Bloggerhythms

This review was originally written for a small, short-lived website I began in 2001. Later the review was offered to and published online by a popular cultural arts webzine, Rambles.net . Then it was posted here in 2005 shortly after this blog began. Only thirty-two people have ever read it so it's time for an encore presentation, this time hopefully to a larger audience. ______________________________________________________________ I’ve never been a fan of singer–songwriters. You know the genre, music created by folkie minstrels who play guitar while singing their own confessional songs. Most recordings and live performances by these artists feature sparse instrumentation with lyrics that are often far more important than the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms that accompany them. I have often wondered why these musicians just don't become poets. Now, I'm not saying that lyrics are unimportant. Great lyrics enhance any musical experience. When the music and the lyrics ...

We have a double shot of forgotten music this month. Today's is a week earlier than usual. One of my favorite music blogs, The Hits Just Keep on Comin' , is mostly a look at Top 40 radio's colorful history but publisher J. A. Bartlett's highly entertaining and informative site frequently detours into other musical topics too. More than once Bartlett challenged the late Dan Fogelberg's legacy proclaiming how "dorky" much of the singer-songwriter's music was and I can't say that the Wisconsin disc jockey's views are totally off the mark. Some of Fogelberg's records do cross the line but as my tastes have mellowed over the years I've come to appreciate him more. Despite how I may feel about much of Fogelberg's over the top balladry that's not all the man was about because when his muse finally took him down a different path he made an album for the ages. On High Country Snows (1985) he combined his singer-songwriter gifts w...

Neither his breakthrough CD, Room For Squares (2001), nor its followup, Heavier Things (2003), provided any indication that John Mayer was capable of playing top-notch, blues-rock guitar so, to fans of those pop-oriented, singer-songwriter releases, the discovery may have come across as quite of a shock. When Mayer appeared on albums alongside all stars such as Eric Clapton, B. B. King, John Scofield, Herbie Hancock, and Buddy Guy and announced that he wanted to change his musical direction many of us were stunned. Fortunately for us his roll of the dice proved to be a winner. On Try! Mayer's band included studio stalwarts Steve Jordan on drums and Pino Palladino, who later replaced John Entwhistle in The Who, on bass. The set includes reworkings of a couple of Mayer's earlier songs ("Daughters" and Something's Missing"), a hot version of the Ray Charles classic, "I Got A Woman," a Jimi Hendrix tune, "Wait Until Tomorrow," and a f...

Kirk Waldrop's power pop quartet, Nine Times Blue, is back with their second release, the six-song EP, Matter Of Time. Waldrop (lead vocals, guitar, composer) is joined by Greg King (lead guitar and backing vocals), Jeff Nelson (bass and backing vocals), and Jason Brewer (drums and percussion). While the sidemen are listed as the band on their ten song debut, Falling Slowly , they only play on two of the tracks. Here, on the new disc, King, Nelson, and Brewer are the full time supporting cast and they lay down a solid foundation for Waldrop's vocals and songs. The change in personnel hasn't done much to alter the sound of the group. They still have the same DNA as Arizona's Gin Blossoms and they also owe a debt of gratitude to a host of other bands who preceded them including Fountains of Wayne who sound like they've penetrated Waldrop's soul too. This means that music lovers who have an affinity for rock that is straightforward, well sung, well played,...