Maybe it’s the easily
accessible solitude or, perhaps, the inspiring landscape. Whatever the reason,
lots of Adirondackers are making sweet music and, lucky for us, laying down
tracks so we can listen again and again.
In his 20s he strummed the
Fort Worth and Woodstock scene, then spent the following two decades coaching
world-class ski jumpers in Lake Placid. Now Larry Stone leaps back into the
world of Telecasters with his Dreams Die Hard. Some of the laid-back bluesy tunes, like “Padjolie
Blues” and “The Ballad of Shorty,” are the result of life on Stone’s Little
Black Brook Farm, in Wilmington; his “Ride Me Blind” spotlights his gritty
rock-and-roll side. You’ll hear members of Stone’s local Stoneman Blues Band on
the album, plus contributions by his Texas friends (Cool Groove Records,
www.littleblackbrook.com).
Providence, by Joe Costa & Kikazaru, includes 13 traditional
songs, such as “Wind and Rain,” “Wayfaring Stranger” and “Nobody’s Fault But
Mine,” with smooth-as-honey vocals and extraordinary musicianship. Singer and
claw-hammer-style banjo player Costa, of Saranac Lake, and his Kikazaru sidekicks,
five-string fiddler Rob Hecht and cellist Mike Block, play the classics with
soaring dynamics and irresistible finesse (www.kikazarumusic.com).
But don’t think for a second
that tunes from these hills are just old-timey. Another Saranac Lake group,
Swimming in Speakers, offers cosmic, funky music with an electronic twist.
Since 2008 Casio-keyboard extraordinaire Chris Clarke and singer Meadow Eliz
have, with cellist Jo Sorrell and Justin Grizzoffi on percussion and guitars,
collaborated to produce a fresh sound—give “In Knowing” a listen—that’s the
buzz of the North Country and beyond. The band’s self-titled EP is available at
On Another Note Records’ Web site, www.onanothernote.com.
The Jockey Down Project, Upper Jay–based Monsterbuck’s second release, is a
collection of 19 songs, mostly written by front man Chris Kowenko, executed
with the skill and style the band’s fans—most who catch the trio at its
Recovery Lounge/Upper Jay Upholstery digs—have come to revere.
Vocalist/keyboardist Kowenko, bassist Byron Renderer and drummer Scott Renderer
weave tunes with humor, passion and wit. The lovely “Come Down” stays with you,
“Straight Flush” is a twinkly piece of music and “I Know I’m Good” will make
you laugh
The prolific and
International Bluegrass Music Association award-winning Gibson Brothers, Eric
and Leigh, from Ellenburg Depot in the northernmost Adirondacks, are back at it
with their ninth album, Ring the Bell.
This one has the usual lineup—the brothers sharing vocals, Eric on banjo, Leigh
on guitar, Mike Barber on upright bass, Clayton Campbell on fiddle, Joe Walsh
on mandolin—and the musicians deliver seamless licks and lines, polished
instrumentals, gorgeous harmonies, and lyrics and tunes that harken back to
rural living, like Eric’s “Farm of Yesterday” (Compass Records, www.compassrecords.com).
Though living and recording
just outside the Blue Line, in Plattsburgh, Crossing North is a duo that’s
performed in the Adirondacks plenty. The group’s singers/songwriters Jen
Carter-Kelly and Bruce Lawson’s latest CD, No Time To Rest, recorded and mixed by North Country Radio’s Joel
Hurd, is a sweet collection of catchy tunes in the folk tradition. (Fiddler
Gretchen Koehler and mandolin-player Skip Smithson lend their expertise.) Most
of the songs were penned by Carter-Kelly and Lawson, though Patsy Cline lovers
will appreciate a version of “I Fall to Pieces” (www.crossingnorth.com).
Lucid, another popular
Plattsburgh-based ensemble known for its high-energy performances and dedicated
following, just released its second album, Dewdmanwah. The six-man band (Kevin Sabourin, Jamie Armstrong,
Lowell Wurster, Andy Deller, Chris Shacklett and Ryan Trumbull), plus special
guests, offers eight original groovy gotta-dance tracks that blend blues, rock,
funk and jazz. “Pushin’” ‘and “On Your Knees” are highlights, though fans,
particularly if you’ve caught these guys live—and that’s not hard to do since
they’re one of the hardest working bands around, playing all the local
taverns—clearly adore Lucid’s entire body of work (www.rulucid.com).
