The Promise Live

Black Joe Lewis - Tell 'Em What Your Name Is! (2009)
This is high energy funk/rock/soul and is a blast to listen to. I saw them in Austin and they can bring it. The CD won't disappoint.
Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 - White Lies for Dark Times (2009)
Another Ben Harper CD and another solid one for him. Doesn't seem to matter who he plays with, the music works.
Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson - Break Up (2009)
Talk about digging deep for inspiration... Pete channels Serge Gainsbourg's recording with Brigitte Bardot from the 60's, recording a break up CD with his muse I suppose The original was the actual breakup couple. I'm not anything beats how Fleetwood Mac did it. But, I'm getting off track. This is a nice CD from Pete and Scarlett (who is much better off not covering the great artists of our time) and if you're a fan of Pete's, you should enjoy it.
Sam Phillips - The Long Play (continued)
Finally, there is an official release of "When You're Down". Sam wrote this years ago, and it just hasn't been able to make it onto a CD. Glad to finally see it here.
Chuck Prophet - Let Freedom Ring! (2009)
More of a straight ahead rocker then his previous release, this is still pure Prophet. With his unique singing style and knack for catchy melodies it is so easy to love his music. The lyrics are a mix of social commentary and personal loss but with an uplifting spirit. Another great CD from CP.

I wasn't going to write about this show at the Gibson/Universal Amphitheater last Sunday because this isn't music I really know about: But I just had to. We went because a) Linda Ronstadt, at 63, still has that power in her voice and b) Maria, being from Colombia, loves this music. And so there I was, knowing that I wouldn't really know any lyrics (although on the real mushy ones, Maria would translate to me... very lovingly) and having to focus on the music. For those of you who think those trios at your local Mexican restaurant (yes, they are not actually mariachis, but trios usually) is what I was in for, are greatly mistaken. The band, which consisted of 5 violin players, 2 trumpeters, a full sized (although light apparently) harp and a 3 guitar rhythm section (and maybe I'm missing one or two) was amazing. The melodies are not as simple as you might expect. There are time changes in the middle of songs and the melodies go well beyond the sweet and sappy stuff you may hear from that local trio. It was just fascinating to listen to these men perform. The band played on their own for about a half hour or more and then introduced Linda. She sang solo and also shared vocals with three of the violin players who were also excellent singers. The entire evening fell a little short of 2 hours. Watching near perfection in every aspect of the show made it go by so much faster than I ever realized. I think I will do this again some day. As for Linda, wow, that voice can sing in any language. And unlike her show of classics a year or so ago, you could just see the joy and passion in her face as she sang songs derived from all over Mexico. You don't need to understand the words to see it.

I was in Glendale last Friday for a concert. I know, that just sounds weird. Glendale CA isn't known for rock and roll. Never the less, there we were at the Alex Theater to see Joan Osborne and Paul Thorn. And what a wonderful night it was.

I know. I know. These always start with, "I've been so busy" and "There is so much to catch up on". No excuses. We'll just get right in to it.

Bob Schneider - Lovely Creatures (2009)

This is Bob's best CD in years. Maybe his best since "Lonelyland". It is filled with hooks, has an optimistic up beat to it and yet somehow I love it. Seriously, it's a great sounding CD, closer to Lonelyland then the last few CDs, yet not at all like it. He decided to remake a couple of Scabs songs, and they are fine. But the treasures here are the new songs. I'm very happy knowing that I will be spinning most of this CD on The Promise. It has been way too long Bob. http://www.bobschneidermusic.com/

Suzanna Choffel - Shudders & Rings (2006)

While we're in Austin... If you read my blog post at ACL this year http://aclfestival.blogspot.com , you know that I fell for Suzanna's music live. And I am happy to report that the CD is really good also. There are some different players on this CD but the overall jazz/singer/songwriter sound is still intact. Suzanna sings like a sultry jazz singer. Her songs are sophisticated, surprising and yet familiar. This is a beautiful CD. It deserves your attention. http://www.suzannachoffel.com/

Sam Phillips - Hypnotists in Paris (2009)

For the first portion of Sam's "The Long Play" project we have 5 wonderful songs, including the brilliant revisiting of "I Don't Want To Fall In Love" from Sam's "Indescribable Wow". The project, a year long releasing of music, first on her web site and later on ITunes/Amazon/etc, should keep us Sam Phillips fans quite satisfied for some time to come. One of the 5 highlights (yes, I love every song on this EP), is Sam's love song to her daughter, "So Glad You're Here". Although there is a full band (Section Quartet) version of the song, she decided to release the piano version, which is so much more personal. For $52, you get 5 digital EP's and a digital CD over the next year (along with other fun stuff on her website). I highly recommend checking it out. http://samphillips.com/thelongplay/

Various Artists - The Best Is Yet To Come - The Songs of Cy Coleman (2009)

And speaking of Sam Phillips, she makes an appearance on this compilation of classics done in a modern style. The songs each have their singer's stamp on them, yet they remain true to the original versions. Besides Sam, there are excellent performances by Patty Griffin, Jill Sobule, Missy Higgins, Ambrosia Parsley, Madeleine Peyroux, Julianna Raye, Peria Batala, Sara Watkins, Nikka Costa, Sarabeth Tucek and two beautiful songs from Fiona Apple.

John Lefebvre - Psalngs (2009)

This would be really easy to dismiss, if it wasn't so darn interesting. John, who is awaiting trial in L.A. on gambling charges (he wrote payment programs for a gambling site), wrote a bunch of songs and then hired some of the best players in L.A. to create this CD. Actually, it is beyond a CD. It is all available for free download at http://www.psalngs.com/. The songs are actually pretty good. The singing is a little raw, but he has an interesting voice; one that you could get addicted to. The playing is top notch and this adds to the confusion. Did a great backup band make this more enjoyable or is it really the creation of a new exciting singer/songwriter. I'll leave it to you to decide. I will be playing a few of the songs on The Promise, so check him out.

Charlie Faye - Wilson St.

I saw Charlie Faye as an opening act at The Mint a couple of months ago. I didn't really hear any of it because of the crowd noise, but I heard enough to know there was something good going on here. I picked up her CD that night and have really enjoyed it. This CD can best be described as classic country rock with a solid rock edge and Charlie's sweet voice, making is as easy to swallow as a cold sweet tea on a hot Texas day. Songs like "Runaround" and "Jersey Pride" sound like they belong in another era. Actually, "Jersey Pride" reminds me a bit of Natalie Merchant. The songs will take you back without sounding old and dated. http://www.charliefaye.com

Mary Kastle - Another Swing (2008) / Fresh Air (2006)

These pair of EPs continue to show off the female/jazz/singer/songwriter in music today. It is an exciting area to watch as women such as Mary, with exciting voices and interesting arrangements challenge our rock and roll ideas. Songs like "Down the Wire", with the piano up front and a funky guitar in the background, make me glad I have the opportunity to get to share this music with you. Find out more about Mary Kastle at http://www.marykastle.com

More coming soon...

It all became clear to me, last night, as I heard the sonar come from the speakers about 20 minutes before the show. There is only one song that starts that way, Pink Floyd's "Echoes". Even if I wasn't aware that The Decemberists have covered it before, it was an easy call. And as the song ended, I turned to my daughter and said, "And the house lights go down". And sure enough, the lights went out. Colin's love of everything rock and roll, even prog rock, became even clearer to me now. Their new CD, "Hazards of Love", is a suite of songs, not unlike things Pink Floyd has done. They've added female vocalists for this tour, not unlike what Pink Floyd did with "Dark Side of the Moon". They added an extra dimension to the show by having four animators create video for the new CD, similar to things Pink Floyd has done over the years. And then they came out and gave us the entire piece, non stop, just like The Wall.

About a week ago my wife and I visited the Hotel Cafe to see indie artist Kristy Hanson perform. I have been playing music from her last CD for some time, but had not had the opportunity to see her live yet. The Hotel Cafe is a small room that seats a handful and expects everyone else to stand. Getting there early, we had no problem grabbing a table at the front. I've run into Kristy several time over the last year or so; usually at Sam Phillips concerts. So when she saw me, she came over and we chatted for awhile. What I've always enjoyed about her when chatting is her sweet, almost innocent, small town aura. And it translates wonderfully on the stage. Kristy put on a 45 minute set singing lots of songs from her upcoming release, chatting about her songs and, of course, performing music from her last CD. So often, when you finally hear a singer live, the voice just isn't as good as the record. But Kristy's singing sounded just as good, if not better. I really enjoyed the new songs, which, on first listen, sound even better than the last batch. The highlight of the evening for me though, was a cover of Joni Mitchell's "The Last Time I saw Richard". I've seen seasoned performers like Natalie Merchant not be able to do justice to Joni's music. A powerful and sad song like this is always a risk (especially because you have the potential to bring the house way down), but Kristy pulled it off. Half way through the song I had that stupid grin on my face; the one I get when great music moves me. Thanks Kristy.

It is ACL time again and I am blogging, posting pictures and streaming videos. This year, pictures will be split between my blog at http://aclfestival.blogspot.com and Facebook. You are welcome to friend me there if you'd like. See the link below. First music posts will probably be Thursday morning.

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The clouds hovered over So. Cal. Saturday night, making for a cool (finally) evening with some really cool music. Sam Phillips crossed the 405 into Santa Monica and performed with The Section Quartet at The Edye Theater. It is a 99 seat room, with the seats on three sides and Sam pretty much standing in the middle of the room. She entered the room dressed in a sparkling black outfit. Daphne from the Section Quartet followed her out and took her place behind the theremin. For those of you who do not know what a theremin is, think, the synthesized sound from the Beach Boy's "Good Vibrations". But Daphne has taken it to a level I've never seen before. She plays the air around it with the perfection of a classically trained musician, which of course she is. You have to see it to believe it. I was just blown away. After a few strange sounding noises, to get her hands into position, Sam and Daphne kicked off the show with "I wanted to be alone". It was gorgeous, spooky and funny all at the same time. The rest of the Section Quartet then joined Sam on stage and gave us a beautiful version of Sister Rosetta. Throughout the 75 or so minute set, Sam was backed by the quartet, or at times just Eric Gorfain (on guitar, violin and Stroh violin).

Sam was in a great mood, joking with the crowd and keeping it light, even if they were all in black and we didn't get the formal dress code notice. :-) At one point, just as a song started, someone dropped their keys. Sam, who had already started and stopped the song, stopped it again. Walked over to the person and picked up their keys for them. We were laughing so hard, but only until the song finally started up and then it was an "Oh Wow" moment. Sam dug out "I Don't Want To Fall in Love" from the archives; something she probably hasn't played live since the 90's. Eric's arrangement was fantastic. If you don't see this on one of the upcoming EP's, I'd be very surprised. And speaking of Eric, he was really the co-star of the show. There were plenty of new arrangements, since many of the songs were written for a more standard band (you know, drums, bass, keyboards... stuff like that). All of the arrangements added new textures to the songs, without venturing too far from the original feel. Still, we were all there to see Sam, and she did a brilliant job on old and new songs. Most of the 20 song set was from her last 3 releases. There were some new songs including, "So Glad You're Here", "Memory Slope" and "When You're Down" (okay this song is actually several years old, just unreleased... another strong candidate for the EP's). Her last song before the encore is one of my all time favorites, "I Need Love" (this version is available now on Sam's site... more on that in a moment). Even as an all acoustic number, it still has the magic it had 15 years ago (can you believe it has been 15 years?!).

After the show we all got a chance to chat with Sam, as she signed posters and chatted with everyone who was willing to wait in line. She spent a good hour chatting with whoever came before her. And we all had the chance to chat with each other too. It was great finally meeting Jill and it was good seeing Tom again and meeting his wife (they all came from central/northern CA for the show).

Below is the set list for the show. But before I get to that, if you haven't signed up for The Long Play, go to http://samphillips.com/thelongplay and for $52 you will get early releases of Sam's next 5 digital EP's and digital CD (all of which will be coming out over the next year). From what I understand, the plan is to release 40 or more songs over the next 12 months. What an interesting idea/experiment. The first mp3 is already available. As I mentioned above, the new version of "I Need Love (2009)" is on the site and waiting for you.

Okay, here is the set list:

I wanted to Be Alone

Sister Rosetta

What it All Means

Edge of the World

I Dreamed I Stopped Dreaming

Taking Pictures

Signal

Animals on Wheels (accompanied by her tape player)

Fan Dance

Little Plastic Life

Can't Come Down

I Don't Want To Fall In Love

Memory Slope

Say What You Mean

So Glad You're Here

When You're Down

If I Could Write

One Day Late

I Need Love (2009)

--- Encore ---

Zero Zero Zero

Friday night we headed out to Santa Monica to see Maria's favorite folk singer and my favorite piano man. In another era, Kenny White would have already made it. He is not only an accomplished pianist, but also a fine singer, songwriter and producer. His music is filled with humor and thought provoking ideas. Friday night he played songs from an upcoming CD and even though it has been some time since his last full CD release, the songs sound just as good as his previous efforts. I can't wait to hear the final produced versions. Kenny played for about 40 minutes and although he finished with his standard closer, "In My Recurring Dream", the rest of the set was filled with unexpected turns. What is so interesting is that this is exactly opposite of what Cheryl brings to the table.

I've seen Cheryl Wheeler 4 or 5 times now. It is an interesting show because she tells many of the same jokes year in and year out, and yet you still end up laughing. Somehow, there is still a spontaneity to her delivery and it sure is hard to put her down for that. Most of the songs are part of a small group of songs that she plays every year. Still, they are fun songs and I don't hear them often so again, hard to quibble with her choices. She has actually recorded a few new songs this year and played some for us. There were also new stories to go along with those songs. So, over all, this was the best Cheryl Wheeler show I've seen since the first time I saw her. I don't mean to put her down. I will probably see her on her next tour out west and the next after that. She is such a warm and funny person on stage, you can't help but have a good time.

As promised, with the new system in place, I'm bringing the music to you faster (at least I am starting to get caught up... maybe by the end of September). All of these bands have been spinning since the weekend. Also included in the lastest update are: Some covers from the Cowboy Junkies, yet another version of "Alone Again or" from Calexico, a couple from the first 2 Rachel Sweet CDs, some music from Woodstock, songs from Sea Wolf, and tunes from Warren Zevon's "Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School". Hope you are enjoying all of the music. Thanks for listening to The Promise.

Sound of the Blue Heart - Wind of Change (2009)

Earlier this year I talked a bit about their previous release, which I loved. They are back with a new CD and this is even better than the last. I believe I compared Johnny Indovina's voice to Bowie, but I really believe it is closer to David Sylvian from the band Japan. If you are familiar with that music, think a more accessible, more pop sound and you've got it. This is going to go down as one of my favorite indie releases this year. Do check them out at http://soundoftheblueheart.com

N.E.D. - No Evidence of Disease (2009)

It sounds like a bad idea: Let's get a group of doctors (not just any doctors but exclusively gynecologic oncology surgeons) together and make a rock and roll album. But, the CD is actually pretty darn good. From mid-tempo songs to hard rockers and then back to modern folk, this six song CD covers lots of ground and is very enjoyable. The production is nice and clean, the vocals (both male and female leads taking turns) are capable and solid. You might want to buy this CD not even knowing that it is a benefit for a cancer foundation. So how can you resist? The CD goes on sale September 8th. You can find out more about the CD, the Facebook page and the organization behind at: http://www.motema.com/artist/NED

Son Volt - American Central Dust (2009)

There is something calming about knowing that the feel of a Son Volt CD doesn't change. Jay Farrar's unique vocals over crashing guitars, walking on the fence between rock and country like no one else, with maybe the exception of Wilco. I love their sound. This IS Americana at its best.

Wilco - Wilco (The Album) (2009)

And speaking of Wilco... What can I say about Wilco that hasn't already been said by just about every music magazine and blog. Their new CD continues with the beautiful melodies and sonic experimentation; leaning more on the melodies this time. Another great CD from one of America's best.

Tom Morello The Nightwatchman - The Fabled City (2008)

I saw Tom perform a few times with Springsteen, but was blown away when I saw him do his own solo set at a tribute show not long ago. And the one song that really stuck was, "The Lights are on in Spidertown". There are some really good songs on this CD and Tom, sounding more like Dylan than Rage, does a great job putting it all together.