Features

A Stockingful of Local Music

REVIEWS BY AUDREY ENGDAHL

We're About 9: Engine

With Engine, the Baltimore based trio We’re About 9 have created an album that is stunning both in the excellence of its nuanced song-writing and its musical complexity.

Intelligent, poetic lyrics layered in vocal harmonies and smooth instrumentation result in a riveting sound. The trio, comprised of Pat Klink, Katie Graybeal and Brian Gundersdorf, are still in their early twenties, but their musical perform-ance deftly balances mature song-writing with youthful excitement.

Lead writer, Gundersdorf has that rare gift of the storyteller; the ability to step completely out of himself, take a situation in hand and see all sides. Whether describing a dying relationship or a father longing for connection with his son, each song is a gem of hidden details and whispered motives.

Katie Graybeal’s cryptic Move Like Light is reminiscent of the quick lyrical passages of a Dave Carter song. The intense imagery and tight harmonies anchor this fast moving story of a daughter’s desperate desire for leaving.

Pat Klink’s soulful vocals blow the covers off of Another Love Song, a relaxed groove that reveals the range of his tenor, with sublime ease and a pleasing similarity to Martin Sexton.

These are stories we’ve never heard before but themes that ring true; ambitions caught in a tunnel of time, passion for life sustained against the steady tread of mundanity. And though the subjects of the songs are often darker in nature than the whimsical band name, We’re About 9 might suggest, the lyrics are filled with a reflective and unexpected humor.

Anyone who has seen We’re About 9 on stage knows them as fun-loving and energetic. Their charm and on-stage charisma keep their performance engaging, but ultimately these traits are trumped by the wisdom inherent in their writing. This is one of those CDs that is thoroughly satisfying because it perfectly represents the musicians while maintaining the brilliance of their on-stage excitement.

Mark Sylvester: American Gypsy

With his debut recording, Mark Sylvester gives us a gift of music. These are mesmerizing melodies, presented with a subtle virtuosity, which humbly focuses attention on the quiet beauty of each piece rather than the remarkable skill of the artist.

This solo guitar recording, aptly named American Gypsy, reveals influences from Appalachian tunes and American blues to European Baroque and Medieval music.

Some compositions on American Gypsy are beautifully melancholic, yet many slip into an optimistic major. Urban Nocturne, is a light, blues-influenced number, casual yet refined. I’ll Not be Weary is pure, American folk, delivered with a hummable, Arlo Guthrie-esque tune.

Sylvester seems to find commonality in many different cultures. The compositions he creates are evocative and spiritually rich. One striking piece, Alchemy, is built around a harmonic minor scale, invoking a Middle Eastern flavor and a mood of enchantment. Hope, the sweet melody that follows, characterizes Sylvester’s non-pretentious versatility.

As a melodic solo guitarist, Mark Sylvester dwells in a similar musical realm as Al Petteway. Many of us who felt a loss when Petteway moved away last year can now take heart. With American Gypsy, Takoma Park resident Mark Sylvester begins to fill that void.

Lori Kelley: Like Sea Glass

Lori Kelley’s new recording, Like Sea Glass, opens with a top-ten country sound complete with slide guitar intro by Nashville recording artist Lee Roy Parnell. In this song, which just recently won grand prize in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, Kelley describes the conflict in a life devoted to work at the expense of love.

This is as dark as it gets, in an album full of high-energy, instantly sing-able, pop-country tunes. Kelley knows just how to hook the listener, in songs that move from the hilarious awkwardness of that first kiss, to the effort and reward of life-long love. When you’re filled to the brim with bubbly, Kelley delivers ballads that are complete and full of sweetness. Title track Like Sea Glass and the exquisite song Downpour showcase Kelley’s strong sense of melody. Her voice has all the fluid strength of a Nashville superstar and her songs range in mood from feisty and fun, to delicately beautiful.

You say it’s December? No matter! This is prime driving music! Hop into your car, pop Like Sea Glass into the player, roll down the window, and enjoy the wind in your hair!

A Holiday Feast - Créme de la Créme

Looking for new holiday music? Hungry for Music delivers! This local label features musical talent from the DC area and uses proceeds to bring musical and creative experiences to disadvantaged children. The latest album, A Holiday Feast - Créme de la Créme is a two-disc "best of" compilation with tunes selected from seven previous albums.

Disc one opens with a fast moving ska entry by Junkyard Saints; Christmas is Everyday, a tune that grabs you by both hands and sends you spinning full-speed into the holiday. The Xmas-themed smorgasbord continues with a large selection of rock and country songs from artists such as Ruthie and the Wranglers, Honky Tonk Confidential, Bill Kirchen, Squeeze Bayou, Blue Moon Cowgirls, and Last Train Home. A number of these tunes focus on the modern appeal of the holidays; libations and friendly relations - themes which can be summed up in this line from the Grave robbers, "I don’t want no stockings without a pretty girl in ‘em." There also seem to be a number of songs that pay mind to the heartbreak the holidays bring to some.

Some favorites include a hep tune by 52 Pickup about a cool racing kid’s hot-rod encounter with Santa Claus, Christmas Hot Rod Race. The Grandsons bring us a refreshing tale about a reindeer that rivals Rudolph in outsider cool; Yorgi the Yodeling Reindeer. Also noteworthy is the haunting and timely song Christmas 1864 by Julie Sanderson who sings, "No-one’s going home for Christmas, though everyone’s tired of this war."

The second disc in the set is more introspective and includes more traditional covers. With Merry Merry Christmas, the Kennedys have recorded a song that sends a greeting and remembrance to old friends across the distance. Tom Prasada-Rao presents a brilliant interepretation of Joy to the World; poetically interpreted with a smooth, luscious guitar landscape which is non-traditional enough that you hear the words as if for the first time.

Eddie from Ohio reach harmonic perfection in their accapella rendition of Silent Night, and Franklin Taggart’s selection Let it Be Born Tonight tells of finding a light in the darkness, beyond the practices of prescribed faith.

Other treats include selections from Eva Cassidy, Charles Monk, Reverb, Janine Wilson & Mark Noone.

Broto Roy Trio

Broto Roy was born in Calcutta, India and is based out of Washington DC. He performs classical Indian music and jazz fusion compositions that blend Indian and western musical influences. This live album features two classical Indian ragas.

Broto’s music is acclaimed in India, Europe and the North America. Living between Indian and western traditions, he says he works to "make music straddling both worlds where rhythms and beats are equally important as the lyrics."

For western listeners, Indian music can often seem inaccessible or simply mystical. It is highly improvisational and focuses on rhythm and melody rather than the western standards of harmony and four-four time signatures. There are some basic elements to Indian music that, when understood, aid a first-time listener.

A raga consists of three main sections. First is the exposition or Alap. During this introduction, melodic instruments such as the violin and the sarod explore the musical scale. There is no beat, and often the instruments seem to be echoing each other. The music is soothing, as the instruments work to establish the boundaries of the piece. As the raga moves into the second phase, tablas (drums) enter, and the jor (main melody) is heard for the first time. During the third phase, Jahla, the tempo increases in stages until the instrumentalists reach a fever pitch.

In concert a raga can typically last three to four hours. The two contained on this recording last only forty minutes each. Though it’s quite a change from 3 ‚ minute pop songs, listening to a full-length raga is very satisfying. Concentrating on the interplay of melody and the beat of the tablas produces a contemplative mood that thrills as the piece rises in speed.

Describing the goal of his music, Broto says, "We break down barriers and link up everything. This is what the world requires." If you’ve not experienced Indian music before, give a listen. This live album will extend your listening horizons.

John McCutcheon: Hail to the Chief

After producing 26 albums, John McCutcheon is well known as a folk singer and children’s writer; with songs about farming, baseball, life in small town America, civil rights, and history.

With his new album, Hail to the Chief, McCutcheon moves from melodic storyteller to protest singer, wielding his sharp wit to skewer subjects such as Ashcroft, creationism, concealed weapons, and gay/lesbian discrimination. McCutcheon bashes Bush and the conservative media, warming the hearts of liberal democrats everywhere.

One particular favorite is the title track, Hail to the Chief; a song constructed from George W’s abhorrent grammatical mistakes. C’mon everybody, join us on the chorus! "Every word, every breath, our language dies a slow sad death. Hail to the chief!"

Take Back the Night, is a power ballad that could easily become a citizen vigilante anthem. The driving open melody, bears similarity to a previous song about human rights recorded by McCutcheon in 1990, The World Turned Upside Down.

Another prize is the spoken-word piece It’s the Economy, Stupid!, inspired by Wendell Berry’s novel Jayber Crow. This song draws the connection between consumer habits and the loss of cultural integrity. Though "the economy" is named as the reason behind all sorts of bad decisions, McCutcheon demands that economy is not, and should not be the single consideration when weighing the worth of America. Check it out!

Cantaré: Baíla para gozar

Cantaré artists Patricia Vergara of Brazil, Diana S?ez of Puerto Rico and Cecilia Esquivel of Argentina blend an rich assortment of the songs and rhythms of Latin America in this, their first CD.

Drawing from the musical heritage of the Caribbean, Central and South America, Cantaré shares songs in Spanish and Portuguese from the different cultures that shaped their musicÑNative American, European and African.

The music of Cantaré communicates the inter-dependency of people and cultures and the rich fusion that results when diverse traditions come together.

Rather than selecting from extensive archives of traditional childrens songs, Cantaré has revived and adapted songs from Latin American folklore. In addition, the recording also includes original compositions in traditional styles such as salsa, plena and malambo.

More than an education, as the title suggests, this CD will move all but the most obstinate listener to "dance for joy." This is not a kids music, its a people music.