C & W MUSIC Reviewed by Kayla Christian

Title:	"TOM LEACH"
Artist:	"TOM LEACH"
Label:	Slow River/Rycodisc
Available:	Any Major Music Store
Rating:

Just when you thought you've heard them all, along comes "Tom Leach." A guy down on his luck, mosying out of Georgia, settling in a building in the midst of Boston, with no heat or kitchen.. And all he has to his name is a guitar, snare drum and a beat-up 4 track. Most guys down on their luck this bad would just vanish, but not Tom. He took advantage of this time and combined his internal talents with the minute tools of his trade. The prolific Leach wrote and recorded over 100 songs on his 4-track in his cold-water Boston flat, re-mixed later in a studio only to clean up the background noise. Tom has a down-home sense about him, and after hearing the deep rich sound of his voice, you will be captivated. He has an elegant style, but as you listen, you can hear an elusive side of "Hank Williams," "Johnny Cash" and "Merle Haggard." As this CD starts spinning, you get a snippet of Tom's showcase of guitar talent, which slides right into an enjoyable, familiar expression, "Confidence," a relating, toe tapping tune, that will get you singing along in no time flat. "My confidence is gone/ It took me for a ride/ He pushed me from the driver's seat/ And drove off with my pride." To continue with, "I once was proud/ I boasted loud/ Of how in love I was/ But now I'm weak/ And I can't speak to you/ To anyone." This is one of those stick-to-your-rib tunes that will keep you addictively singing it all day long. In the song "Doris Days," he crystalizes the range of Hank, Johnny and Merle, along with "Brian Wilson," "The Smiths" and "Burt Bacharach," to create a unique sound that goes far beyond a genre into simple, excellent songwriting. "Back in the days of Doris/ Great things were waiting for us/ But I was captain of domestic maids/ So I gave up my Doris days." An interesting tune, with a soft calypso beat. On this album, Tom lassoes the universal emotions: heartbreak, displacement, isolation, and lastly, redemption with songs like "Yesterday's News," "Hello Friends" and "Ice Below You." "Saviour" has a very delightful upbeat melody: "I was lost in muddy waters/ In a boat without a rudder./ I was traveling New York's highway/ All worked up and going my way./I was hopeless, helpless hurting/ With temptation I was flirting/ When the Saviour came and called me by my name." "Rain" is a beautiful ballad about the the feelings he has when it rains. "Rain is his window pane/ Sees her pretty face/ Rain brings her closer to his heart..." He begs the rain not to go away for it keeps her near him and washes away his pain. Tom comes through convincingly by expressing true sentiments of love with this song. You can feel the gratifying emotions pouring from his heart as a natural reflection of himself. "Rain" is elegantly done to perfection. "Mr. Hang Up the Phone" is a song about a guy coming to introduce himself as "Mr. Hang Up the Phone./ I can't understand why he left her all alone/ She has found a lover/ Hope he can find another/ Hate to see him all alone/ Hope his new one don't find another/ Mr. Hang Up the Phone." A light, catchy tune with a warning. In this album, there is an added treat to delight all that enjoy the taste of individualism. "Wine, Cigarettes and Tears" gives you an exquisite instrumental rendition. Tom's style is refreshing, each song has its individual variations, making this whole album a pleasure to listen too. "If I Was You" is a unique ballad. It tells the story from both points of view. A strange yet interesting style in a song, expressing the magnificent talent that Tom has, not only as a performer, but an exceptional songwriter. Other interesting songs on this album are "She's Coming of Age," "Send In the Blues," and "Tomorrow Comes." Tom Leach is comfortable experimenting with his voice as well as his music. He has an exceptional, rare talent. His voice is exquisitely rich in quality. He expresses himself with every emotion felt from deep within his heart. This characteristic illuminates his album from begining to end. As the album approaches the finale you are once again quenched with an astounding array of Tom's edifying talent on the guitar. He softly exits the album as gently as he tiptoed in.

Title:	"IT WON'T HURT"
Artist:	"GRACE BRAUN"
Label:	Slow River/Rykodisc
Available:	Most Major Music Stores
Rating:

"Grace Braun" has spent the last two years revisiting her Kentucky musical roots resulting in her first solo album "It Won't Hurt." While she was in high school she founded the punk band "DQE." No longer interested in the negative side of punk, she set sail for a new musical adventure in the technique of mountain folk music. By 1995 she was peforming acoustic sets of folk, blues, pop, country, and ballads. Artisically, this album spans from acapella, for which she has arranged and sung all the harmonies on the album, to instrumentations of unique combinations of washboards, fiddle, dobro, e-bow, and pedal steel guitar. The first cut on this album is a powerful song called "Do Right." The melody has an odd rebellious twist with arresting lyrics. "You won't do me right/ Without pursuing me wrong." A very catchy tune that embellishes a love, then throws it away. A graceful talent lies here, but as this artist tries to project her voice she loses the eminence that has been established. A soft, delicate voice tends to be bruised with the crudity of vocal exertion. After the first verse the music stops. Solo, she sings, "I heard that you was thinking of wandering and pondering, and considering. . ." She loses the wind in her sails with that mouthful. Laboring for breath, it is understandable why this agreeable tune eventually whips nerves raw. "Mermaid and the Sailor," a timeless, universal fairy tale, is rich in bluegrass texture. Ian Kennedy showcases his excellent ability to manipulate the fiddle, while there is also a strange sound in this song that adds a unique flavor - the risque spice of the old washboard, and the unparalleled aptitude achieved by Dugan Trodglen. My favorite on this album is "It Won't Hurt." Here lies Grace Braun's genuine territory, displaying her soft, golden talent. Tim Obetz is excellent in unmasking his dynamite talent with the pedal steel guitar. Rhett Thomas also does a beautiful electric/acoustic guitar solo, leaving you floating on a cloud, while listening to the beauty of this arrangement. A modern standard is established for simple, artistic songs with "Bittersweet" and "O My Ladies" and her proficient ear is obvious on her acapella rendition of the folk hymn "What a Wondrous Love is This." All of Grace's songs are self reflections. In "Jenny Wren" she vividly displays the true story of her grandfather's farewell to his wife as he departs on a train from rural Kentucky to find work in the big city. "Hopeless" is another favorite on this album. This explores the full, potential talent of Grace's voice. She seems more at ease, and along with experimenting, she comes across with a very unique sound that could be her path to recognition. Others songs on this album include the brisk beat of "Lovers Dream," "Stand By Me" (written by Charles A. Tindley), "Liftin' Up Me," and the mellow tempo of "Carter's Lullaby." This album seems to be fighting its way around, not fitting into one specific category. Once Grace Braun decides what territory she excels in, tapping into that resource will convey the energy that she conceives. But until she finds that solid ground this artist may be stumbling around for quite sometime.

Title:	"MERRY TEXAS CHRISTMAS Y'ALL "
Artist:	"ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL "
Label:	High Street/Windham Hill
Available:	Most Major Music Stores
Rating:

"Asleep at the Wheel" are already into the swing of things, and with the Christmas holidays just around the corner, they are swinging right into helping us have a unique, Texas Christmas this year. The Texas holiday is a little different, and this band is going to make that Christmas party just a little livelier, by turning traditional holiday music into a full fledged Texas swing-along. This is the first holiday album for "Asleep at the Wheel," but they guarantee it will be the swingingest batch of cheer you'll find this side of Santa's workshop. Ray Benson says, "I grew up singing in choirs, and as kids we caroled around the neighborhood every year at Christmas, and Christmas music has such incredible melodies, we thought it would lend itself real well to western music." Benson, and the "Asleep at the Wheel" gang, including drummer Dave Sanger, dobroist Cindy Cashdollar, saxophonist Micheal Franscis, bassist Dave Miller, pianist Chris Booher, and Jason Roberts on fiddle and mandolin, are spreading northward with a collection of good-time holiday tunes, some traditional, and some with a Texas Twist. This album starts off with the rich voice of Tish Hinojosa and Ray Benson singing Jose Feliciano's classic "Feliz Navidad." A very happy, joyful tune that motivates you into joining in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. "Xmas in Jail" is a silly song of what may happen if you have a little too much cheer. The last line tells how he got there. "I'm gonna drink and drive no more." Everyone's favorite is the "Little Drummer Boy." This group added a unique sound by putting swing into it, and produces "Swingin' Drummer Boy." They have added a little twist in the lyric and it gives this song a touch of the Big Band effect. A nice touch - that will make it a crowd pleaser at any party. "Merry Texas Christmas Y'all" is a very enjoyable tune, rich with that delightful Texas swing. A very special treat on this album is "Willie Nelson" singing his own moving "Pretty Paper." "Willie is a generous, cool friend," says Benson fondly. This song is always a joy to hear Willie sing. "He always comes down here when I ask him. When he first wrote 'Pretty Paper,' it was a hit for Roy Orbison, but I always felt it was overproduced. So I did a stripped down version with just Willie and the band." We then go into "Twas the Night Before." 'Twas the night before Christmas/ And all through the ranch/ All the cowboys were hangin'/ Down at Long Branch." Benson brings together some legendary Texas musicians, both dead and alive. from "ZZ Top" and "Waylon Jennings" to "Jerry Jeff Walker" to play to a group of down and out cowboys on Christmas Eve. "It really took on a life of it's own," says Benson. "I conceived it as a video and it kept getting funnier and funnier, especially when I got to the part where we brought in Stevie Ray, Tex Ritter and Bob Willis." Back into the swing again with "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow," carries you right into the "Jingle Bell Boogie." Chris Booher does an excellent rendition that exposes his exceptional, unique talent with the piano. Very delightful, and Chris keeps those keys playful throughout the rest of the song. Things slow down a bit to the mellow, dreamy "A Christmas Wish." Here we can appreciate the calm of Cindy Cashdollar's dobro and the fiddle that Jason Roberts plays. On the classic "Silver Bells," Ray Benson and the band keep this tune in its original state. You will greatly appreciate "Asleep at the Wheel" for expressing this song the way it was meant to be enjoyed. The same can also be said for the next song "Here Comes Santa Claus." The band keeps this song light and joyful, with that genuine, rich, childhood flavor. Also making an appearance on the album is another local hero, and long-time friend, Don Wasler - the man responsible for penning the title track and lending his irrepressible vocal skills, along with Willie Nelson and Benson, to the spiritual standard "Silent Night." "We did 'Silent Night' with what I call a folk orchestra," Benson explains. "We used a Weisenbourn (a hawaiian-style dobro) and lots of string textures. And with Willie and Don doing all the harmonizing, I think we came up with something real special." And something very special they did. Beautifully done. The blend of these three voices is exquisite. We then kick back into the Texas swing once again with "Swinging Silent Night," which concludes the album, but "Asleep at the Wheel" will continue to keep your Christmas swinging - Texas Style. "Merry Texas Christmas, Y'all!"

Back to Contents