Emando Reviews

Eva Holbrook: The Very Last Dream

2007-05-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

Eva Holbrook
The Very Last Dream
In Toon

It's a tough world for teen pop singers, those most vulnerable inhabitants of the "long plastic hallway," as Hunter S. Thompson reputedly characterized the music business. Especially for the girls. To garner sufficient attention for themselves, they have to fight with their record labels over their weight, or stagger around in a black bikini with a hangover at the VMA awards, or bring their own hairstylists to the rehab clinic. Without engaging in such outré behavior, how can a young chanteuse hope to distinguish herself?

Here's a thought: She can learn to play an instrument, and get by on talent.

Consider young Eva Holbrook. No, you won't find her name in the gossip columns or the police blotter. You will find it attached to her new solo disc, The Very Last Dream — one of the most refreshing albums of the year. It's the rare 18-year-old who has her own idiosyncratic vocal and playing style and an album's worth of strong original material and conspicuous talent and a seafoam-green Schwab electric mandolin. But that's Eva.

Actually, Eva was 17 when she wrote this stuff, but it shows in only one respect: the lyrics are teen poetry. Even so, it's teen poetry that's far too thoughtful for the bubblegum crowd. If she sticks with it, she'll come into her own as a mature songwriter in a few more years. Eva's breathy, winsome singing voice is so pleasant that it easily makes up for the occasional clunky turn of phrase, and you know she'll be able to carry off more nuanced material in the future.

Half the tracks are instrumentals, giving Eva the chance to display her considerable chops, both as a composer and a player. I hereby nominate her for the title Teen Queen of Crosspicking — that marvelous technique where the pick floats rapidly from string to string, churning out a cascade of arpeggiated notes while the left hand hardly moves. On either the Schwab or her acoustic Weber, fast, clean crosspicking is one of Eva's trademarks. Check out the title track to hear her crosspick the Schwab, or dig "Tuscany" to catch her putting the Weber through its paces. We also get to hear the Schwab chug away on "Glass Circus" and absolutely shred on "Born of Jets."

Some people might think that touring with one's sisters and dad in a pop band that plays church basements and coffeehouses would be a prescription for dreadful music. But instead this record is loaded with originality and accomplished musicianship. Eva practices her mandolins three to four hours a day and it shows. Now that Nickel Creek is all grown up and disbanding, it's time for someone else to pick up the grasspop banner. Might as well be this kid. Do her a favor and yourself an even greater favor, and pick up The Very Last Dream from CD Baby.

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Rich DelGrosso: Get Your Nose Outta My Bizness

2006-06-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Rich DelGrosso
Get Your Nose Outta My Bizness

Once in a while, you've gotta make an exception. So here I am, reviewing Rich DelGrosso's CD, even though it's not electric.

At least, not electric in a strictly literal sense. There's enough energy and vitality in this recording to power a small city. So why bother plugging in the mandolin? Rich plays through a pickup when he needs to, but in the studio you don't need to. Electric guitar and bass show up on a couple of tracks, but by and large this is an acoustic CD.

A W.C. Handy award winner, Rich is well known as a top-flight blues guitarist and educator. But he's also spent years soaking up mandolin know-how from the earlier generation of blues mando masters. Rich was able to study with Howard Armstrong and Yank Rachell before they died — and via recordings, he's absorbed ideas from other greats, such as Johnny Young, Carl Martin, and Charlie McCoy. He even has a blues mandolin method book forthcoming from Hal Leonard later in 2006.

Rich's primary instrument on this disc is a teens Gibson A-model with the classic, warm oval-hole tone you'd want for a recording like this one. (It also happens to have remarkable volume and projection — I've heard him play it live.) On two of the tracks, however, he's playing one of the new wood-body resophonic mandolins introduced by National in 2005 — which, by the way, easily eclipse vintage Nationals for tone and playability.

If any doubt remains as to whether the mandolin is a viable blues instrument, Rich lays it to rest with Get Your Nose Outta My Bizness. On most of the cuts where he plays mandolin, Rich doesn't even bother with a guitar track. A superb rhythm player, he carries the groove on the mandolin, often backed just by bass and drums. Born in the Midwest, Rich seems most comfortable with Chicago-style blues, but let's be careful not to generalize: this recording encompasses all the various "neighborhood" grooves (Southside, Eastside, etc.) that originate in ChiTown.

When it's time to solo, Rich does so with authority and panache. His mandolin leads are full of strong melodic ideas, meticulous phrasing, tricky crosspicking, and just the right amount of tremolo for color. If you don't think it's possible to bend notes on a mandolin, Rich will be happy to prove you wrong — and make it sound easy. He's the first blues mandolinist I've heard who's completely mastered this difficult art. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention his fine guitar playing or the tasteful work of the supporting cast, notably Pinetop Perkins on piano.

That said, let's not forget that it's mostly a vocal CD, and Rich's vocals are gravy. He has an expressive, gravelly baritone, terrific timing, and abundant humor. Whereas the songs are mostly covers, Rich has gone a bit off the beaten track to collect them — so it's not likely that you've heard most of them before. Lyrics are standard blues fare: hard luck and unfaithful women, but the warmth and wit of Rich's voice succeed in selling the material.

By any standard, this is a fine work from an artist who deserves a wider audience — and if you happen to be interested in what's possible on a mandolin, you've gotta have this. Buy it directly from Rich. In a previous review I suggested that Billy Flynn's recent CD set a 21st-century milestone for blues mandolin. And it does, but Rich has already eclipsed it.

Overall: Emando content: None, but don't let that stop ya.

Billy Flynn: Chicago Blues Mandolin

2006-02-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

Billy Flynn
Chicago Blues Mandolin
Easy Baby

The spirit of Yank Rachell and Johnny Young lives on Green Bay, Wisconsin bluesman Billy Flynn. The erstwhile sideman and sometime bandleader is most frequently found playing guitar on the Chicago blues circuit, but as he proves on his new release, Chicago Blues Mandolin, he's absorbed the mandolin vocabulary of Rachell and Young, and has begun to make it his own.

Billy wrote all 10 numbers on this disc (one of which appears in two different versions), sings, and evidently plays all the instruments (mandolin, guitar, resophonic slide guitar, bass, drums, and harp), except for help from Aaron Moore on piano on two cuts. All the tracks were laid in two days, which is no mean feat. Billy's e-mando, as pictured on the cover, is a Rogue—a brand name used by Musician's Friend for Asian factory-made A-style mandolins with magnetic pickups. He tunes it a half step flat, to F#C#G#D#—or a whole step above Rachell's preferred EBF#C# tuning.

Just so you know my biases, I'm not too fond of Asian factory mandolins in general. One in 50 might have some desirable tonal characteristics, but when I hear one I usually come away disappointed. Billy's Rogue sounds a bit stiff at times, and I keep wanting to hear what he could do with a better instrument. However, I might be tempted to trade one of my fancy expensive e-mandos for a Rogue if it meant I could play it like Billy. And after all, Rachell and Young both played inexpensive mandolins for most of their careers.

The first cut, the instrumental "Mandolin Special," exemplifies what I'm talking about. It's a tasty concoction of signature licks from Billy's two muses, and he plays it flawlessly, but the Rogue's a bit pinched and nasal, a tad mechanical, and not excessively expressive. Furthermore, its pickup doesn't respond evenly, so there's a slight volume drop whenever Billy ventures down on the lower strings. Billy's guitar playing is fluid and relaxed throughout the disc (witness his fine guitar solo on "Jackson Street"), and I'd like to hear him bring some more expressive tools, such as bending and vibrato, over from guitar to mandolin (yes, that is possible, at least on some mandolins).

The mandolin break on "Why Did You Go?" sounds a lot more spontaneous, and throughout the disc there's plenty of expert rhythm and backup mandolin to support Billy when he's soloing on harp or guitar, or laying down another tough-luck lyric in his world-weary baritone. The concluding instrumental, "Billy's Mandolin Boogie," is a barnburner, with lots of lower-string drones supporting the melody. Not quite as tricky as a Jethro Burns chord solo, but lots of fun nonetheless. Tonally, however, the material simply deserves a better instrument.

I have several Yank Rachell recordings, and I must confess that some of them have a few too many rough edges for me. So I appreciate Billy's professionalism on this disc: everything's tight, in tune, well rehearsed, and tastefully arranged. I am aware of a few other blues mandolinists keeping the faith for Yank and Johnny, but so far only Billy and Rich DelGrosso have delivered full-length records focused on the mandolin (at least as far as I know). This CD sets an early 21st-century milestone for the genre, and belongs in the collection of any fan (heck, it might earn the genre some new fans). You can buy it directly from Billy. I hope it's just the beginning of big things for him, and for electric blues mandolin.

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Michael Lampert: Blue Gardenia

2006-02-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

Michael Lampert
Blue Gardenia
Sojourner Records

L.A. electric mandolinist Michael Lampert is back with more of the tasteful, graceful jazz that made his previous solo disc, Jacaranda, such a pleasure to listen to. While his style hasn't changed much, this release does find Lampert pointed in some new directions.

For one thing, he's subtracted the electric guitar of Tom Bethke from his band, replacing it with Vern Waldron's delicate piano work. (There's also a new drummer, Jeff Fish.) Listeners will no longer face the challenge of trying to tell the mandolin and guitar apart. Bethke does appear twice on nylon-string guitar, a timbre that doesn't compete with the lush electric sound of Lampert's Schwab mandolin.

Furthermore, whereas Jacaranda was a collection of originals, Blue Gardenia focuses more on others' compositions, although Lampert's taste remains eclectic. "East of the Sun" is probably the closest thing to a jazz standard on the disc, and there's a delightful version of Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'" where bassist Timothy Emmons takes quite a ride. Lampert's clean, perfectly balanced plectrum attack and precisely swung eighth notes put quite a shine on the tunes he's culled from the dustier corners of the jazz songbook.

Lampert does contribute two originals: "La-Dee-Da" is a slow, simmering blues that'll make you long for pit barbecue, while the bright, ambling "Animation" demonstrates his ability to start a solo unobtrusively and gradually turn up the heat. As with the previous disc, Blue Gardenia gravitates toward understated, medium-tempo arrangements, yet earns the serious listener's respect: there's not a pretentious, sentimental, or cloying moment to be found.

While Lampert isn't quite all alone in his field (New York mandolinist Andrew Hendryx covers similar sonic territory), he is a trailblazer both among jazz artists and mandolin players. And that's a rare, commendable achievement. If you enjoy jazz and appreciate mandolin playing, then Blue Gardenia belongs in your bouquet. Pick it up at Mid-Continent Music or Elderly Instruments.

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Michael Lampert: Jacaranda

2006-01-25T20:12:00.000-08:00

Michael Lampert
Jacaranda
Sojourner Records

It’s been a while since anyone graced us with a straight-ahead jazz album consisting of all original tunes, played exclusively on electric mandolin.

In fact, has anyone ever graced us with a straight-ahead jazz album consisting of all original tunes, played exclusively on electric mandolin? Well, the question’s academic now: Michael Lampert’s Jacaranda is finally here and it’s been worth the wait.

For the past few years Lampert, the jazz columnist for Mandolin Quarterly, has labored in relative obscurity with gigs in Los Angeles nightspots. This is his first recording as a bandleader. Steeped in the vocabulary of electric jazz guitar, Lampert is perfectly capable of doing with four strings what it takes most guys six to accomplish. He coaxes some gorgeous licks and sweet, dark tones out of his custom Schwab solidbody. (The instrument itself, with its bookmatched flamed maple top, honey blonde finish, and tortoiseshell binding, is a work of art, and it figures prominently in Nancy Weiss’s stunning booklet and tray card design.)

The disc kicks off with a number called "Ken’s Blue Hat." The head for this tune consists of a deceptively simple arpeggiated theme, played twice, and then it’s off to the races. There’s tasteful solo work by the whole ensemble: Lampert, Tim Emmons on bass, Thomas White on drums, and a particularly nice break by Tom Bethke on guitar. Lampert provides some understated partial chord accompaniment for the other soloists.

Lampert visited Brazil a while back, and two of the fruits of his journey are on this CD: "Bahiamar" and the title track both display a strong Brazilian jazz influence, with Roberto Vizcaino contributing some extra percussion. Listen carefully to Lampert’s exceptionally clean attack; his solo on "Jacaranda" is full of nicely executed pull-offs and tricky rhythmic figures, with some moving chords toward the end. And "Bahiamar" should make all but the most terpsichoreally challenged wanna get up and dance..

All nine tracks are lovely, but my favorite was the glowing, achingly beautiful "Ballad in D Flat." If I have a criticism it’s that Lampert’s mandolin and Bethke’s guitar sound almost too similar; it’s not always easy to pick out which one you’re listening to. Here's a hint: Each number starts with Lampert playing the head and taking the first break, with Bethke coming in afterward. This stuff is so mellow and relaxing, I’m tempted to just let it wash over me instead of listening closely enough to hear the subtle differences in tone color between the two axes. (If you think it’s a crime for a mandolin to sound like an electric guitar, Jacaranda probably isn’t for you. Heck, this Web site isn’t for you. What are you doing here?)

But in Lampert’s case, "mellow" definitely doesn’t equal boring. While on the whole, his compositions are fairly understated, this ain’t the inane "smooth jazz" that causes all those traffic accidents by putting drivers to sleep. Everything’s sophisticated, creative, and spontaneous, and there isn’t a synthesizer in sight. For a tune with some muscle on it, try "NWLA" or "Rumplestiltskin."

It’s still awfully slim pickings out there for lovers of jazz mandolin, particularly electric jazz mandolin. But thanks to folks like Michael Lampert, the ball is rolling and we should be hearing more of this great music in years to come. Jacaranda is a fine piece of work and deserves to be in your CD player. You can order it right here at Emando.com. (It's also available from Mid-Continent Music or Elderly Instruments.) Show your support for a fellow e-mando player, and pick up a copy or six.

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