Being someone who is a huge music fan I always looking for music and artists too listen to that I haven’t experienced before, so with that in mind I can be found usually reading music magazines and searching the internet to satisfy my hunger for new audio delights and information, so when I come across a website such as “Bluenote.com” who ask you if you want to kept informed of forthcoming releases from their label by their newly signed artists and classic re-issues from their back-catalogue I was only to eager to sign up.
My interest in the label stemmed from my late mother’s love of Jazz music (I am named after the great jazz musician Milt Jackson and my middle name comes from the legendary jazz master Miles Davis) the other attraction to the label was my admiration for the work of Norah Jones so I signed up to be kept abreast of her activities, it was with this in mind that earlier this year Bluenote sent me an E-mail about one of the labels new signings Amos Lee and his eponymous first release by them on the 14th of March 2005.
My first question was, what’s the connection to Norah Jones? Well firstly her bass player Lee Alexander has produced Amos’s first recording for the label and secondly Norah herself appears on the album playing keyboards and adding backing vocals to a couple of songs, in fact most of Norah’s band appear on this release.
But I am getting a head of myself, Amos Lee the 27 year old native of Philadelphia and a graduate of the University of South Carolina, began performing and writing songs on acoustic guitar while at University taking for his inspiration the works of Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, James Taylor, and Neil Young and he also met fellow down to earth musicians who he says taught him to treat his music with integrity and sincerity while he attended the University he gained an English degree and with this in hand he became a school teacher, but his desire to write and play music became to strong so he gave up his school teaching job in Philadelphia to pursue his dream. To make money while waiting to make it Amos waited on tables tended bar and performed at “open - mike” nights. From the appearances singing and playing at the open nights he began to get a positive feedback on his performances so he took the plunge and made and released a 5 track E.P., this release made Amos one of the most talked about singers and emerging talents in the Philadelphia area this was according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, he went on to release a second disc, both of these issues sold out on their initial pressings, with the attention of the live work and the self-released E.P.’s, Bluenote began to take notice and signed Amos to their label.
On the back of this happening Amos got the honour of being the opening act for Bob Dylan and B. B. King, another break came his way when Norah Jones (a fellow Bluenote artist) became a convert to his cause and she gave him the opening slot on her European tour that began in April 2004.
So while the crowds of 3,000 – 5,000 where waiting for her to come and start her show Amos warmed them up equipped only with his acoustic guitar and voice, and when he joined Norah’s tour in America
in November 2004 he faced even larger crowds, but according to a concert review from the Los Angles Times, Amos pulled it off, referring to him as a writer and singer with enough warmth and personality to charm the impatient crowd waiting to see the main attraction of Norah Jones.
The 11 tracks that make up this release where all written by Amos and where recorded in a 2 week session during July 2004 at The Magic shop in New York with Lee Alexander in the producer’s chair. His record company describe his music as minimalist in approach that allows his rich evocative voice to carry the song that makes for a unique brand of folk-soul that aims to unite, uplift, and inspire, for once the record company’s hype is justified and I can whole heartily agree with the previous statements and say for me his warm soulful voice is a breath of fresh air in a musical landscape that is dominated by non-talents from TV shows that continue to assault the music buying public with their awful versions of classic songs.
The only frustrating part of this recording I find is the short running time of 35 minutes and 53 seconds, you put the album on and before you know it the damm thing is finished, or it could be that the music is so enjoyable?
To the album itself which starts with the song “Keep it loose, Keep it tight” (3.07) that begins with the sound of Amos’ playing acoustic guitar and Norah Jones playing the same theme on the piano with a cello played by Larry Gold giving the theme of the song a bass background that allows Amos to sing the opening line “Well I walked over the bridge into the city where I live” the bass playing of Jaron Olevsky blends with the cello and a deep and satisfying rumble of bass gives the drum work of Dan Rieser a place to start, using brushes on the snare drum Rieser creates a percussive counterpoint to the bass section of cello and bass guitar, the lyrics of the song to me seem to be about people living there lives and chasing their dreams and while looking forgetting their friends and loved ones, this is an excellent opener for the album as it sets the tone for the whole collection.
The second song is the longest on the album “Seen it all Before” (4.15) and again begins with the acoustic guitar, which plays a delightful little bluesy sounding opening section that has the bass playing of Lee Alexander providing the backbone to the sound at the back of the acoustic guitar that allows the Hammond b3 playing of Devin Greenwood to add further melancholy to the track with gentle runs on the keys that are given further drama by the electric guitar playing by Adam Levy (from Norah’s band) with the sound of the hi-hat going hissss the singing of Amos begins with the line “Go ahead baby run away again, grown tired of chasing you, I know you only have time to love me, when you got nothing better to do, who’s bold enough to believe in either love or war” a track about the things that love makes us all do from making a fool of ourselves and having our trust abused and used and the emotional blackmail sometimes we put up with because we love the person, the background vocals are provided by Zara Bodé on the chorus of “I aint gonna be your fool baby” and are a highlight of the track towards the end.
“The Arms of a Woman” (4.11) is a song that is the exact opposite to the previous track and opens with the telling line “I am at ease in arms of a woman although most of my days are spent alone” this line is delivered by Amos with a vocal that has an ethereal quality to it that makes the lyrics even more poignant and telling, the heartfelt nature of the song is given a lazy folksy feel that make it very easy to listen to, the easy listening nature of the song belies the feelings of loneliness and heartache that the underplaying of the rhythm section of Lee Alexander bass and Fred Berman carry beautifully, the electric guitar is just gently stroked by Adam Levy so as not to drown the playing of the acoustic guitar by Amos and the delicate nature of Lee Alexander’s production style comes to the fore where the phrase “less is more” has been employed to great effect, definitely a personal favourite on mine on this collection.
With the song “Give it up” (2.36) a different intro is used with the Hammond player Devin Greenwood counting in 2,3,4 and then a flurry on the keys a pull on the bass strings and the gentle sound of the acoustic guitar of Amos which adds the sweetness in the song then Amos begins to sing “I been waiting a long time, I just hope I might find, the right kind of lover for me yea” a more up-beat track than the previous ones, this song has no drums on it instead the rhythm is maintained on the Hammond and bass guitar as the track begins to fade Amos starts to harmonize with himself along with a chorus than is sung by Fred Berman, Adam Levy, James Gadson, and Chris Thomas giving the closing section of the track an excellent conclusion.
The intro of “Dreamin’” (2.54) is another lazy laidback sounding song that creates a cinematic feel with just the use the electric and acoustic guitar along with the bass and drums that herald the line “My soul is as open as the sky, often it’s just as blue” (I just love that opening line) the quietly played instruments feel so warm and comforting that they envelop the listener with their comfort and create a perfect backdrop for the croon of Amos.
The stripped back sound of “Soul Suckers” (2.49) is the track with melancholic atmosphere that the cello and string arrangement by Larry Gold create a perfect soundscape of texture for the delivered lines of “Did you believe when they told you, that they discovered you and everything is free as long as you do everything they tell you” at the end of the sung line the lyrics are given more power by the use of a viola played by of H. S. Alexandra Leem the song to me sounds like the story of a rising star who is used by the entertainment industry and then abandoned a cautionary tale for all would be stars.
A folky sounding acoustic guitar sounds and “Colors” (2.40) begins along with a 4/4 rhythm on the drums with an offbeat on the hi-hat that has at the end of the beat the keyboard playing of Norah Jones who just tickles the ivories to give a gentle counterpoint to the acoustic guitar of Amos and mandolin playing of Nate Skiles, with Amos singing the opening line “Yesterday I got lost in the circus, feelin’ like such a mess” for me this is the key song in the album, as the background vocals of Norah Jones on the chorus of “But when you’re gone, all the colors fade” Norah joins him on the word “gone” and they both emphasize the word by elongating it and giving it a new sound and when their voices blend together I think Norah has found her musical soul mate they repeat the effect for the rest of the track on the word “gone” a musical delight.
As the song “Bottom of the Barrel” (2.00) kicks off what first comes to my mind is this sounds like Americana or the alternative country sound of some Steve Earle albums, a couple of acoustic guitars play together along with mandolin and bass and we have a roadhouse drinking sound that starts with “To keep from Dyin’, to keep from cryin’, I keep on dreamin’, To keep from dyin’, I keep on tryin’, aint gonna stop, get right down to the bottom of the barrel” A song full of hope and promise that looks at the bright side of life, for me the weakest track on the album.
Picked strings of a resonator guitar by Kevin Breit (Norah’s band) form the beginning of “Black River” (3.22) this gives this song a retro blues feel that is as dark as the title with the repeating phrase “Oh” at the start of the lines of lyrics that Amos sings with a great deal of emphasis on the “O” vowel “ Oh, black river gonna take my cares away, Oh, black river gonna take my cares away, gonna take my cares, gonna carry my cares, gonna take my cares away” this sounds like a homage to me to the old delta blues tracks of yesteryear with hints of gospel, this makes for a rather enjoyable musical potpourri of styles.
For a contrast to the previous track “Love in the Lies” (3.22) is more up-beat sounding with a roll on the snare drum Dan Rieser starts the song off with what could be called a country rhythm that the picked guitar continues with the bass adding a rock steady bounce that the hammond comes in on the end of the sung lines that begin with “I aint no white eyed rebel, but I aint no preachers son” on the rest of the song the singer sounds a little world weary and a little wiser for the journey and he is still looking for love, I find this song a little gem of understatement.
To close the album Amos has chosen “All my friends” (4.16) this track has a beginning that reminds me of would you believe the Fleetwood Mac’s instrumental “Albatross” all bass guitar and cymbals but once Amos starts to deliver his smooth warm vocals that begin with the line “All my friends all live in pain, longing for the warmth of childhood, to bring them home again” the childhood theme is continued by the Wurlitzer that is made to sound like a music box any resemblance to the Mac track is gone but during the middle section the beating drums along with the bass growl find me thinking mmm Albatross, a track that is full of longing for times gone by when life was simpler.
I found this album to very satisfying to listen too as it is full of light and shade and executed by a collection of very talented musicians who had some well written songs to work with a real find in a world of bland safe uninspiring same old same old. The downside is the booklet which has hand written lyrics to all the tracks and is quite hard to read, and the black and white photographs add to the retro feel of the album
All the background information for Amos Lee came from his record companies website Bluenote.com. I found this C.D. on Amazon.co.uk on the market place part of the site from an American import company for £7.25 including postage and packing a real musical find and I can’t wait for his next album. You don’t want to pay much more for this album because it is very short, I suggest you do what I did and check Amazon you should find a bargain failing that try Kelkoo.co.uk or Ebay.
If you check Bluenote.com you will find Amos is currently on tour in the UK, you can watch his video for the track “Arms of a Woman” there is also a couple tracks you can hear “Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight” and “All my Friends” can’t be bad you can hear songs before you buy.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
There is no doubt as to how much you appreciate music! With an apprentice with the likes of BB King and Bob Dylan, he would have been off to a great start! I will definately be buying this album and will let you know what I think. Thank you!
hanpau22 02.11.2005 15:05
Wow! I wish I could get this enthusiastic about that kind of music.
pinkmatchstick 05.07.2005 09:13
Another brilliant review. You really do love your music alright. As a bassist I should be playing more jazzy stuff than I am I suppose and this sounds fab to listen to.
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