A Few Odds and Ends

Searching for Lori McKenna news, I ran across an article claiming to reveal the story behind the song The Luxury of Knowing. There may be some question as to whether the article tells the whole story, but there are some pretty interesting facts coming out of it. Perhaps the most important news is that the song is now available for sale on Itunes as a single or as part of Keith Urban's digital Get Closer album. Prior to this release it was only available as a bonus track on the deluxe cd from Target. Not sure how these bone-headed marketing decisions happen, but at least someone realised that this might be the best track on the album (my opinion!). Lori's thoughts about Keith Urban's playing are interesting and the part Faith Hill played in getting Keith to pick up the song is also pretty cool. Nice to see that friendship still going strong. Lori also has some interesting thoughts on her approach to songwriting. Check out the article at:

http://www.theboot.com/2011/06/03/keith-urban-the-luxury-of-knowing-lyrics/

In that same search I came across another singer from the Boston area that I really like. Her name is Amy Black and she's ANOTHER low voiced female Americana artist. Check out this vid:

Love that vibe! Her website is at:

http://amyblack.com/

This week I had 4 cds arrive from Amazon. They are:
Follow Me Down - Sarah Jarosz
Daybreak - Sierra Hull
The Dreaming Fields - Matraca Berg
Judy Collins 3 & 4 - Judy Collins

As previously reported on Sarah Jarosz, her new album is fantastic! I haven't changed my opinion. The others will provide opportunity for future posts. The Judy Collins is actually 2 cds for the price of 1 and although a moldy oldy provides for some interesting listening.

I got tickets for both Matraca Berg and Lori McKenna at Sundance in July. Looking forward to both performances with anticipation.

I really enjoyed my daughter's birthday party last night, but in doing so I missed seeing Brooke White perform locally. That's twice now! Hoping to catch up to her sometime. That's all for now. Happy listening!

Bryndle

One of the most influential yet little known groups in America was Bryndle. This group consisted of 4 singer/songwiters from California: Kenny Edwards, Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold and Wendy Waldman. They originally formed in the late '60s and have broken up and re-united at least twice since. Kenny Edwards  passed away in an untimely manner last year and now sadly with the passing of Andrew Gold earlier this month the last hopes of another reunion have been totally dashed. The 2 girls are still going strong and are among my favorite solo artists. To get a better handle on the band's history and influence than I could ever convey, please read Wendy's moving tribute at:

http://www.wendywaldman.com/andrew.html

The title link at the head of this post will also take you to a photo tribute to the guys and if you continue on to their website you'll find a number of free downloads so you can enjoy both their collective and solo efforts. Click on the SOUND CLIPS entry. Happy listening!

Tamara Bailie

Before I begin my latest subject, let me just say a few more words about Meaghan Smith. I picked up her cd "The Cricket's Orchestra" at the concert and have been playing it heavily. It's everything I had hoped for.  Love her vocals. Love her writing. Love the retro vibe. Buy it!

This leads right into my next subject. At that Roof Top Concert I had the good fortune of sitting in the proximity of Tammy Bailey. I'd met Tammy last year at the Nancy Hanson Homestead concert. I'd seen her on Facebook but was unaware that she is a songwriter until Nancy sang one of her songs that night. Sounded pretty good and I told her so after the concert. She told me she had an album coming out in December and would send me a copy. I'd all but forgotten about it but seeing her at the concert last Friday reminded me of her promise. I asked if she was still working on her album.She apologised for not remembering to send me a copy, indicating that she had finished it in December and promised she'd send me one ASAP. I had no idea how serious she is about song writing. Turns out she is very serious! Check the link per the title of this post and you'll see that this album, "Remembering How to Be", is her second outing. She was as good as her word. She got it in the mail Saturday and I received it Monday. I've been playing it in rotation with "The Cricket's Orchestra" since then. So let me give you my thought's on Tammy's album. First off let me say that she makes no claim to being a pro singer. Don't expect her to be performing at the Met any time soon! That's not what she's about. She's all about the song writing and if you consider the content to be what's important, you'll find with me, that her vocals are honest, straight forward, pure and heartfelt. She's not a powerhouse, but she's in tune and sings from the heart. I personally think she could be a Bluegrass girl with a high lonesome sound if she chose to take that route and indeed some of the tracks on this album have a little Bluegrass vibe going on. Tammy's blessed with friends in the local music business who contribute to this album including Ryan Tilby, Sam Payne and Nancy Hanson. Not too surprising that the quality is top notch with those folks involved. Ryan Tilby's contribution is of particular note. If I understand correctly, he was a one man band and also provided the recording facility. Might be part of the reason you hear a little Bluegrass in here as he comes from that background. This album is like opening up Tammy's journal and taking a peek. As a song writer she's not too much into telling stories. These songs are for the most part snapshots of her thoughts, impressions, feelings, inspirations and observations about life. Before I give my impressions of  some of the tracks, let me say that this is the kind of stuff that's subject to interpretation and what I get out of it could be quite different from what you'd get out of it or what the author may have intended. That's the fun of it! Some of my favorite tracks are numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 11. Track 1 is a challenge to let what's inside find it's way out. Certainly reflective of Tammy. Nice catchy chorus. Track 2 has something to say about revealing who you are and still being accepted. Nice harmony by NH. Track 3 talks to me about accepting what life throws at you and enjoying the ride. Nice bit of Sam Payne scatting! Track 4 is summed up by it's title, Fly Away, as that's what we're learning to do in life. I think the line "the things that frighten and sustain us are the same" is particularly profound. I also think Tammy's vocals are very nice on this track. Track 5 finds justification for "holding on" making good use of a cool sounding call and response. Track 6 may be the catchiest tune and certainly is good advice, say yes and be strong! Track 9 is my favorite. Maybe it's the fun chorus, but again it's a song about good choices and their consequences. I think I like 11 for its country flavor and the fact that it DOES tell a story. I guess when you get down to it, most of the music I favor tells a story. It's challenging to listen to an album like this, but when I take the time to kick back and do some thinking it's quite enjoyable. Good job Tammy! Thanks for sharing.