'Little Star,' a New Album by Jim Lord
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| Posted on February 3, 2021 at 09:05:37 | ||
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Posts: 367
Joined: July 27, 2001 |
Review of 'Little Star,' an Album by Jim Lord By Henry M. Summers Jazz genius Thelonious Sphere Monk famously said "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Nevertheless, as Jim's friend for over fifty years and an unabashed fanboy of his music, I'm bound to take a crack at it. (Jim's even an architect of sorts, having recently designed and built a first-rate wooden bridge that spans a stream on his farm in Virginia's Blue Ridge mountains. But as the World's Worst Dancer, I'll say no more about architecture.) My introduction to Jim occurred during his encore performance of the seventh grade at Memorial Junior High School in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. (He would make his final bow from academia just two years later.) I was a sophomore, comfortably seated in my customary booth at the Highway Diner, when Jim walked in. The impudent clacking of his cleated engineer boots on the tile floor provoked me even before I looked up and saw him. He was so skinny he looked like he had been twisted together out of pipe cleaners. When he bent over to light a cigarette, he nearly set his pompadour on fire. Lighting my own Camel, I scolded him for being too young to smoke, and demanded that he extinguish his cigarette immediately. When he refused, I arose from my booth in high dudgeon. Before matters could escalate, Jim's hulking protector, Joe Tawil, materialized out of the shadows. "Is there a problem here?" he grunted. Clearly outgunned, I replied "Not as far as I'm concerned," and slunk back to the sanctuary of my booth. Nearly twenty years later, at the height of the American Folk Revival, our paths would cross once more. Jim had traded his cleats in on cowboy boots, and his pompadour for a pony tail. This time, we bonded instantly. During the ensuing decades, I watched with deep satisfaction as he established himself in the top-most tier of folk-rooted singer-songwriters. 'Little Star,' Jim's fifth album, opens with a driving blues entitled 'A Beautiful Man.' The theme that beauty is only skin-deep has inspired countless songs by endless artists (e.g., The Temptations' 'Beauty is Only Skin Deep,' and Billy Joel's 'Just the Way you Are'). But in 'A Beautiful Man,' Jim celebrates his subject's indomitability while describing his numerous physical and mental afflictions in unsettling detail. For Jim, the man's afflictions are the very source of his beauty. Mike Mitchell's violin plays arabesques around Joe DeJarnette's irresistible bass line, while Ellen Lovino joins Jim on backup vocals. At the last, we give ear to the primal scream of Al Mueller. The next cut, 'Helplessly I Fell,' features Mike Mitchell's violin and Sam Kephart's viola in an achingly beautiful string arrangement by David Hoffner. On the title track 'Little Star,' Jim recasts the nursery rhyme 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' as a wistful expression of lost love. He harmonizes sweetly with Kari Kovick, and demonstrates his masterful finger-picking technique on acoustic, while sessions guitar legend Van Manakas dazzles on electric. 'Let Me Know' is a heavy-hearted ballad in a minor key. It speaks of a lengthy separation, in which the singer still holds out hope for mending fences. In addition to Van Manakas's virtuosic electric guitar, we have the rare treat of hearing him playing acoustic in a duet with Jim. Percussionist Chris T.K. Wimmer is heard on djembe, the traditional goblet-shaped drum of West Africa. Side A concludes with 'Wounded Dove.' Set in waltz time, the song opens on a tableau of everyday objects summoned from the distant past. Jim's tender vocal and deft finger-picking are beautifully supported by Sam Kephart's dulcet viola, and engineer Dave Fason's synthesizer. Side B starts off with 'No Need to be Afraid.' The listener is reminded of Jim's deep connection to nature-we can almost see the passing of the seasons. 'No Need to be Afraid' was recorded at Music Road Studio in Floyd, Virginia, and features the album's largest assembly of musicians: Van Manakas on lead guitar; Luke Thomas on rhythm; Janiah Allen on bass; Jake Thomas on drums; David Hoffner on synth; and Chris T. K. Wimmer on percussion. Kari Kovick harmonizes with Jim on vocals. 'They Told You' is a rousing assault on established authority. Butch Robins' banjo makes me think of Pete Seeger, who would surely have loved this song. Bassist Joe DeJarnette and percussionist Chris T.K. Wimmer provide their always impeccable support. Māthair is an affectionate term for mother in Scots-Gaelic. This lilting duet between Jim's acoustic guitar and Mike Mitchell's mellow violin needs no words. I was fortunate to have known Edna Lord, Jim's unforgettable mother, a woman of warmth, grace, and intelligence. 'When I Think of You' again finds Jim in his most-liked milieu, immersed in nature. Chris T. K. Wimmer's djembe and Joe DeJarnette's bass move the rhythm forward, while Jim and Kari Kovick harmonize like country kinfolk. 'Little Star' concludes on an upbeat note with 'I'm Goin' Fishin', my wife's favorite track. 'I'm going' Fishin' ' takes its place beside Woody Guthrie's 'Talking Fishing Blues,' Bing Crosby's and Louie Armstrong's 'Gone Fishin', and 'Fishin' Blues,' recorded by everyone from Taj Mahal to Disney Studios. 'I'm Goin' Fishin' ' was recorded before a live audience at Quad Studio Lakeside in Greenwood Lake, New York. Jim shows his stuff on resonator guitar, with Eric Charles on violin, John Sheehan on banjo, Al Mueller on drums, and Kam Markworth on bass (the instrument, not the fish). The spirited backup vocals are provided by the highly appreciative audience. I am pleased that 'Little Star' was released both on vinyl, and CD. The sound quality on my vinyl copy is luminous, spotlighting the medium's vaunted warmth. Dave Fason's engineering and Glenn Meadows' mastering are both first-rate. But all this artistic and technical effort would be all for naught if not for the preternatural silence of the pressing. The vinyl release of 'Little Star' is as free of surface noise as the CD. 'Little Star' is bound to become one of your favorite recordings, both for its compelling artistry, and for demonstrating the ability of your audio system. - 30 -
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| This is right up my alley, thanks so much!, posted on February 13, 2021 at 20:00:25 | |
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Posts: 2826
Joined: January 20, 2002 |
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