NORTHERN RANGE
Larry Krause
Indie
8.5-out-of-10
It's always interesting to interview a singer before listening to their disk.
In the case of Saskatchewan singer Larry Krause that was doubly the case.
In the interview he noted "there are lots of musical influences that have made their mark, including a lot of traditional country performers, whose music I listened to and still perform; Johnny Horton, George Jones, George Strait, others like Garth Brooks and Toby Keith.
"But some of the greatest influences were harmony styles like the Statler Brothers-the type of music we sang in church, and also Ian Tyson, whose music and the disappearing lifestyle that the Cowboyography album and era represented, probably had the most impact and influence on my music, performing style and songwriting nuances."
Any one musician who even knows who Johnny Horton is these days gains marks from me, and being a fan of Tyson's Cowboyography tells you this guy knows what country western music is at its heart.
The disk arrives and I give it a spin, and it's like going back to the country music I grew up on.
Years Flyin' By, Footprints in the Moss, My Own Heart's Delight, in fact practically the entire CD reminds of Marty Robbins and Tyson and George Jones.
"I consider myself a western/roots singer/songwriter, with a very prairie-rural insight into the stories, people and times of the west," said Krause in the interview.
Therein lies the soul of country western music. The songs ring true for those who actually work the soil and raise the cattle and ride the horses.
Krause has a great grasp on the 'real' of Canadian Prairie life, and he reflects that in his wonderful lyrics.
A singer/songwriter, who will perform at the Legion Hall in Yorkton this Friday (29th), perhaps caught out of time in terms of becoming widely successful but lovers of old country will want this disk as part of their collection.
Check it out at www.larrykrause.ca
- CALVIN DANIELS
DEVIL TAKE ME DOWN
Jimmy Zee
Indie
7-out-of-10
Devil Take Me Down earned Jimmy Zee a nomination in the blues category from the Western Canadian Music Awards so it has some pedigree.
Zee, who hails from B.C., assembled some fine musicians to put together this disk including a blues bud of mine Harp Dog Brown. It's always cool when he's playing 'harp' on a tune.
As for Zee himself he has a bluesy, growly-flavoured voice, and in the genre that is always a good thing in terms of sound.
With Devil Take Me Down Zee has a solid blues album featuring 13-songs, all of them self-penned except for a remake of the classic Roxy Roller.
In writing the dozen tunes Zee shows a well-experienced pen, and turns out some fine material, the title cut among them.
Bad End Boys, Show Me and Boston City are songs which caught my ear.
Overall a blues disk out of Western Canada I enjoyed from start-to-finish.
Check him out at www.zeeblues.com
- CALVIN DANIELS
Past reviews are archived online at http://calmardan.blogspot.com/
