January 12, 1993
The Old Road To Home
Sandy Rothman
Tonebar Records
Songs: Flying South, Give Me Flowers While I'm Living, Take Me Home, Tennessee Wagoner, Next to the Soil, Kentucky Tent Show, Tall Pines, Midnight on the Water, Ramshackle Shack, Maiden's Prayer, John Henry, Gone Home, Indian Killed a Woodcock, Down the Old Road to Home.
Personnel: Sandy Rothman – banjo, guitar, mandolin, dobro, lead and harmony vocals; Brian Godchaux – fiddle and tenor vocals; Steve Pottier – bass; Paul Knight – bass; Tony Marcus – guitar; Butch Waller – mandolin; Larry Cohea – bass: LeRoy "Mack" McNees – dobro
The Old Road to Home has taken Berkeley musician Sandy Rothman to many places over the past 30 years as a backup player for the likes of Bill Monroe, Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements, and Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys. And on this, his debut solo recording, he brings a magical mix of musical styles that serves as his musical resume.
Collaborating with fine fiddler Brian Godchaux and some other longtime friends, Rothman – who spent many years living and playing back East – serves up a veritable travelog on his CD, from songs like the traditional Tennessee Wagoner and his original instrumental tune Kentucky Tent Show to Flying South and Ramshackle Shack. Along with these traveling songs there is also the recurring theme of "home," with Gone Home, Take Me Home, and Jimmie Rodgers' Down the Old Road to Home, plus three wonderful banjo/fiddle duet instrumentals. Rothman sings all the vocal parts except for some occasional tenor harmonies by Godchaux.
There is a little bit of everything on this recording – bluegrass, swing, gospel, waltz, folk and traditional songs – and Rothman sounds right at home with all these styles. The CD itself has a map on it of the places where he has lived musically most of his life. Even though this consummate player – who recently played a Christmas show with Bill Monroe at the Grand Ole Opry – lives in Berkeley, CA, if you close your eyes and listen, you would swear he was from Kentucky.
The Old Road to Home is an excellent first-time solo effort by the multi-talented Sandy Rothman, and with any luck we will not have to wait another 30 years for his next recording.
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January 7, 1997
Stumblin’ To Gloryland
The Westerleys
Pumpkin Patch Records
Songs: Stumblin’ to Gloryland, Radio, Statue of Liberty, Time Won’t Wait, Magic Trick, Everywhere I Go, Greener Grass, Unspoken Words, Picturesque Girl, Mad Mad Nomad, Cruel Twist, You Need the Light
Personnel: The Westerleys are Nancy Terzian – vocals; Doug E. Blumer – vocals and guitar; and Peter Axtell – vocals and guitar. Special guests are Kent Fossgreen – bass; Joe Craven – percussion, violin, mandolin; Jim McCarty – drums and percussion; Tim Ellis – guitar on Magic Trick; Peter Grant – Zephyr dobro, pedal steel, and Hawaiian guitar
There is a strong melodic wind in the air that sounds as refreshing as a cool breeze on a warm summer day, and it goes by the name of The Westerleys, and they have a brand-new recording titled Stumblin’ To Gloryland. Blending three different voices and three styles of songwriting, this talented trio has created a sound of their own that is as beautiful as anything that has come down the musical road before. All three sing lead and harmony, and they each get their turns at doing both. Every selection on the CD was either written by or with one of the band members, and no two songs sound exactly the same. If you take one part folk, one part country, and mix in a little bit of bluegrass with some heavenly harmonies, you would have what can only be described forevermore as “The Westerley Sound.”
The Westerleys are Nancy Terzian, Doug E. Blumer, and Peter Axtell, and they met through an organization called the Northern California Songwriters Association (NCSA), a network of over 1,000 members in and around the Bay Area. They’ve been performing together for a little over three years now, and like a fine crafted instrument they are getting better with the passing of time. They have won numerous songwriting awards, they were a featured act at the 1996 Fall Strawberry Music Festival, and they can be found playing various other festivals around the country as well as venues in the Bay Area. But if you don’t get out too much you cannot go wrong by stumblin’ over to the hi-fi and cueing up this new CD.
The first song on the CD is the title cut, Stumblin’ to Gloryland, which is a homeless song with a country beat and a gospel theme that was inspired by a local that Doug met near his home in the North Beach section of San Francisco. It features some soulful steel guitar by Peter Grant. A tuned-down violin sets the seductive mood on the Radio song, which answers the question “Who needs TV?” when it’s just “you and me baby and the radio.” Statue of Liberty and Time Won’t Wait are about making hard choices. Magic Trick, which is destined to be a hit for someone (hopefully this band) asks the age-old question about love – “Is this real or only a magic trick?” – something we’ve all pondered at one time or another. Everywhere I Go is a snazzy swing number featuring some jazzy fiddlin’ by Joe Craven, whose mandolin pickin’ brings a bluegrass flavor to Greener Grass and some of the other songs. Unspoken Words and Cruel Twist of Love could be two different versions of the same situation, Mad Mad Nomad and Picturesque Girl are about two dreamers, and You Need the Light quietly closes off this fine collection of truly original material.
Back in the ‘50s there were the sweet sibling harmonies of the brother duos named Delmore, Louvin, and Everly; in the ‘60s came the invasion of The Beatles from England; in the ‘70s the Eagles flew in from Southern California; and in the ‘80s we had, uh, let’s see...(I’ll have to get back to you on this). All of these bands had a unique style of harmony singing that left their imprint on the sounds of their eras. With some old-fashioned luck the ‘90s will be remembered as the decade of The Westerleys.
Like a breath of fresh air, The Westerleys are a welcome relief from the slick Stetsonesque Nashville sound, and a nice change from the high lonesome hillbilly harmonies that bluegrass fans are used to. Time won’t wait, and neither should you, so go Stumblin’ To Gloryland with The Westerleys.
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December 3, 1997
Pier Pressure
Chesapeake
Sugar Hill Records
Songs: Once a Day, Full Gale Force, Bed of Roses, Nothing Ain't a Lot, Carolina Star, Sleepwalk(ing) At the Drive-In, Baby Blue Eyes, White Pilgrim, Guilty, Rockin' Hillbilly, Don't Lay Down, Working on a Building
Personnel: Mike Auldridge – harmony vocals, resophonic guitar, pedal steel, lap steel; Jimmy Gaudreau – harmony vocals, mandolin; T. Michael Coleman – harmony vocals, 5-string and fretless basses; Moondi Klein – lead vocals, guitar, vocal; Linda Rondstadt – harmony vocal on Bed of Roses; Pat McInerney – percussion
I have a confession to make. This may come as a surprise to some, but the truth of the matter is that I am not a purebred bluegrass boy. I grew up outside of Philadelphia, where the term "bluegrass" seemed like an oxymoron to this kid who mowed the green stuff every Saturday. At first, I was a rocker, and then I stumbled into country music. It wasn't until the college years in a rural setting that the bluegrass bug bit me. And as much as I like that high lonesome sound of Bill and Ralph and the boys, my warped musical sensibilities are strummed when a band mixes all three of the aforementioned styles together. And this is why I like Pier Pressure by the band Chesapeake so much.
Chesapeake began four years back as an experimental offshoot by three former members of the Seldom Scene (Mike Auldridge, T. Michael Coleman, and Moondi Klein) and the mandolin player from the Tony Rice Unit (Jimmy Gaudreau). During the non-festival chilly winter months these four veterans of the bluegrass scene got together and began recording original renditions of traditional material. By the time they recorded Pier Pressure, their third album, the steel guitar was wailin', the drums were thumpin', and the members had written half the songs. Add acoustic guitar, mandolin, and the fabulous voice of lead singer Moondi Klein, and it is plain to see that this is a band that is just now finding its groove.
Pier Pressure lets off steam with the very first song, Once a Day, (one of four tunes written by bassist Coleman), a tale about a guy who misses his southern home. Next comes Full Force Gale, a very non-traditional gospel song written by pop legend Van Morrison. The most stunning cut on the CD is the love ballad Bed of Roses, with harmonies by Linda Rondstadt. This song could and should be at the top of the country charts. Nothing Ain't a Lot, a Coleman song, is a funky ‘90s take on the Dylan line "when you ain't got nuthin' you got nuthin' to lose", and Carolina Star is a pretty piece about a wife and mother who holds the family together while dad is pursuing the elusive songwriter dream. Sleepwalk(ing) At the Drive-In combines lots of fine pickin' in two songs – one by mandolist Jimmy Gaudreau and the other the old instrumental from decades back. Baby Blue Eyes is a sweet love song that features some fine fretless bass playing by Coleman, and White Pilgrim is a traditional gospelesque song with some pretty harmonies. Guilty and Rockin' Hillbilly are two more Coleman songs, the former being about a jerky guy who is sentenced to a life of the blues and the latter clearly an autobiographical song about a country boy who plays bluegrass with an R & B feel, and it combines bluegrass with a Bo Diddley beat. Don't Lay Down was written by lead singer Klein, and it is a calypso/samba/grass tune with the anti-country theme that says if the gal really wants to leave, then for heaven's sake, let her go and get on with her life. (Now there is a message most people can take a cue from!) And the final cut is a modern version of the traditional gospel song Working on A Building, a tribute to two bluegrass giants who died in 1996 – Bill Monroe and John Duffey.
Traditionalists beware! You will not like this CD, as drums and electric pickups abound. However, for you bluegrass fans who want to stretch the boundaries of the genre a bit and who don't want to succumb to the peer pressure of the all-acoustic-or-nothing set, give in to Pier Pressure by Chesapeake.
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February 9, 1999
Journey Home
Jones and Leva
Rounder Records
Songs: She Could Have Loved Him, Nothin' for Nothin', Drunkard's Lantern, Log Book of Love, Satan I Won't Be Your Servant No More, A Sweet Goodbye, Up on Camp, Loving on Borrowed Time, Bullet in Your Breast, Why Can't You Love Me, Truest Love, Where Did You Go, Hosanna.
Personnel: Carol Elizabeth Jones – vocals and rhythm guitar; James Leva – vocals, lead guitar, fiddle, and banjo; Dave Grant – bass; T.J. Johnson – mandolin; Barry Sless – pedal steel; Spencer Lathrop – drums; Will Lee – banjo; Rose Sinclair – accordion.
Back in the early days of country and bluegrass the brother duo was an integral part of the music scene. The Delmore Brothers played in the ‘30s and ‘40s, the Bollick Brothers performed as The Blue Sky Boys, the Louvin Brothers were big in the ‘50s, and the Everly Brothers finished off the decade and began the ‘60s. There is something magical about the brother harmony sound, and there are some wonderful duos around now at the turn of the century – such as Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin – that are resurrecting that sound. Another act is a husband-and-wife duo called Jones and Leva, and they have taken the brother sound to new dimensions on their new CD titled Journey Home.
Not only are Carol Elizabeth Jones and James Leva talented players and singers, they also are wonderful writers who wrote all 13 songs -- either alone or together – on Journey Home. Carol’s voice is one of the sweetest to come along in a while, and she can also be heard on the new trio recording Heart of a Singer, along with Hazel Dickens and Ginny Hawker. (You will not hear about this CD like you will the new Harris/ Ronstadt/Parton recording) (but buy it first!) When Carol and James sing together the harmony sound is heavenly. Besides picking some tasteful guitar James also saws some fine fiddle. And the simple arrangements with the tasteful backup players let the songs and the voices shine through.
Basic old-time country themes are mined on Journey Home – love songs about heartbreak and longing, as well as a touch of gospel music. The recording begins with She Could Have Loved Him, and it is the most powerful song on the CD – a sad tale about good love gone bad. Nothin’ For Nothin’ is an up-tempo tune followed by a Cajun waltz called Drunkard’s Lantern, about a guy who drinks to forget the mistakes he made with his family. The Log Book of Love is a clever country song that lays out the rules of romance. It is a song that could and would be played on country music stations if the Hat Guys didn't dominate them. Satan I Won’t Be Your Servant No More is a bluesy-gospel song that tells the devil that his services will no longer be needed, followed by A Sweet Goodbye, which is a sweet, sad song wondering if the lover is really gone for good. Up On Camp is the only instrumental song on the recording and it shows off James' hot fiddling, and Carol’s Loving on Borrowed Time is a happy-sounding song that says to the guy, “Hey man, I am right here. Let me in!” The haunting Bullet in Your Breast has an old-timey feel to it, and Why Can’t You Love Me is the one song on the CD sung as a duet throughout, and it has the two former lovers wondering if they can't try all over again. Truest Love is a shuffle with a great country grove that unfortunately won't be played on Hat Guy radio either. James does some really nice fingerpickin' on the wistful Where Did You Go, and the last song is a gospel tune with some nice fiddling and accordion playing called Hosanna.
The traditional bluegrass sound features lots of hot pickin', a four or five-piece band, and three or four-part harmonies. Yet when you can pare the sound down to just two voices, some great writing, and radiant arrangements like Jones and Leva have done here, you can't go wrong. Carol and James both have the "heart of a singer," and riding along on their Journey Home is one enjoyable trip.
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June 4, 2000
Vertie’s Dream
Jones and Leva
Copper Creek Records
Songs: Something Shall Remain, Vertie's Dream, Sent to Me, Dip Your Fingers in Some Water, Scorned and Mocked, You're Not Mine, When We Have Love, River of Fire, Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah, Washington's March/Jim and Arnold, The Man in Me, I Ain't Big Enough, Minister's Farewell/Last of Callahan
Personnel: Carol Elizabeth Jones – vocals and rhythm guitar; James Leva – vocals, lead guitar, and fiddle; John Reischman – mandolin; Dave Grant – bass; Mike Seeger – banjo; David Winston – banjo; Bobby Read – keyboard bass
The “country” music emanating from Nashville these days, with its pop/rock edge, is so far from the roots of the genre than many of its longtime fans have tuned it out. Fortunately, there are alternatives out there whose roots run deep, but you will have to search for them, as commercial country radio is more concerned with the bottom line than the quality of the music. And fortunately for the rest of us there are players like the duo from Virginia, Jones and Leva, who are carrying on the tradition with their nouveau/old-time country music, and they have a marvelous new CD titled Vertie’s Dream.
Vertie’s Dream is the third album from husband/wife duo Carol Elizabeth Jones and James Leva, and their first one on Copper Creek Records. Their first two recordings – Light Enough to Find My Way and Journey Home – were on Rounder Records, and the twosome just keeps getting better and better. On these earlier CDs they wrote all of the songs themselves, and on this CD, they wrote all but four of the songs. And they have noted mandolin magician John Reischman playing with them on this recording. Add Jones’ beautiful voice and steady rhythm guitar, Leva’s sizzling old-time fiddling, and their heavenly harmonies to the mix, and you’ve got one “dream” of a recording.
As with their previous projects, Jones and Leva mine familiar themes on Vertie’s Dream and, as before, they have struck gold. And for the first time on their CDs, they cover some traditional material. There are songs of lost and found love: Sent to Me, You’re Not Mine, When We Had Love, River of Fire; of hope: The Man in Me; gospel tunes: Scorned and Mocked, Dip Your Fingers in Some Water, and Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah; plus smokin’ instrumentals such as Washington’s March/Jim and Arnold and Minister’s Farewell/Last of Callahan. The title cut, Vertie’s Dream, comes from a dream by a little girl that is dedicated to Jones’ aunt. And I Ain’t Big Enough is a whimsical tale about a guy who has had about all he can take. All of the original songs are well-crafted gems that contain a lot of heart and soul, unlike most of the so-called “new country” music heard on the radio today.
It is plain to see that Jones and Leva were just getting warmed up on their Journey Home. As Suzanne Thomas (formerly of the Dry Branch Fire Squad) says in the liner notes, “To my ears, Jones and Leva are the very best vocal duet on the scene today.” Your ears will certainly agree with Suzanne’s.
If you are one of the many who have tuned out of formulated commercial country radio, it is time for you to get tuned in to Vertie’s Dream. They may have finished off this CD with the song Last of Callahan, but hopefully we have not heard the last of Jones and Leva.
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