Album Review: "Guitar in Hand" by Kasey Rausch

Missouri native Kasey Rausch is one of the hardest working musicians in the Kansas City area.  Follow her on Facebook and you'll get an event invitation here, an event invitation there, maybe two on any given Saturday, say, an afternoon at a local winery and then a nighttime gig downtown.  House shows, breweries, honky tonks, farmers' markets, as well as some of the best live music venues in the city - you'll find country girl Kasey at them all.

In November of 2014 Kasey released an album of new music, "Guitar in Hand" on the Mudstomp label.  "Guitar in Hand" is a testament to Kasey's talent, hard work, dedication to her craft, and relationships in the local music scene.  The album is a showcase of Kasey's musicianship with her guitar, her superb song-writing skills, and her voice.

The best one word that describes Kasey's voice is home.  If you can imagine a family gathering in an old country home, laughter, smiles, a crowded kitchen, and hugs aplenty, Kasey's music is the soundtrack for the day.  It's roots and new, it's country and never twangy and trite, it's honky-tonkin' and front porchin' all together.

"Guitar in Hand" features twelve songs, eleven written by Kasey (one - "Moonshiner's Dream" - with an assist from Scott Stanton), and one by songwriting great Johnny Mullins of "Blue Kentucky Girl" fame.  The first eight songs are roots-acoustic, with instrumentation by guitar, upright bass, mandolin, violin, and banjo.  The album closes with four songs featuring The Naughty Pines,  Kasey's regular gig partners at the KC hangout Coda.  The Naughty Pines kick things up a notch or two with electric guitar and bass, and pedal steel guitar.

"Fly" opens the album, and immediately you're drawn in to a world of superbly arranged instrumentals with guitar, upright bass, mandolin, and violin.  Kasey soon adds her vocals, blending sublimely to complete the musical canvas.

"103" follows, as a loving upbeat foot-stompin' homage to Kasey's grandmother who lived to be 103, and, as Kasey's lyrics tell us, is "finally free".

"Crazy Heart", my personal favorite on the album, will get your toes tappin' and fingers snappin', and features harmony vocals by another Kansas City favorite, Mikal Shapiro.

"Moonshiner's Dream" is an amazing song about the creation of some of mighty fine beverage of the spirited variety, and how the head, tail, and heart must be handled with respect and care.

"Field of Greens", "Just an Old Man" by Johnny Mullins, "The Gospel of Winfield" about the annual Walnut Valley Festival of bluegrass music in Winfield, KS, and the beautiful "Sweet Missouri" lead into the closing four songs with The Naughty Pines - "Heavy Fog","Alabama", "My Piney Wood Home" and the closer "An East Texas Day", an exhilarating tale of a unexpectedly exciting horse ride down in Texas.

One last note - the cover art for "Guitar in Hand" is amazing!  It was done by Sonya Andrews, deserving of a shout-out for her contribution.  Check Sonya out at her website.

"Guitar in Hand" is a wonderful album by a treasure of the Kansas City music scene.

Kasey Rausch Music website
Kasey Rausch on Mudstomp Records
"Guitar in Hand" on Amazon

Album Review: "Brighter Than The Blues" by Kelley McRae

The road was good to Kelley McRae.

Mississippi native and recent Brooklyn resident Kelley McRae and her husband/guitarist Matt Castelein left the security of jobs and apartment in February 2011 and embarked on the “Great VW Camper Van Tour”, criss-crossing the country performing in venues of all shapes and sizes, including many, many house shows, where Kelley and Matt would perform in a living room, a hallway, out on a deck, or wherever the host provided space for the performers and a gathering of friends.  After over 150 shows and 35,000 miles logged in their VW camper van, Kelley and Matt settled for a while in Tennessee to write and record a new album, with songs inspired by their travels across the country.

Yes, the road was good to Kelley, as an inspiration for this collection of songs, and as a way to practice and perfect her art.  Kelley’s new album, “Brighter Than The Blues” is beautiful.  Kelley’s vocals are stronger than ever before, and the musicality is tremendous.  Following her earlier albums “Never Be” and “Highrises in Brooklyn”, “Brighter Than The Blues” features eleven new songs written and performed by Kelley and Matt.  Their travels and experiences over the past year, and the closeness they felt as they toured together, all come through in this amazing collection of songs.

Kelley has long been a gifted songwriter.  “Sparrow”, “Time”, and “More of Nothin’” from her previous releases highlight her songwriting talent.  “Johnny Cash”, from her debut album “Never Be”, is as fine a song as anyone has written, ever.  Let me mention it here, in the same sentence as “Mona Lisa” and “Summer Wind”.  It’s *that* good.  The songs on “Brighter Than The Blues” are as strong as ever, and show that she continues to grow as a songwriter.  These songs are heartfelt, moving, and deeply intimate.  Kelley does not write superficial or fluffy.  Her songs come from deep within the heart of a true artist.

The arrangements, guitar accompaniment, and vocal performances on “Brighter Than The Blues” show Kelley’s true growth as a musician.  Her singing shows amazing strength and maturity, finely honed from her time on road.  The performances are rich and full, enveloping the listener, surrounding you and drawing you into an incredible musical experience.

The title song, “Brighter Than The Blues” opens the album and immediately sets the stage for the record with a superbly strong vocal performance and reminiscences of their long time on the road and their closeness as a couple.  These themes are revisited throughout the record, from the haunting melody of “Keeper of the Light” to the personal “When the Evening Comes”.  My favorite song is “25,000 Miles”, about the trials and tribulations and joys and stresses and growth that came from their tour.  In this one song, Kelley masterfully gives us a glimpse of their experiences.  In retrospect, what a glorious artistic journey this must have been.

Performing so many shows in such intimate venues has truly fostered Kelley’s growth as a musician.  On her website, Kelley says “I really wanted to capture the spirit of the live show” when creating “Brighter Than The Blues”.  As a house-show host who got to hear Kelley and Matt perform from about three feet away, I can attest that she succeeded.  Her new album has all the energy and warmth of a living room show.  By the way, let me tell you, Kelley and Matt performing in your living room is really cool.

“Brighter Than The Blues” is an amazing recording by a truly gifted singer/songwriter.  And, although Kelley is the name on the record, let me give a shout-out to Matt, whose vocal harmonies and excellent guitar work bring completion to this collection of songs.

If you hurry (by September 15, 2012) you can get a free download of “Brighter Than The Blues”!  Details are on Kelley’s website.  But wait, there’s more – join Kelley’s mailing list and you’ll get a free download of “Johnny Cash”.   It’s worth it, believe me.

Kelley McRae website

I was a backer of the production of “Brighter Than The Blues” on Kickstarter, receiving a pre-release copy of the CD and a darned cool T-Shirt for my contributions to the album production.  No other compensation was received.

John Zorn: A Dreamer's Christmas

Another quick CD review for this evening:  John Zorn "A Dreamer's Christmas".

Calling John Zorn a musical chameleon is like saying wikipedia has a couple errors.  John Zorn has produced some brilliant pieces of music, e.g. "Spillane".  He's produced some eminently listenable jazz.  He's produced some "music" that would peel the siding off your house if the siding were made from melted vinyl copies of Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music".  Zorn is like Zappa - he knows exactly the sound he's looking for and can guide his musicians through the construction and execution of his vision.  And now he's applied his considerable talents to a Christmas album.


"A Dreamer's Christmas" is a beautifully rendered album of Christmas music.  The standards, "Winter Wonderland", "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", and others, come alive in new interpretations without losing the reverence of the classic tunes.  Zorn's new pieces, including "Santa's Workshop" and "Magical Sleigh Ride", capture the sound and feeling of Christmas, a tall order for new instrumental compositions.

This is one of my favorite Christmas releases of 2011.  If you're a fan of Christmas jazz, I think you'll like it too.

This CD was purchased by the blogger.  No promotional considerations were received.

CD Review: "Pretend It's Christmas"

"Pretend It's Christmas" is a yuletide release by Indiana-based musician Paul Parnell, and it is also his inaugural effort as a recording artist.   In addition to providing the vocals, Paul served as composer and lyricist, and played piano and Hammond B3 organ.  "Pretend It's Christmas" is an admirable effort from a multi-faceted musician.

Paul has a strong voice with a good bari-tenor range.  The opening album namesake track immediately displays Paul's strength as a vocalist, and throughout the album the more spiritual songs are supported by the power and purity of his voice.

Paul's songwriting is founded in the Christian rather than the secular aspect of the holiday, with most of the songs exploring the spiritual side.  However, my two favorite songs were "Christmas Indiana" and "I Found My Christmas Baby", the two most secular and least religious songs on the record.  These were more creative, and relied less on standard phraseology.  Oddly enough, Paul's vocals did not display the power and range on these as well as on the others.  So, while the songwriting was average on the more religious songs, they were more indicative of his vocal talent.

Modern, contemporary Christian music is not a genre to my musical taste.  However, Paul Parnell very competently performs his songs, and he will find his audience.  He is an emerging artist, and will improve his songwriting skills.  Most importantly, especially for a new artist, is that Paul's reverence and passion for this project are evident.  For that, I admire Paul Parnell.

For more information about Paul Parnell and to hear selections from his CD, please visit his website:  http://paulparnellmusic.com/home/

This CD was provided to me as a promotional item.

Some Quick CD Reviews

Here are some quick reviews of new Christmas CDs for 2011.  I've purchased all of these CDs myself.

Tommy Emmanuel - "All I Want for Christmas"

I love this CD.  Tommy Emmanuel is one of my favorite musicians, and one of the two artists I most wanted to release a Christmas CD.  Lo and behold, he recorded this gem of an album this year.  Tommy is quite possibly the best finger-style guitarist in the world.  Want proof?  Check out his Beatles medley on Youtube.  Anyway, back to "All I Want for Christmas".  Tommy performs 12 songs, starting with a light-hearted "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and ending with a reverent and powerful arrangement of "How Great Thou Art".  Included with the standards are two original compositions, "The Magic of Christmas" and "One Christmas Night", and they are indeed beautiful.  Sure, I'm a biased Tommy Emmanuel fan, but I think everyone will enjoy this wonderful record

Carole King - "A Holiday Carole".

My only disappointment with this CD is that I bought it, not at Target, a day before I found out that Target's edition has three bonus songs.  Drat.  I am tempted to re-buy the Target edition, but que sera sera.  Carole King's Christmas entry is terrific, hence my early-buyer's remorse.  Carole sings these songs with such a gladness that you can't help but smile.  "Sleigh Ride" is a rolicking joy.  I especially like her performances of "Chanukah Prayer", "Everyday Will Be Like a Holiday", and "Christmas in the Air".  These song are refreshing changes from the usual slate of holiday tunes.  The only song that doesn't work for me is "Carol of the Bells".  It sounds a little stiffer than the rest of the album.  Still, it's a minor complaint, and overall this will be a great addition to your holiday music collection.

Michael Buble - "Christmas"

Pretty darned good, I'll tell ya...  This is one of the family's favorites this year, especially the guyed-up version of "Santa Baby".  This record is a lot of fun, and features some great partnering with Shania Twain and the Puppini Sisters.  Great stuff.  If you like the classic crooners, you'll like Michael Buble.




"A Jersey Boys Christmas"

My wife really likes this record.  I do as well, though probably not quite as much.  The vocal performances are a little uneven, and the faux-Frankie Valli falsetto tends to wear on the listener after a while.  But, there are some excellent cuts here.  John Lloyd Young's songs, in particular, stand out from the rest.  His "Santa Medley" is great fun, and his "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is frankly one of the best arrangements and interpretations I've ever heard.  Bobby Fox's "Angels From the Realms of Glory" is another highlight.  the bottom line, is if you're a "Jersey Boys" fan, you'll like this.  If not, you might want to check out the tracks individually and download your favorites.  Ultimately, I'm glad I got it.
Interesting story, my wife and I sat next to John Lloyd Young in a NYC restaurant for about 45 minutes and didn't know it was him.  We didn't find out until he left, and the people he had met there filled us in.

Mannheim Steamroller - "Christmas Symphony"

Ok, I'm a Mannheim Steamroller fan.  I think they helped a mid-80s resurgence of Christmas music popularity, and I like their style.  I'm also a collection-completist (to a certain degree, ahem, the Lowe's special collection of previously released material).  So, I happily bought this new CD, and I enjoy it.  However, there's not really much new here.  Slightly re-arranged and re-recorded MH songs, some performed with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.  So, you know, it's good stuff, I like it, but it's not new and groundbreaking.  If you have a few MH CDs already, you can probably live without this one.  Unless you're a completist like me, then you'll just have to have it :-)

That's it for tonight.  Will try to get a John Zorn review done here in a few days...

CD Review: "A Winter Gathering"

There are many sub-genres within the Christmas Music canon:  orchestral, kiddie, crooner, rock, pop vocal, pop instrumental, and so on.  Listeners have their favorite styles, and preferred times and places to listen to a particular selection.

With "A Winter Gathering", Shauna Burns has risen to the top of the "Mystical" Christmas music genre, and indeed may be a bona fide pioneer.

"A Winter Gathering" is a nearly flawless, beautiful listening experience.  Ms. Burns performances on vocal and piano define the mood from the opening "Winter Star" through the album's closing piece, an instrumental version of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen".  She is joined by musicians on percussion, Celtic Harp, Cello, and even Penny Whistle and Uilleann Pipes.  Together, the cast of artists complete the vision of a mystical, magical Winter's night.

What is most striking is the song selection and sequencing.  Ms. Burns' songs form a journey through a night, following a star.  In her hands, "White Christmas" becomes not a reminiscence but a hope for the future.  'What a Wonderful World" is a capstone message of joy following "The Gathering".  Perhaps a gathering at a stable some 2000 years ago?  These songs take on new meaning in this setting, different than their traditional secular place in the world of Christmas music.

"Silent Night", one of the most challenging songs for an artist to capture and make their own, is another highlight.  Ms. Burns performance is one of ethereal beauty, and truly striking.  Preceding and paired with "The First Noel", these songs provide a climax to the album, followed by the four-song denouement to bring the record to a close.

I have to give a nod to the production.  Shauna Burns and James Clark, with Sean O'Dwyer, have given us a gem for the Christmas season.  Without the vision and drive of the producers, an artist's work will not reach its potential.  Not the case here - kudos to the producers.

I highly recommend "A Winter Gathering".  Once your Christmas tree is up, turn off the house lights and let the Christmas tree lights softly illuminate the room, queue up this abum, and enjoy it in the quiet solitude of a Christmas evening.  For me, that describes the time and place for this amazing record.

Shauna Burns Music:  http://www.shaunaburns.com/

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"A Winter Gathering" was sent to me as a promotional CD from Red Rock Music/Miles High Productions.