Suzy Bogguss - American Folk Songbook

Suzy Bogguss – American Folk Songbook
2011, Loyal Dutchess Records

Look up integrity in the dictionary, and you’re likely to find a picture of Suzy Bogguss nearby.  Bogguss rose into the upper echelon of Country Music artists in the 1980’s and 1990’s with her traditional sound and style.  Hard work and great songwriting landed Bogguss the spot of the first female featured performer at Dollywood in 1986, which led to a record deal with Capitol Records.  For the next thirteen years Bogguss was a commercial and critical darling.  Bogguss took a sabbatical in the mid-1990’s to start a family with husband Doug Crider, and when she returned the Nashville musical landscape had changed.  Traditional country music was out; pop-country and the flashy style of artists such as Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Martina McBride was in.  Bogguss continued in her traditional style, putting out albums that were critically lauded but did not produce the record sales Capitol hoped for.  By 1999, Bogguss was on her own again, and in 2001 she started her own imprint, Loyal Dutchess Records.  With an impressively loyal cadre of fans around the country, Bogguss has been able to continue to do what she loves.

On July 19, 2011, Suzy Bogguss releases American Folk Songbook, a collection of classic Americana offering in updated but reverent arrangements.  The project was born from a realization that music education in American schools is sorely lacking, and Bogguss’ desire to ensure that the musical foundation of American culture is preserved for future generations.  It is an effort that is both noble and inspired.  As always, Suzy Bogguss’ voice is warm and sweet and full of a vivacious joy at performing.  Her sound illuminates songs such as “Shady Grove”, “Banks Of The Ohio” and “Sweet Betsy From Pike”.  Specific songs stand out, however.  “Shenandoah” is a thing of pure beauty, and Bogguss infuses “Red River Valley” with a sort of optimistic fatalism that is quietly startling. 

“Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier” is a heartbreaker, beautifully sung and played.  Bogguss and her band have fun with “Ol’ Dan Tucker” and “Rock Island Line”, the latter starting as a mid-tempo number and turning into a barrel-run at the end.  Bogguss leaves listeners with chills with the darkly beautiful “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”; then turns the corner with the quietly catchy “Careless Love”.  Bogguss and her band offer up a pair of subtly beautiful instrumentals in “All The Pretty Little Horses” and “Git Along Little Dogies”.  “Erie Canal” is presented as a melancholy ballad, while “Wildwood Flower” is an upbeat folk number highlighted by hammered dulcimer.  Bogguss closes the only way such a collection can really close, with Stephen Foster’s classic “Beautiful Dreamer”, with a simple-yet-lush performance that will stay with you long after the CD or your player’s CPU stop spinning.

Suzy Bogguss has long shown a respect for the roots of American music, from her long-time association with classic forms of country to her flirtations with jazz and folk.  Bogguss brings it all home on American Folk Songbook.  With a lyric voice that melts into your ears like butter, and a backing band that would be welcome on any stage in Nashville, Suzy Bogguss charms and enchants listeners with music that gets to your heart, and comes from the heart of a cultural heritage that is too often forgotten.  American Folk Songbook is a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.  Don’t miss it.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Suzy Bogguss at www.suzybogguss.com.  American Folk Songbook drops July 19, 2011.  You can order the CD or Download through Bogguss’ webstore.   

Catherine Sykes - Something Wonderful

Catherine Sykes - Something Wonderful
2011, Catherine Sykes

Catherine Sykes is a vocalist from Yorkshire, England who has quietly become one of the most respected interpreters of American style jazz in Europe.  Performing throughout Europe with The Glenn Miller Orchestra UK, The Manhattan Orchestra and the Duke Ellington Repertory Orchestra, Sykes has built an impressive following.  Her travels have even taken her to a prime residency in Japan.  Sykes' previous album, Singing In, was featured on the UK's Radio 2 and Humphrey Lyttleton's Best Of Jazz radio program.  Sykes rides that momentum into album number two, a collection of updated jazz standards entitled Something Wonderful. 

Sykes opens with George & Ira Gershwin's "I've Got A Crush On You", showing off a sweet and mature alto voice that just melts into your ears.  This is the perfect intro number for Sykes, who sounds like she would have been right at home on an AM radio dial alongside Kay Starr, Jo Stafford and Sarah Vaughan.  "Lean Baby" is a solid number that allows Sykes to shine, although her pianist nearly steals the show with a wicked solo in the breakdown.  Juan Tizol and Irving Mills' "Caravan" is a slinky little Latin Jazz love song that shows off some of the unusual timbre of Sykes' voice.  Stylistically it's a pleasant surprise slipped in here, and musically, Syke's band achieves a moment of perfect in interpretation.

Sykes heads to Broadway with Vernon Dake's "Taking A Chance On Love (Cabin In The Sky), and delivers one of the standout performances on the album.  A stylish vocal line is matched by a distinctive energy in the backing band, creating musical sparks.  Sykes is in fine voice, and manages to create a classic sound in the process of interpreting an underappreciated gem.  "London By Night" is a supper club number that blends a sense of excitement with regretful melancholy.  This isn't Sykes' most memorable effort, but the song is solid throughout.    Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Waters Of March" gets watered down next in a well-intended but ultimately imperfect effort.  Sykes is in wonderful voice here, and shows a distinctive talent for phrasing, but the emotional impact here is somewhat lackluster.  Stylistic and technically superior, this version just doesn't capture the sense of wonder this song conveys at its best.  

Sykes recovers nicely on Rodgers and Hart's "I Could Write A Book" (Pal Joey), delivering a classic reading of a classic number in dark and dulcet tones.  Cole Porter's "Every Time We Say Goodbye" (Pal Joey), finds Sykes serving up a gorgeous vocal line alongside a vibrant acoustic guitar accompaniment.  This is perhaps the most intimate vocal moment on the album, and Sykes absolutely shines.  "He's Not The Boy I Knew Before" is a cute number that wears thin with its playful, stream of conscious style.  Sykes handles it well vocally, but this song just isn't a great fit for the flow of the album.  Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Something Wonderful" (The King And I) features Sykes delivering her most lovely and lyric vocal line of the album, over a gorgeous piano accompaniment that flows like water.  Sung here as a smooth, sweet love song, Sykes creates a "Wow" moment, where time stops and you can simply get lost in the song.  Something Wonderful winds to a close with "Let's Get Away From It All", a solid number that unfortunately is almost an afterthought in the wake of "Something Wonderful".

Catherine Sykes has a voice that draws you in, sits you down, and impresses on you the need to stay for awhile.  Her interpretations on Something Wonderful are generally right on target, and occasionally pass over the barrier into the sublime.  It's easy to understand why Sykes is so in demand in Europe, and hard to understand why we haven't heard much of her yet on this side of the pond.  But with a voice like the one you'll hear on Something Wonderful, you have to conclude that it's only a matter of time.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Catherine Sykes at www.catherinesykes.com.  Something Wonderful is available as a CD or Download from CDBaby.com.





Sweet Deliverance - You're My Rock

 Sweet Deliverance - You're My Rock
2011, Sweet Deliverance Ministries

Sweet Deliverance is a seven member a cappella group that has been singing the praises of Jesus Christ for over three decades.  What started out as an old style gospel vocal quartet has transitioned over the years in both sound and size.  Members have come, gone and returned, and Sweet Deliverance has transitioned to primarily original material as they continue to share their mission with all who will listen.  Sweet Deliverance's album You're My Rock was released in 2006, when the group was still a quartet.  Voiced by Bob Allsup (bass); Gary Ferguson (Tenor); David Morgan (Lead) and Kevin Percival (1st Tenor), You're My Rock displays a group that is comfortable in their sound and message, and inspired by faith.

Sweet Deliverance gets things rolling with the title track.  "You're My Rock" is pure a cappella gospel with a hint of 1980's classic rock triad-style harmonies.  Catchy and full of spirit, the song finds David Morgan ripping up the lead vocal line and having a ball with it.  Rare Earth's "I Just Want To Celebrate" gets the royal treatment in a funky version set to minimalist percussion.  Bob Allsup makes the lead line a soulful affair, and Sweet Deliverance comes off sounding a lot like their a cappella brethren The Blenders (before they changed into a pop band).  "Thank You" is presented almost as a 1960's vocal group number, with Allsup once again taking the lead vocal.

"It's Alright" finds Sweet Deliverance trading lightly on the vocal ground of Take 6.  While the foursome can't quite compete with Take 6 in fullness of sound, the vocalizations here take on an urgency and beauty that is surprising, and Morgan is spot-on in the lead.  "God Of Hope And Love" is a prayerful song of thanks and praise voiced again by Morgan.  The vocal harmonies here are as tight as can be.  Sweet Deliverances takes a bit of a detour through the uninspired "The Only Way" (Kevin Percival) and "We Sing Holy" (Gary Ferguson).  While both songs are obviously buoyed by faith, the energy heard both before and after is simply not here. 

Things get hopping again on "I Need You", with a quirky vocal arrangement that grabs your attention.  David Morgan shows the charisma of a true front man here, and Sweet Deliverance has a definite spiritual swagger going on with this tune.  "Broken Heart" (Gary Ferguson) features a gorgeous, compact vocal arrangement that's based in old-style, mixolydian harmony that's been brushed up with modern accoutrements.  Sweet Deliverance takes their leave with "Amazing Love Medley", stringing together "Think About His Love", "Show Me Your Ways" and "Amazing Love".  It's a solid closer that shows off the diversity of sounds the group can create with mostly just their voices.

Sweet Deliverance continues to grow in stature and size.  Since the recording of You're My Rock, former member Russ Wooten has returned to the fold.  Acappella alum Ken McAlpin has joined the group, as has David Morgan's younger brother Stephen.  Ever dynamic and full of spirit, Sweet Deliverance continues to sing praise and glory to God.  Their album "You're My Rock" is exceedingly accessible, whether you're in it for the Christian ideals behind the songs or the pure beauty of the voices assembled here. 

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Sweet Deliverance at www.sweetdeliverance.net or on Facebook.  You’re My Rock is available on CD and as a download through CDBaby.com.  Digital versions are also available via Amazon.com and iTunes.

Jason Plumb & The Willing - Alive And Willing

Jason Plumb & The Willing - Alive & Willing
2011, Soccermom Records

Jason Plumb rose to prominence as songwriter and lead vocalist of Saskatchewan folk-rockers The Waltons in the early 1990's, touring with bands such as Barenaked Ladies and Junkhouse.  Darlings of the Toronto indie rock scene fueled by the then vibrant radio station CFNY, The Waltons enjoyed considerable success across Canada but never quite caught on in the US.  The Waltons were essentially done by the turn of the millennium, but Jason Plumb continued to write songs and has built a successful and highly respected body of work both on his own and with The Willing.  Early this year, Jason Plumb & The Willing released a DVD set entitled Alive & Willing, memorializing a show recorded live in Plumb's hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan, and featuring the Broken Heart Strings, an offshoot of the Regina Symphony Orchestra.

Alive & Willing finds Plumb culling material from across his career in a dynamic live set that aptly shows off his brilliance as a lyricist, composer and performer.  Relying heavily on material from his album Beauty In This World, the show also features songs from Under And Over and some highlights from his career with The Waltons.  The main concert is a real treat, but the big surprise is something called The Neighborhood Dog Episode, a bonus movie featuring a series of home concert performances and anecdotes.  The set also includes a live CD covering most of the audio from the main concert.  Highlights include “Beauty In This World”, “Drive”, “Protest Song/Colder Than You”, “The Water Well & The Farmer’s Hand”  and “Lolita”.  The latter is only on the DVD and not on the companion audio CD. 

The video and audio quality throughout the set is superb.  Jason Plumb & The Willing are everything you could ask for musically.  Plumb sings from the heart; without affectation, and his songs as accessible and timeless.  Alive & Willing is a don’t miss release.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Jason Plumb & The Willing at http://www.jasonplumb.com/ or www.myspace.com/jasonplumbandthewilling.  Alive And Willing is a limited edition release, and is available from MapleMusic.com.

Thoughts

Toying with an idea here.  I wanted to put it out there to see what readers and artists thought about it.

I am considering opening an eBay store with the express purpose of selling Indie Rock CDs and possibly vouchers for downloads.  The blog at this point has some real visibility, with around 350 visits per day during the summer and closer to 450 during the fall, winter and spring months.  Preliminary feedback suggests that our reviews drive a fair number of sales for Indie Artists through sites such as Amazon or iTunes.  This may be a way to put more money back in the hands of artists, as well as to help support our operation here.

So what do you think?  Good idea?  Bad idea?  Your thoughts, as always, are welcome.  Youc an either leave a comment, or e-mail me at wildysworld@gmail.com.

Have an awesome day!

--Wildy

Emily Zuzik Band - The Wild Joys Of Living

Emily Zuzik Band - The Wild Joys Of Living
2011, Emily Zuzik Band/Maenades Music

Emily Zuzik has been known in the Indie world for over ten years, first for her work with Sexfresh and then as a solo artist.  Having toured throughout the US and UK, Zuzik has seen her stock rise at a slow and steady pace over the years.  Over the past couple of years, however, Zuzik's in-demand status has hit critical mass.  First there was the collaboration with Moby, and then Zuzik was chosen to sing the theme song to NBC's Love Bites.  Zuzik gets back to work with the release of her seventh album, The Wild Joys Of Living.  Produced by Chris Cubeta, The Wild Joys Of Living blends Americana and pop in a sound reminiscent of Sheryl Crow.

 Emily Zuzik has a voice you simply want to listen to, but she seems to get overly comfortable at times on The Wild Joys Of Living.  “You Want To Go Out Tonight” is a buoyant, 1980’s style pop/rock number; catchy yet reserved.  The chorus here is a real winner, based on a hook so pervasive you can’t avoid it.  “Feels Like Rain” is similar in design, with a chorus you won’t be able to get out of your head.  The dark feel of “Motels” is intriguing, but Zuzik slows down and gets stuck in a bit of a rut over the next couple of songs.  “How Did You Get So Good” is a return to form, however; a fun and provocative number where Zuzik’s voice shows the gritty sexiness of Chrissie Hynde.  The last two tracks, “Step back” and “You Know When You Know” are low key and light on energy.

Emily Zuzik has the sort of voice that will keep listeners engaged even if she’s simply vocalizing.  The material of The Wild Joys Of Living is better than simple vocalizations, but is very up and down.  At her best, Zuzik sounds like a superstar with all the tools, but it seems like Zuzik may have gotten a little too comfortable at times on The Wild Joys Of Living.  This is a solid effort with some great moments.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Emily Zuzik at www.emilyzuzik.com or www.myspace.com/emilyzuzik.  The Wild Joys Of Living is available from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.

John Paul Keith - The Man That Time Forgot

John Paul Keith - The Man That Time Forgot
2011, Big Legal Mess Records

John Paul Keith has walked the true Indie path, choosing integrity to his musical vision over the sort of compromises that tend to breed success in the traditional music business.  Walking away from The Viceroys over concerns over the band's musical direction, Keith lived something of a nomadic musical life over a number of years before finding a home in Memphis.  The fiercely independent music scene there embrace Keith at a point when he was ready to give it all up, and has resulted in a resurgence in Keith's songwriting that is stunning.  John Paul Keith shows the fruits of his labors on his latest album, The Man That Time Forgot.

The Man That Time Forgot opens with "Never Could Say No", sounding like an alchemic compound derived from the Traveling Wilburys and Jimmy Buffett.  It's a fun, catchy tune with a definite 1960's aesthetic.  "You Devil You" is a honky-tonk number tied together with impressive piano fills.  This is a catchy, fun and danceable number that will stick with you.  "Anyone Can Do It" heads into the realm of 1960's garage pop.  "Afraid To Look" stays with that aesthetic, using a catchy arrangement to explore living life out of control and the constant fear that something is sneaking up on you. 

"The Man That Time Forget" is a melancholy, Roy Orbison-esque number built on a strong melody and a world-weary sense that is palpable.  A bit of Beatles influence shows through on the catchy "I Think I Fell In Love Today", splitting that catchy British-style melodicism with the garage, alt-country sound Keith seems to be comfortable with.  Rock N Roll presides on "Dry County", a catchy little number that could turn into a roof-raiser in concert.  "Somebody Ought To Write A Song About You" is a sweet and sentimental 1970's-style AM radio ballad that may play well to traditional Adult Contemporary formats.  Keith revs things up with the rockin' rhythm and blues of "I Work At Night" before closing with a classic-style drinking tune, "The Last Last Call".  This last is buoyed by a sort of happy communal desolation that can only be found in the collective brotherhood of a neighborhood watering hole, where dreams and regrets are lined up on the bar and knocked down as easily as shots at happy hour.

John Paul Keith sings with a quiet charisma on The Man That Time Forgot, using an easy delivery to explore songs that themselves flow like water.  Keith's integrity to his own musical vision is impressive; a breath of fresh air in the music business.  The Man That Time Forgot is definitely worth remembering.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about John Paul Keith at www.johnpaulkeith.net or www.myspace.com/johnpaulkeith.  The Man That That Time Forgot is available from Amazon.com as a CD, on Vinyl, or as a Download.  The album is also available via iTunes.