Ags Connolly Your Pal Slim: Songs of James Hand Self-Release
Very much a labour of love, this twelve-track album is a tribute to the artist who shaped the musical career of Oxfordshire’s Ags Connolly. James ‘Slim’ Hand, who passed away in 2020, may not have achieved the notoriety of his fellow Texans Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings or Kenny Rogers, but he will be remembered forever as a classic outlaw honky tonker and songwriter who touched the hearts of both emerging and established country singers.
Connolly selected eleven of his favourite James Hand songs and a self-write, Corner of My Street, for the project. The initial recording took place in Woodworm Studios in Oxfordshire, England, where Connolly was joined by Anna Robinson on bass and Robert Pokorny on drums to prepare the foundations of the tracks. From there, he recruited a host of players that were either Hand’s former band members or contributors on his studio recordings. Hand’s band leader, Chris McElrath, added guitars, Jake Penrod played pedal steel, Beth Chrisman was on fiddle, and Brennen Leigh, a friend of Hand’s from her early days performing in Austin, contributed mandolin and backing vocals.
Pick of the crop are the opener and full-on honky tonker In The Corner, At The Table, By The Jukebox, the love-torn Midnight Run and Men Like Me Can Fly, which features Brennen Leigh’s slick mandolin and silky backing vocals. Much of Hand’s material was tinged with sadness, possibly a reflection of his spirited lifestyle and included are tearjerkers The Pain Of Loving You and My Heart’s Been Cheatin’ On Me.
Impressively packaged with detailed background notes by Connolly on his introduction to the music of his hero and friend, the songs remain faithful to the original cuts. Connolly’s deep baritone vocals are perfectly suited to the chosen selections and, as you would expect from the contributors, the playing stands out throughout.
This is another fine tribute to the Texan country marvel for fans of James Hand, alongside Charley Crockett’s 2021 album,10 FOR SLIM – CHARLEY CROCKETT SINGS JAMES HAND. For fans of Ags Connolly, it’s another stellar listen to match his career-best SIEMPRE from last year. Both Ags and Charley recorded their albums to bring the music of Hand to a greater listenership as much as for personal fulfilment. Hopefully, this album will encourage listeners unfamiliar with Hand’s work to check out Hand’s back catalogue. With accolades from America’s and Europe’s current favourite country artists, you’d be foolish not to.
Declan Culliton
Steve Baskin and the Fourteens Love Is Hard Self-Release
In keeping with his 2020 release MIND YOUR STEP, Atlanta-based Steve Baskin and his band, The Fourteens, have delivered another genre-hopping album that seamlessly swings between soul, blues, rock and roots. Alongside his core band member Roger Brainard (guitars, vocals), Mark Sobus (bass), Mark Van Allen (pedal steel), Geoff Gill (drums), and Mary Gill (vocals), Baskin also called on Atlanta's Funk Cake Horns to inject classic brass into the mix on several songs.
The album's title and lead song offer a mature reflection on the realities of commitment and a reminder that the 'happy ever after' scenarios are not fairy tales but a reward of tolerance, patience and faithfulness. It's a fully blown affair followed by another recollection of loyalty and reality, We Thought We Were Grown. A similar theme emerges in the confessional Devoted To You. Swathed in heavy brass and with slick guitar breaks, it's loaded with nods to previous musical eras.
Pleasant Valley Sunday, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, is an album highlight for me. It is given a classic power pop makeover and is as impressive as The Monkees' version in 1967. That '60s' purple patch' music era, in both sound and lyrics, is also recalled in The One Per Cent, and the heat is turned up on And You Want War, which is a commentary on the present-day dangerous and senseless worldwide political environment.
Produced by Baskin and Rich Herring and recorded at Lee Davis Studio in Maysville, Georgia, and Underground Studio in Atlanta, Georgia, LOVE IS HARD finds Baskin checking in on his past with honesty and no end of indebtedness. He wears many musical hats in the process, and it's fair to say that each one is a perfect fit for a hugely enjoyable listen.
Declan Culliton
Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms Gold In Your Pocket Free Dirt
‘Country music is our soul music. It is the way we can tell stories, express deep emotions, and help others feel their joys and pains through song,’ announces Caleb Klauder, introducing the latest and third album by the duo Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms.
Originally from Washington State, both are members of the Foghorn String Band and Caleb Klauder Country Band. This thirteen-track offering includes ten self-written songs and three well-selected covers, Last of My Kind (Paul Birch), Sad Songs (Jack Link), and Faraway Skies (Dean Johnson).
The recordings took place at Nashville’s Tractor Shed Studio, where Chris Scruggs joined them to play and assist in production. Nine months later, the recordings were completed at Valcour Records Studio in Eunice, Louisiana.
The couple play country music, whether bluegrass, old-time, folk or traditional country, timelessly and purely. Their first release in eight years, GOLD IN YOUR POCKET, lays bare topics that have populated country and folk songs for centuries. The passing of a loved one (He’s Gone), uncomplicated love and devotion (All About Love, We’ve Got It Made), reckless passion (Chained By Desire), hardship and stress (Gold In Your Pocket), and deceit (Shame, Shame, Shame) all get an airing.
Shared lead vocals and duets feature and the playing is, as you would expect given the contributors, top drawer. Joel Savoy (fiddle), Rusty Blake (pedal steel and electric guitar), Mike Bub (upright bass), Chris Scruggs (electric guitar, tick tack bass), Glenn Fields (drums), and Dirk Powell (piano) are all credited.
Songs that sound as if they have been around forever are the order of the day here by a couple that have never intended to rewrite the rule book. Instead, their concentration is on honouring the tried and trusted, and they have achieved both with this delightful treasure chest of country tunes.
Declan Culliton
Andy Statman Bluegrass Tracks Shefa
Andy Statman is the legend of bluegrass, jazz, avant-garde and global music that you might have never heard of. The award winning mandolinist and Berklee tutor is also a clarinet player of note, but here he focuses on the bluegrass roots that he totally embraced as a teen in 60s Queens, NYC. Recorded over only four days in Nashville’s Sound Emporium just pre-pandemic, it is a phenomenal collection of instrumentals, some of which he wrote and worked up in the studio during the recording and that immediacy is one of the album’s joys.
He is joined here by his friend of fifty years, fiddle player Byron Berline, who sadly since passed away in 2021. These are among Berline’s last recordings and stand as a testament to his huge talent and legacy. Banjoist Ron Stewart impresses as always, and here we get to hear his fiddle playing when he duets with Berline on several numbers. Mike Bub is superb as always on upright bass. The quintet is completed by another phenomenon, North Carolina’s Bryan Sutton on guitar, who needs no introduction to Americana fans.
Cover tunes include two from Bill Monroe, the barnstormers Stoney Lonesome and Brown County Breakdown. The former features none other than Ricky Skaggs, who has described Statman as ‘Bill Monroe and John Coltrane poured into one person’. The original Two Pants Suit is a swinging, jazz-influenced, slow burner showcasing the twin fiddles of Stewart and Berline. Another gorgeous original slow tune, Blessings, needs no words, such is the depth of feeling it conveys. Another long term friend, Tim O’Brien, joins them for the only vocal track on the classic old time tune Bile ‘Em Cabbage Down.
One of Andy Statman’s early teachers was David Grisman and he presumably contributed to Statman’s ability to improvise around a melody, which comes through in many of the tunes here, both new and well worn.
Breathtaking and beautiful, this is one of my favourite albums of the year.
Eilis Boland
The Bobby Tenderloin Universe Satan Is A Woman Country Moon
That this album takes its template from the recordings of Lee Hazelwood is obvious throughout the album (and apparently their previous album also). A Canadian combo led by Bobby Tenderloin, whose preferred arrangements utilise strings and pedal steel effectively beneath Tenderloin’s sonorous vocal and often spoken delivery. Something that frequently raises the question is about the authenticity and originality of an act’s overall direction when it closely resembles that of a particular iconic artist. It could well be that some of Universe’s audience are not overly familiar with the music of Hazelwood. Indeed, as he is no longer with us, maybe it is the intention to continue that artist’s individual approach to songwriting and performance. Hazelwood is perhaps best known for the duets he recorded with Nancy Sinatra, and there are parallels here with the duets sung with Cayley Thomas and Emma Frazier that hit a very similar tone. In fact, the backing vocals, other than Tenderloin’s own, are distinctly female, with a 60s feel that also calls to mind the methodology of Leonard Cohen, which used the balance of male roughness with the smoothness of a sweeter female harmony.
The songs, though, are originals rather than cover versions, which suggests that the intention is to create a body of work that carries on a particular sound; otherwise, it would seem more prudent to simply rerecord some of Hazelwood’s better-known songs if you merely wanted to pursue Hazelwood’s own career. There are ten songs here, all produced by Paul Arnusch, who pretty much gets the overall tone right; he also contributes bass, drums and electric guitar throughout. Pedal steel comes from Derrick Anderson and Nathan Gray, both of whom are also fundamental to the overall sound. Nathaniel Wong adds violins (plural) to round out the necessary resonance.
So, it is that dilemma I have heard before that contemporary performers should always try to find their own sound. True, but how many singers can you name that sound distinctly like other artists from the past, and if the person that influences them the most is an artist of the stature of, say, Merle Haggard, does this seem acceptable? Equally, how many can you name that sound like Lee Hazelwood - not too many, I imagine.
In the end, it comes down to what’s here on this album, and overall, while I am not a complete fan of Hazelwood, I am familiar with and have enjoyed his overall work, as I did this album and not least, the underlying humour apparent in some of the songs. The title song, as an example, considers Satan as a woman, making moves to lead him astray, which leads the lyric towards a more macabre end in the murder ballad scenario. So it continues evocatively evoking an artist and his oeuvre with some thought and adeptness that has its own rewards and reasoning. Perhaps Bobby Tenderloin’s universe may explore different territories in the future, but this album is open to individual consideration and approval.
Stephen Rapid
Neale Eckstein Never Too Late Self Release
The Fox Run Studio is located near Boston and the owner Neale Eckstein has been at the helm since 1998. The studio supports all aspects of the recording process, from basic mixing to mastering, for numerous musicians and projects. In 2015 Neale invited a few of his closest musical allies to join him in a project that has now developed into an annual event where the players come together to write over a few days before recording their output. The group call themselves Fox Run Five and included in the original line-up was Eckstein, Jagoda, Matt Nakoa, Tom Prasada-Rao, and Eric Schwartz, with their live-on-the-floor approach generating much interest and quality output.
This new solo album from Eckstein is proof positive that it’s never too late to start a new life chapter. At the tender age of seventy-five he has released an album of fourteen songs, including ten co-writes, all sung by Eckstein himself and co-produced with Matt Nakoa, who also contributes on acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, bass and vocals.
In 2014 he released an album titled Click and it was a compilation of songs written and co-written by Eckstein and performed by the co-writers along with a group of talented musicians. However, on this new album, ten years later, Eckstein has chosen to take on all lead vocals, something he never thought would be possible before attending vocal coaching. The results are very compelling and there is much to digest here, with the high quality of songwriting an ever-present across all these fine tracks. The Fox Run Five all appear on the album and it is a legacy to the memory of Tom Prasada-Rao who passed away in June this year. A further eleven musicians added their talents to specific songs during the recording process and Craig Akin features on bass on seven tracks.
Masterpiece is a song written for the magical qualities that children bring to the lives of parents. The ability to see no barriers on youthful dreams, where anything is possible, brings hope eternal and is a lesson often forgotten in adulthood. One Month Crazier captures life on the road for a journeyman musician, missing the little things back home ‘My son just lost his first tooth, seems like life is flashing by so fast, I tucked him in last night on another crackling telephone line, With a kiss goodbye as I drove past my exit sign’ – a very poignant image of the lonely road warrior.
There really are no weak songs here and the reflections on racism in 1950s America, captured so clearly on Red Swivel Stool are matched by the insights on relationships which define Stormchaser and the metaphor of a hurricane as defining some couples ‘I can tell your silence is the calm before the storm, I can feel you closing down and boarding up your doors.’ The love songs reflect different aspects, like the passing of a dear wife on January Thaw and the superb Like A Poem Needs A Rhyme with a fine performance from BettySoo on co-vocal, playing her best Rita Coolidge to the Kristofferson persona of Eckstein.
Elsewhere there is the enduring tribute to friendship on Whisper In the Dawn, written for deceased musician David Glaser, and Gonna Get It Right examines the things that we prioritize in relationships ‘Right from the beginning, I was never willing to make the space you need, Letting my obsessions, Meaningless possessions, Wreck your love for me.’ Closing out the album is The Lighthouse and a song that shines a beacon of light for the lonely, plus the abiding message of Messy Bed with the lines ‘Sometimes the world makes you wait, But the truth is it’s never too late.’
This gentle, melodic album stands as a work of real substance and a treat for all who enjoy superbly crafted songs written from the perspective of an artist who has learnt from life lessons along his path.
Paul McGee
Martin Harley Morning Sun Del Mundo
Born in Cardiff before moving at an early age to Surrey, Martin Harley first appeared on the music scene with the formation of a British blues trio, the Martin Harley Band. They released a run of five albums that saw them elevated to a status that included appearances on BBC shows. He has been performing as a solo artist since the release of self-titled debut in 2003 and his style of blues and roots music is certainly something to stir the senses.
On this new album, his ninth, Harley has recruited the talents of producer Nigel Stoner (guitars, keyboards, bass, ukulele, dulcimer, backing vocals), Mark Lewis (upright bass), Luke Shenton (drums), Michael Blair (percussion), CJ Hillman (pedal steel), Paddy Milner (piano), and Clive Mellor (harmonica). Their collaborative spirit is what makes this such an engaging listen and the ten songs are filled with character and personality, infused with inspired playing in the performance.
Harley shines on a collection of guitars that includes Weissenborn, acoustic, electric, lap steel, resonator and bass. He also takes all lead vocals in his stride as his deep tone spreads an authentic atmosphere throughout. The title track is an acoustic treat with the soulful vocals of Harley accompanied by Mark Lewis on upright bass and the next track Wolves follows on with a more up-tempo rhythm with both Luke Shelton on drums and Paddy Milner on piano excelling. I’ll Carry You has some sweet pedal steel courtesy of CJ Hillman and the deep acoustic blues groove on Chop Your Own Wood is just dripping with atmosphere as the creeping base of Mark Lewis accompanies the soulful harmonica playing of Clive Mellor. It’s a standout on an album that is filled with really strong songs.
Producer Nigel Stonier plays a very influential role in keeping the sound very clean and bright and he dovetails with Harley in every aspect of the recording. The sweetly sounding 48 is a slice of soulful country blues in recognition of the passing years and some very tasty slide guitar is a joy. Stranger is another slow blues and talks about the lonely life of a touring musician and the nomadic lifestyle that is demanded.
Best Is Yet To Come has a nice JJ Cale vibe in the swinging rhythm with a telling message in the lyric to keep optimistic. Lemonade is a song that has a light jazz feel as it trips along a relaxed groove, driven by upright bass and piano runs. Shotgun and a Shovel is a happy jaunt through a country heartland with a bluegrass feel to the playing and Kite is a song for Harley’s daughters in celebration of the love that surrounds them as a family. The delights of parenthood expressed in this heartfelt acoustic song.
The whole focus on the album is one of grabbing life while you can and being present in the moment. Put away those worries and leave the past where it belongs. This is Harley’s first album in five years and the time has not dimmed his music sensitivities in any way. If anything, he has come back with perhaps the strongest album of his career to date.
Paul McGee
Without Willow Left Behind Self Release
What a pleasant surprise to discover this talented Irish folk-duo who reside in the beautiful surroundings of County Donegal. Karen Kelly and Simon McCafferty have been making music together for a number of years now and their special musical chemistry is evident on this debut album. A number of the songs were written during the Covid lockdown and the introspective nature of the content does hint at much self-analysis, soul searching and rueful musings. The production and musicianship is of the highest quality and certainly places the album as a highlight among other recordings I have heard this year from local artists.
Come Back and Say Goodbye opens the album and it sets the bar very high for all that follows. It is a slice of dream-folk with a beautiful melody and the sweetly sad vocal of Karen Kelly asking for the return of a parent who departed this world all too suddenly. The Heather Field is a song that first appeared on a debut EP back in 2017 and the superb interplay between guitar and cello heightens the sense of loss in a relationship that never was given the opportunity to grow ‘So many years since I seen your face, Yet I recall your warm embrace, And I wish I’d stayed, start a family, Alas my love was not to be.’
The title track has a really superb guitar motif that runs through the arrangement and the use of strings again lifts the melody in a song that echoes unrequited love ’The days turned into years, Many left but I stayed here, Just in case you would return for good, Part of me knew you never would.’ The haunting Nightingale depicts the bird as a metaphor for a failed romance where leaving is the only option to escape a self-imposed prison ‘If you loved me, you’d let me go, My fragile heart wants to go home.’ Piano and cello create a beautiful sense of longing in the performance.
As Autumn Falls illustrates the gentle tone in Karen’s vocal delivery as she reflects upon lost love and a wistful sadness that ligers. On Lying To Myself the song deals with leaving a relationship in search of greener pastures and a chance to pursue bigger dreams. It is a co-vocal with both Karen and Simon McCafferty sharing the need to explore other roads ‘There is nothing for you here, You made that pretty clear, Oh you want to take a chance alone, See a world you’ve never known.’ Silver In Colorado sings of emigration and the hunt for a prospector’s dream in foreign lands. Isolation and a sense of feeling separate runs through The Lighthouse, while the plea on Take It All is to have a lover commit to a relationship and cast doubt aside.
Yes, the album is predominantly focused on matters of the heart, love lost, loneliness and regret; however the mood is anything but sombre as the superb production and the musicians blend together in delivering an album of lovely melody and gently uplifting sounds. The ensemble includes Ted Ponsonby (dobro), Orrie McBrearty (piano, bass), Laura McFadden (cello), Mark McGirr (drums), Simon McCafferty (guitars, vocals,) and Karen Kelly (vocals).
Lay Down Your Troubles has a superb arrangement with dobro and guitar blending together in a song about sharing the burden of feeling without hope, while the closing track The Show Is Over talks of a failed relationship that has run its course, likening the situation to the end of a concert performance. As debut albums go, this is a work of great maturity and has been recorded with plenty of tender loving care. Co-produced by Without Willow and Orri McBrearty it is a great example of the real quality that Irish artists are creating and this music is just waiting to be discovered by a much wider audience. Don’t hesitate.
Paul McGee
Astra Kelly Soul Fires Far Rockaway
The multi-talented Astra Kelly displays the energy and innovation of a true entrepreneur in all that she aspires towards. Her current home is made in San Diego where she operates as a commercial artist, music teacher, vocal coach, singer-songwriter and studio producer. She also holds workshops in songwriting and tours on a regular basis across the USA.
Post Covid, Astra packed up her RV and decided to embark upon a road trip across several states in search of some inner peace and direction. This followed on from the isolation that we all felt during those worrying times and it was also a way to come to terms with the grief that she was experiencing over the death of her mother. The results of her activities are included on this new album which Astra co-produced with Jeff Berkley, a close ally since he first appeared on her Back To Ten release in 2015. He co-produced Astra’s last full album in 2017 and the eleven songs included on Chasing the Light were largely based around the message of transformation and recognising our inner strength to be whatever we envisage.
On this new album there is a strong message of acceptance and in healing the scars of past experiences. On Not My Home she sings that negative emotions and places will not define her into the future ‘Gonna leave here, Gonna find a way, ‘Cause this is not my home.’ The band simmering on the song arrangement and echoing the pent up frustration in the vocals, with Sandi King on backing vocals and Joshua Taylor on guitar dynamics. The title song is a call to her dream-lover and Astra declares that ‘I’ve been keeping the dream and the soul fires burning for you.’
Some Kinda Fool has a slow offbeat arrangement to mirror the message the, post Covid, ‘We’re gonna wait this out, See what’s coming down the line, We’re all a little worn out.’ With Tell Me What You’ve Heard there is a plea for honesty to prevail and for truth to reveal the secrets that we cling to and keep hidden. On the track Memories and Music we have the band in top gear, the RnB groove driven forward by the superb harmonica of Johnny Mastro and the words ‘We’ve been in the trenches, we’re coming out alive, I gave every single piece of me, I really think it’s time.’
Bessie is a tribute to her mother and the love that only a parent can provide ‘She would have said, Go out and get it.’ Reflecting on the finality of death is never an easy thing and grief is always in the background, with Astra declaring ‘I thank you every single day, I pray that you’ll keep me safe.’ The message on El Cielo is one of embracing the universe as part of the healing process and looking to the heavens for the gift of grace ‘We’re all just a part of this same damn beautiful life.’ The song is in both English and Spanish which elevates the emotion in the delivery, the upright bass of Harley Magsino really excelling on the slow groove arrangement.
In the Time Of Dying is a song that delivers a mellow atmosphere and a reflection on how to celebrate, and also grieve, the passing of a loved one ‘It’s the most sacred thing to bear witness to.’ This is Astra wondering about her place in the universe and how to start over after a life changing event, reflecting upon our own mortality. On Heart To Heart she reflects upon relationships as the band kick into full throttle ‘Life now is a wreck, I’m crawling from the ashes, I know I’ll be a phoenix one day.’
There is no doubting the obvious talent on show here and Astra Kelly delivers both as a songwriter and a performer of some depth. Her confidence as a singer is evident in the clear delivery and engaging vocal tone and I sense that this artist will continue to go from strength to strength as she continues her musical journey.
Paul McGee