger on the street until he pulls out a gun, but the tune is such a toe-tapper, it’s hard to get too concerned. There’s also a slow-grooving blues tune with a surprising and very effective muted organ adding to the mood set by the walking bass line and slow bluesy guitar strumming. Perhaps the best song on the EP is a remake of Olney’s previously released tune, “Sunset on Sunset Boulevard,” about a host of characters including an aging star who sips her martini and throws a glass at her TV as she shouts “those filthy swine have all forgotten; how dare they turn their backs on me!” The atmospheric ‘tinky-tink’ of piano keys from multi-instrumentalist and producer Jack Irwin, Jim Hoke’s smoky saxophone, and some very impressive finger-picking from guitar maestro Sergio Webb (who, by the way, is an impessive artist well worth checking out) provide just the right finishing touches to this gem.

Independent weekly newspaper Philadelphia City Paper included Film Noir in its list of Top 10 Roots Albums of 2011, stating, “these dark stories and their perfect small jewels of cool jazz must be honored for offering fascinating listening, both lyrically and musically.” I wouldn’t argue with that. Give it a listen here:

While these two EPs are radically different from one another thematically, they share a similar sparse and (for the most part) smooth and easy musical blueprint.  That is not to say, though, that all of Olney’s 20+ albums are of this kind. He can rock to bring the house down, swing to a country stomp, and perform anything in between  remarkably well, as his discography proves.  (For those unfamiliar with Olney, I highly recommend starting with  The Wheel or Omar’s Blues, two of his greatest achievements.)  But as good as Olney’s recordings are, audiences virtually all agree his live performances are even better.  The one word that is repeatedly used to describe them is “intense.”  Few artists are able to so completely bring an audience under their spell as David Olney does.   He is on the road a lot, both throughout the U.S. and in Europe, so do yourself a favor and check his website for the touring schedule to catch a show near you.

One reason for Olney’s ability to captivate a live audience with such intensity is his love for theatrics.  When he sings songs about characters, he doesn’t just sing about them.  He inhabits them for as long as the song lasts.  “I think if I was ever going to do any other kind of self expression or artistic endeavor, I would probably be an actor,”  he says.  Along those lines, he has been publicly reciting classic poetry for the past several years and posting the performances on Youtube, where he is gaining a loyal viewing audience.  Here’s one fine example:

As I said, I’m constantly amazed with what he comes up with next.

Though she hasn’t broken through to mainstream super-stardom, those who take the time to discover Kate Campbell invariably become devoted fans.  Some of those fans were treated to two concert nights on April 8-9, 2010 at the Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Studio in Wimberley, Texas, where she was joined onstage by Sally Van Meter on dobro, Scott Ainslee on guitar and banjo, and Don Porterfield on bass.  Selections from the concerts were recorded and released in September 2011 on Kate’s own independent record label to become her newest album, Two Nights in Texas.

For those unfamiliar with Kate Campbell, Two Nights in Texas is a perfect introduction to her music, with the performances giving a well rounded representation of Kate’s diverse works – a mix of southern blues, fun and quirky songs, original southern gospel compositions, and several of her signature songs about growing up in a racially divided place. Her backup band is spot on and the acoustics are excellent.

Hearing the live performances will make new listeners want to search out Kate’s entire discography to discover more treasures (of which there are plenty) – like “In My Mother’s House” on 1999′s Rosaryville.  I would hate to choose just one Kate Campbell song to own, but if I had to, this would be the one I would choose – a gorgeous autobiographical song that showcases just how charming Kate’s voice can be.  In the song’s chorus (“the chimes in the hall / sound every hour”), the melody and Kate’s lilting voice produce an extraordinary sound reminiscent of chimes.  It is Kate at her very finest.  New listeners will also want to hear the studio versions of the concert songs, where they are given a more fleshed out sound than what is possible with a recording in an intimate concert setting.  Audio samples from all her albums, including several full-length songs that can be streamed, are on her website.

So what advantage does Two Nights in Texas offer to those who already own her studio recordings?  Besides excellent live performances of some of Kate’s best songs and some entertaining commentary about a few of them, Two Nights in Texas includes two beautiful medleys you won’t hear on any of her studio albums.  One medley seamlessly joins the song, ”Rosa’s Coronas,” (a touching song about a Cuban cigar factory worker who worries about her daughter and grandbaby who have fled the country for America), with ”Lanterns on the Levee” (a pretty song of devotion that was included on Kate’s debut album which earned Kate an Indie Award nomination for Best Singer/Songwriter from the Association for Independent Music).  The medley serves as a beautiful closer to Two Nights in Texas.

The other medley – the standout track of the whole disk, without a doubt! – is the gorgeous 8-minute  “Steal Away Trilogy,” which joins three songs.  It begins with “Would They Love Him Down in Shreveport,” (a song made popular by George Jones and covered by numerous artists including B. J. Thomas),  gently slides into the gorgeous original composition “Peace Comes Stealing Slow” (with lyrics having obvious parallels to W.B. Yeats’ poem, ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’), and then beautifully segues into the mid-19^th century African American gospel tune, “Steal Away”  for an exquisite ending.

Also included on the live recording is “Jesus and Tomatoes,” which as fans know, is one of Kate’s funniest and most entertaining songs about an individual who seizes on the commercial opportunity to market a ‘holy image’ seen on a tomato vine, only to be rebuked (“I heard a knocking at my door / it was a lawyer for the lord, saying ‘don’t do this no more’ / said, ‘come and dine with me / we’ll have a BLT”).  Kate tells her Texas audience that she got the idea to write such a crazy song when she saw a sign in front of a fruit and vegetable stand that said “Jesus and tomatoes coming soon.”  “I knew immediately that was going to have to be a song,” she told them.   She also shared a little humor with her Texas audience about the song, “10,000 Lures,” a beautifully performed original gospel-oriented composition:  “So my momma says, ‘you know, Kate, I believe that song could go in the Baptist hymnal,’ and I said, ‘I really don’t believe the word ‘voo-doo’ has ever been in the Baptist hymnal!’   Another highlight is the ultimate car song, “Galaxie 500,” about a child’s memories of the family car with vinyl seats that “burned my legs on summer afternoons” and of hearing from the car’s radio the announcement that Martin Luther King had just been shot.   Kate also performs an excellent version of her much-loved song “New South,” about progress and how it has affected the modern-day south.

Of course, no concert would be complete without a few of Kate’s trademark songs about her experiences growing up in the south during the 1960′s, and Two Nights in Texas includes excellent live performances of three of them – “A Cotton Field Away” (a song about changes that swept southern society with forced desegregation while a black child and a white child remained a cotton field away), “Look Away” (a solemn, piano-driven anthem about the south’s “long and slow surrender retreating from the past”), and the iconic “Crazy in Alabama,” which probably is the one song that best captures the essence of Kate’s music (“but the train of change was coming fast to my hometown / we had the choice to climb onboard or get run down“).

Kate Campbell has contributed much to America’s repertoire of classic southern folk music.  With her most recent album of new material being released in 2008, it should only be a matter of time before we are treated to something new from this national treasure.  Considering her past achievements, it is a pretty sure bet that she will not disappoint.  In the meantime, I’ll settle for sitting back and enjoying the warmth and beauty of Two Nights in Texas.

Whether you have a special someone to be your valentine this year or not, we’ve got you covered with this genre hopping “two-fer” mixtape of old and new songs ranging from easy listening to rock, pop, R&B, and lesser known indie singer-songwriter folk stuff.   Side A is just the thing for happy couples to play while celebrating Valentine’s Day with a romantic evening alone - or, if the love affair’s over, flip it to Side B and let the music keep you company this Valentine’s Day.  Either way, it’s a night spent with some great music.

Links to artist websites are provided for each track - a good way to learn more about the artists or to catch up on their latest news.  Many of them are working on new recording projects for 2012.

SIDE A:   VALENTINE

1. Galileo (Someone Like You) – from Since Kyabram by Declan O’Rourke

When Irish troubadour Declan O’Rourke wrote this song, he thought no one would want to hear it. But he liked it and says he only finished it because he thought his family might enjoy it.  He was more than a little surprised when he learned Josh Groban picked it up for inclusion on one of his albums – and a little sad to say goodbye to “his little song.”  Since then, it has been covered by numerous artists and is destined to become a romantic standard.

2. At the End of the Night – from The Dreaming Sea by Karen Matheson

It’s easy to see why Sean Connery would describe Karen Matheson as having “a throat surely touched by the hand of God.”

3. Only One Angel – from Austin Skyline by Jimmy LaFave

Few artists can put romance in a song like Austin-based singer songwriter Jimmy LaFave does.

4. Whisper My Name – from Heat Sin Water Skin by Betty Soo

From the 2009 album produced by Gurf Morlix (Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier, Slaid Cleaves). Betty Soo, a Texas native of Korean heritage, has received songwriting awards at the Kerrville New Folk and Wildflower Festivals, among others.  When asked whether her name is a stage name, she says on her webpage, “No, I guess I’m just lucky that way. It’s right there on my birth certificate. Soo is my dad’s middle name, too. Yep, he’s a boy named Soo.”

5. Ring Upon Your Finger – from Matthew Barber by Matthew Barber
Ring Upon Your Finger by MatthewBarber
From the Toronto-based singer songwriter’s newest album, recorded on an analog 8-track machine in Barber’s basement home studio.  Barber was inspired to use this method after reading in Keith Richard’s autobiography that 8-track was Richards’ preferred format for recording.  The melodic instrumental hooks on the song are reminiscent of the late ’60s and early ’70s.

6. Open Window (The Wedding Song) – from Sarah Harmer by Sarah Harmer

There’s a reason for the parenthetical phrase in the song title.  Harmer, a Canadian singer songwriter, wrote the piece for her friends’ wedding. Beautiful.

7. Valentine’s Day – from I Feel Alright by Steve Earle

It’s hard not to forgive when a song is sung with this much sincerity.

8. I’m Alive – from Mayhem by Imelda May

Imelda May is a London-based Dubliner who has carved out a niche for herself as a girl who can definitely rock ‘n’ roll.  On her latest album, Mayhem, she impressively adds several tracks that venture into jazz and blues territory.  The swinging Hawaiian-tinged “I’m Alive” is one of the album’s many standouts.

9. The Valley Below – from Notes from the Underground by Elliott Murphy

Elliott Murphy, one of the most under-appreciated artists in the music business, performs a slow-burning romantic tune about the sacredness of pure and honest love.

10.Valentine – from Silver Lining by Nils Lofgren

Former E Street Band member Nils Lofgren is joined by ‘The Boss’ on backup vocals in one of Lofgren’s best compositions ever.  Includes a very impressive long guitar outro.

SIDE B:   NO VALENTINE

1. No Valentine – from Somewhere Left to Fall by Amelia
Sample it here (track 3 on the page)
From the Portland-based group’s debut album.  All of Amelia’s albums are worth checking out.  The only problem is there’s not enough of them.  This is a band that definitely deserves more attention.

2. I Can’t Stand the Rain – from I Can’t Stand the Rain by Ann Peebles

Ann Peebles’ now classic recording from the ’60s sounds every bit as good today as it did then.   It’s easy to see why it is considered one of R&B’s best songs.

3. Bad Time – from Tomorrow the Green Grass by The Jayhawks

A very catchy cover of an old Grand Funk Railroad song.

4. Cupid Must Be Angry – from The Convincer by Nick Lowe

Despite the not-so-happy subject matter, British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe makes this one a real feel-good song.

5. Casa Nova – from Manzanita by Mia Doi Todd

Includes a very nice instrumental break with sax and trumpet in the middle.

6. 59th Street – from Lakeville by Amy Correia

Lakeville was recorded with Amy’s own money and was subsequently licensed to Nettwerk and released on that label in 2004.   Her next album, released in 2010, was fan-funded.  According to Wikipedia, “the story was picked up by Anthony Mason for CBS News, who featured Correia as one of a growing number of artists who are looking to their fans rather than a label to fund their albums.”  Cheers to Amy for choosing to do things her own way rather than being subject to the whims of music business executives.

7. Please Send Me Someone to Love – from Philadelphia (Original Soundtrack) by Sade

This smooth-as-silk piece can also be found on Sade’s Greatest Hits album.

8. The Tennessee Waltz – from Don’t Smoke in Bed by Holly Cole Trio
Sample it here.  With knock-out vocals and a smoky harmonica, this has got to be one of the best versions ever of this old familiar tune.

9. Hallelujah – from Live at the Blue Door by John Fullbright

This song’s been covered by many, but Fullbright’s version is one of the best.  He really nails it with a style all his own. Keep an eye on Fullbright.  He’s definitely going places.

10. That’s All, Amen, Close the Door – from Mock Tudor by Richard Thompson
Sample it here.  From the album which many consider to be Thompson’s best.  And so, as the song title says, ‘that’s all,’ folks.

Enjoy.  On Valentine’s Day – or anytime.

(For more great songs for Valentine’s Day, you can like Noisetrade’s page on Facebook and download their free gift sampler “25 Love Songs” from various artists including David Mead, Matthew Perryman Jones, Rosie Thomas, Marc Broussard, Josh Rouse & more.)

That was 13 years ago. Now an album bearing their name appears on a 2011 best albums list and I’m thinking it must be a re-issue or something. But, no. It is indeed a brand new album with 11 brand new songs. And it is creating quite a stir:

“If this band stays together, and Delopoulos is allowed to grow and not become a victim of the corporate machine, he could go down as music’s first truly great writer of this century. It’s a shame that he’s labored in obscurity into his 30s, but there’s still time. Burlap to Cashmere is one of the best records of 2011.” – American Songwriter Magazine.

“…a largely acoustic album of sumptuous and exotic melodies, tight harmonies and poetic lyrics. Producer Mitchell Froom sweeps away the clutter, allowing chief songwriter Steven Delopoulos to carve a niche with graceful, vivid global-folk. — Edna Gundersen, USA Today.

Prior to their vanishing act, Burlap to Cashmere had toured heavily, gaining enthusiastic support from Christian and secular fan bases alike, but the intense schedule took its toll. The band broke up in 2001 and its members disbursed to pursue separate pathways. Only Delopoulos remained active in a musical career, releasing a couple of solo albums. Then in 2004 the cousins Delopoulos and Philippidis began working on some new songs and considered recording again. They landed a small demo deal with Warner Brothers and had finished recording three or four songs to that end when their plans were brought to an abrupt halt. On the way home from a Manhattan studio recording session, Philippidis was involved in a minor fender bender and became a victim of road rage when the occupants of the other vehicle badly beat him and fled the scene, leaving him for dead. Philippidis suffered a broken nose and fractures to his jaw and eye socket. Doctors medically induced a coma to alleviate pressure on his brain. When Philippidis awoke from the coma a month later, news reports relate the reflection he saw in the mirror was “one of a closed eye, a head the size of a basketball and his face disfigured beyond what he thought could ever be repaired.” Doctors replaced his facial orbits, forehead and jawline with titanium implants and reconstructed his nose and sinuses.

Needless to say, music took a back seat to the slow process of recovery. Delopoulos gave aid and emotional support to his injured cousin throughout the ordeal, travelling from New Jersey nearly every weekend.  They sat and played X-box video games together instead of playing music. Doctors were not sure if Philippidis would play the guitar the same way due to the damage he sustained, but assured him over time his brain and nerves would reconnect.  Eventually, Delopoulos began testing out a few new song ideas with Philippidis, and over time Philippidis nervously picked up his guitar. A song began to take shape and became one of the tracks for the new album (“Orchestrated Love Song”). Once Philippidis became convinced his fingers could still move, progress slowly began to roll again for more new compositions. While home from London for a visit, Burlap to Cashmere’s original drummer, Theodore Pagano, heard some of the songs the cousins were working on and it wasn’t long before he, too, was on board.  Pagano’s organizational and driving force eventually landed them another major record label deal more than a decade after their first one.

The timing seems to have been perfect. During the band’s 13-year absence, new bands such as Mumford & Sons and Fleet Foxes emerged and have steadily gained popularity with a similar blend of “worldly folk”  to what Burlap to Cashmere was doing all those years ago. The fields are ripe for picking and Burlap to Cashmere intends to reclaim their turf. With the core players of the original band intact and their collaboration with acclaimed producer Mitchell Froom (Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow, Los Lobos, Tom Waits), that shouldn’t be hard to do.

The new album, released in July 2011 on the Jive/Essential Records label, still has the fire and excitement of Is Anybody Out There?, with occasional ‘la, la, la, la-eee’s’, syncopated ‘hey, hey, hey’s’ and trademark flamenco guitar runs still present, but the sound is more organic and mature this time around. The band’s website quotes Froom’s approach to recording the new album as: “There would be no nudging and no auto-tuning. We’re going into this to capture everything that’s organic about the band…For me, Burlap to Cashmere is a classic band in the best sense of the word. From the great songwriting and singing, to the deep and accomplished musicianship, they are absolutely a distinctive band…We also set out to make a record that put musical feeling and performance at a premium – live singing and playing, no click tracks, etc.”

A full spectrum of old and new sounds are included. “Love Reclaims the Atmosphere,” “Tonight,” and “Don’t Forget to Write” are strongly reminiscent of the early harmonies of Simon & Garfunkel, while others are reminiscent of classic American folk, such as “Life in a Van,” a song about a band’s life on the road, and “Hey Man,” with a very catchy chorus and lyrics that also refer to a band’s road trip to the next gig, although both songs are cleverly written with a second layer of meaning. “Closer to the Edge,” one of my favorites, is a song about finding the courage to live confidently in an uncertain world. “Orchestrated Love Song,” and “Santorini” are heavily steeped in the band’s signature sound of Greek rhythms. “Build the Wall” is the hardest rocking song of the bunch, with lyrics that use an analogy between the unhappy life of a female star on the verge of hoping to arise out of the ruins of her messed-up life and the biblical Nehemiah who repairs the breached wall of Jerusalem amidst hostile enemies who wish to do him harm.

Although the overt references to Christianity that were prominent on Is Anybody Out There? are missing on the sophomore release, there remains a subtle but unmistakable spirituality in the music. The closing gem, “The Other Country,” is somewhat more direct, bringing the album to a passionate and beautiful ending with a reference to the 23rd Psalm (I see the other country / I see the other side / Do not be afraid of this earthly city / Do not be afraid when the pharaoh’s nigh / Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death / Even though I sink through the ocean / You will rescue me / I am standing in the fire / But I can hear the choir singing / I was a blind man stumbling / But now I see). Delopoulos aimed for a Marley-type hymnal feel when writing “The Other Country,” an endeavor undertaken when he was invited to submit a song for possible inclusion in the film, Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The song didn’t make it onto the official soundtrack, but it is a beautiful work and it is easy to envision it being performed live in front of an audience caught up in the moving chorus, singing along with the band with uplifted arms swaying to and fro.

For snippits of most of the songs from the album, see Burlap to Cashmere’s full promotional trailer.

This is 21st-century folk rock music at its best. Don’t be left behind (no pun intended).

Silent Passage – Bob Carpenter, Warner Reprise 1975 (re-issue 1984 by Stony Plain Records, and 2007 by Riverman Music)  “Bob still lives within all who hear his unforgettable Silent Passage.”  - Ed Ochs, former music editor for Billboard Magazine (from Rising Storm).

I first learned of Silent Passage by the inclusion of its title track on Midlake’s  2011 album, a mixtape contribution to the Late Night Tales series.  Late Night Tales is a series (ongoing since 2001) of “music and stories worth staying up for” in which one artist is invited each year to compile a mixtape of their favorite songs or inspirations.  The contents of each Late Night Tales album are the original pieces by the original artists, with one cover chosen and performed by the invited artist.  GQ Magazine describes the series as “the Rolls Royce of compilations.”  Midlake’s mixtape opens with Bob Carpenter performing his song, “Silent Passage,” which immediately sent me scrambling to find Carpenter’s original album.  Here’s what I had heard:

Bob Carpenter was somewhat more known in his homeland Canada than he was in the rest of the world, where he remained under the radar throughout his short musical career.  A few artists such as Billy Joe Shaver and Tom Rush have recorded some of his songs, but he is still relatively unknown today and confusion abounds when his name is mentioned.  He is often confused with another Bob who played with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and he is not associated with The Carpenters, nor the same person who released the CD, Sun, The Moon & The Stars, as some internet retail sources suggest.  Our Bob Carpenter was a west coast Canadian singer-songwriter, born on an Indian reservation near North Bay, Ontario, and Silent Passage is the only album he ever released.  It is filled with keepers.  The  list of contributors include budding young vocalists Emmylou Harris and Anne Murray, as well as Lowell George and Bill Payne (both of Little Feat), Russ Kunkel (legendary drummer and producer), and pedal steel guitarist Buddy Cage, but this is really Carpenter’s show.  What makes the album work is his excellent songwriting combined with his very striking “world weary” voice that demands empathy, the perfect conduit to get his message of simultaneous despair and hope across to his listeners – despair from a realization that somehow he has lost his way in life, painfully cognizant of the fact that “something” is missing; hope in the resolve to seek and find that “something.”  He is sure of its existence (“before the final curtain fell across my weary eyes / I’m sure I saw the ghost of Truth at least a thousand times”), if only he could find his way to it.  Although Carpenter uses an occasional train as the mode of transport to the “something,” it is more often a ship that takes him there, with stormy weather and tempestuous oceans used as metaphors for life’s trials and troubles.  He is always searching for better weather and smooth sailing. How Carpenter musically expresses this theme elevates mere music to poetic art.

Never is this more evident than in the song “First Light,” a powerful number replete with spiritual undertones.  It begins with a quiet introductory refrain:  “Far across the windy, wavy ocean on a ship prepared for any weather / We sailed upon the sea, the magic ship and me / From the coast of where I’ve been to the place I think I’d rather be…”  The key then changes and lush strings enter, coloring a sonic picture of a ship smoothly sailing across the waters, and we know immediately that this is indeed a “magic” ship on its way to a “magic” destination.  The album’s cover art, Gustave Doré’s etching from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, serves as the perfect thematic complement.  The verses and chorus which follow take us deep into Carpenter’s world of human struggle and plea for deliverance.  The song ends with another key change leading into the closing refrain which is identical to the beginning one, bringing us around full circle.  Magical musical perfection.

Carpenter uses similar seascape imagery in other songs on the album with equally impressive results.  Such imagery would have come naturally to him; he was once a sailor so he actually did sail the “windy, wavy ocean” on the ship of life where, as the lyrics to the title track say, ”we are the master’s sails in the wind.”

Three of the album’s songs have upbeat tempos.  “Miracle Man” kicks things off with an invitation for “truth-bound lovers and truth-bound brothers” to leave all their cares and troubles behind.  The other two upbeat tunes are “Old Friends,” a song about the value found in the comfort of true brotherhood including a nice trumpet solo, and ”Morning Train” which begins with a beautiful and dreamy piano passage and flighty woodwinds, and a chorus consisting of gospel-tinged vocals.  It is a song of joy about an opportunity to take the train ride to “go home someday,” yet hints of persistent loneliness remain (“somebody told me if I wasn’t lonely that I’d be the man to see”).  ”Gypsy Boy” stands out as a unique, ahead-of-its-time eerie tune that recounts the lonely wanderings of a young gypsy boy who senses “it’s time to move now, but I don’t know where we’re going.”

The rest of the album consists of slower reflective songs, and it is in these that Carpenter shines his absolute brightest.  The original album jacket displays a photo of a young-looking Carpenter with long dark hair and beard, but songs such as “The Believer,” “Down Along the Border,” “Before My Time,” and “Now and Then,” miraculously transform the youthful singer into a timeless and wise old sage - although the sage in this case has as many questions as answers (“All these words so new to me, are they supposed to set us free? / I don’t believe in liberty, I just believe in life. / How can something perfect change into something less and back again /and in between have all this pain because we’re asking why?”)

Silent Passage is not a born-again testament.  It is a journal, written down in musical form, of one man’s journey in search of the passage that will lead the way to a new world of inner peace.   The journey is not an easy one.  He will be thrown into the center of a clash between shadow and light and there are wars to be fought (both without and within) before he emerges at the end of the passage.  It is a lonely warrior’s painful battle with his own personal dark night of the soul, but when the smoke clears and the dawn finally breaks, the road to his final destination is clearly seen.  For Carpenter, that final destination is the place where Truth and Love dwell.  It can be a most enriching listen for all, however one chooses to define the source of such virtues.  The message is compelling.  The voice makes the message profound.   Former Billboard music editor Ed Ochs (who managed Carpenter for a short time), sums it up by saying,

“Bob was a prophet. His songs are meditations. Certainly he wrote his songs but they were given to him. His music came from the source, in his case a spiritual teacher who gave him a most unusual gift: the vision and the voice to express the inexpressible. He was just a regular guy until he opened his mouth and began to sing. Then, oh Lordy! There was no place to hide, nowhere to go, nothing to do but close your eyes and fly away!”

Say amen, brother, and pass the word.  This one’s too good to remain in obscurity.

Since then:  Bob Carpenter died of brain cancer in 1995, having never released another album, although Stony Plain Records released  a digital download-only album in 2010 of eight previously unreleased demo tracks entitled Eight Demos 1979, and included three of the demos on their 2011 anniversary release 35 Years of Stony Plain.  Riverman Music (Korea) also remastered the original recording of Silent Passage in a 24-bit limited edition remaster in 2009, which was released in a  paper sleeve that reproduced the original LP sleeve in miniature form.  Ed Ochs fictionized his encounter with Carpenter in his novel, “This Rock Can Talk” (published in 2010), a book which he describes as a “rock ‘n’ roll comedy adventure set in today’s fast-paced music business.”   I asked Mr. Ochs about that fictionized encounter with Carpenter, to which he answered a character in the book is based on him and the book itself was inspired by him:  “I guess that underscores what his music meant, and still means, to me…writing the book was my way of getting it out of my system, as far as how much it impacted my life. It is also the story of a rock writer searching for the missing chord, for the music of perfection, one greater than all the other music he’d heard before; and that would be Bob Carpenter. It had to be fiction to make the incredible believable and bring the story down to earth in a form it could be told, therefore the title.”  A free excerpt of the first 8 pages of “This Rock Can Talk” can be read online.  Ochs also writes about Carpenter in his new book, “Freedom Spy: David Jove and The Meaning of Existence.” Ochs knew Jove well and was a partner with him in various ventures, one of the most notable being co-writer with Jove of the pioneering cable-music show “New Wave Theatre,” a precursor to MTV.  “If characters make the story,” said Ochs, “then David Jove’s twisted tale has got to be one of the most interesting ever because he was absolutely one of a kind. Before I met him he had already fled Canada on a felony charge, set up Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for a drug bust in England, and traveled Europe, the Middle East and Mexico.”  Although “Freedom Spy” is labeled as fiction (Ochs had to recreate conversations, change a few names, and merge a few characters), it contains tangential facts about Bob Carpenter and his album Silent Passage, using Carpenter’s real name.  The book is scheduled to be released in early 2012.

It is the world’s loss that (for whatever reason) the music industry never produced more recordings from this gifted songwriter, but I am grateful for the solitary masterpiece he left us with; thankful for having shared his vision.  The power inherent in Carpenter’s gift of music cannot be overstated.  Silent Passage is without a doubt one of the best and most rewarding albums I have ever had the privilege to listen to. It is an album that, once heard, cannot be forgotten.  I am left wondering – did Carpenter ever find better weather?  Did he ever catch that morning train?  I hope so.