LISA GUTKIN
From Here On In
The
Klezmatics have long been one of my favorite bands
and on From Here On In, Lisa Gutkin, the band’s superb
violinist – who has also worked in many other contexts over the years – steps
out with a too-short EP of six of her own songs (two of which are new versions of songs recorded on Wonder
Wheel, the Klezmatics’ Grammy-winning CD of Woody Guthrie lyrics that Klezmatics members set to music).
So far as I know, Lisa – who lives in New
York City – did not plan this CD as any kind of a commentary on the events of
September 11, 2001, but I’m writing this review on the 15th anniversary of 9/11,
and I first listened to it in the days up to it, so I’m hearing some of the
songs with that filter.
There is nothing overt in the lead-off
song, “Manhattan was a Tangle,” co-written with Maggie Dubris, to reference 9/11 – but so much the imagery reminds me
of that day: the song’s narrator is a mourning dove; the description of
“milkweed blowing like snow” makes me think of the ashes that filled the sky;
the little girl saying “Daddy, watch me fly,” makes me think of people falling
or jumping out of the burning buildings before they fell; and the refrain, “A voice
said cry, cry, where shall I cry?/Cry down by the waters wild,” just makes me
think of the shock and sadness we all felt on September 11, 2001.
Another song, “For All of You,” which
starts out seeming like a love song and then turns into a tribute to
friendship, seems like it could be about recovery from those events and the
resilience of the human spirit.
Even Lisa’s musical setting of Woody
Guthrie’s lyrics to “Gonna Get Through This World,” made me think of 9/11.
Woody wrote the words in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II but they seem
just as relevant in the aftermath of September 11.
And the other Woody Guthrie setting, “From
Here On In,” also reminds me of human resilience and the need to move forward.
It’s great to hear Lisa’s fine singing on
these songs and, of course, her always superb work on violin, viola, and, here, on tenor
guitar. She receives excellent support throughout the CD from musicians
including producer John Lissauer on
piano, Byron Isaacs on bass and
backing vocals, Buddy Cage on peal
steel, Will Holshouser on accordion,
and Fiona McBain and Vaneese Thomas on backing vocals.
Hopefully, this 22-minute EP is a harbinger
of more to come from Lisa.
ROBIN
GREENSTEIN
Tears
and Laughter
Windy
Records
One of the songs on Tears and Laughter, the new album by New York City-based
singer-songwriter Robin Greenstein
does directly address 9/11. “Hole in the Ground” is a poignant reminder of the
devastation of that day, of the lives lost, and of the world’s lost innocence.
The other standout song on this CD is “Here
I Am (Hineni),” a moving retelling of the biblical legend of Abraham’s
near-sacrifice of his son, Isaac, which unfolds like a rabbinic midrash and
ends with a question on how one might respond to a demand from God for blind
devotion. A relevant question in a time when religious fundamentalism seems to
be on the rise in reaction to modernity (or post-modernity).
Other highlights here include the title
track, a song of hope for resiliency in the face of everyday adversity; “A Tale
of Two Cities,” a commentary on the different experiences of those in different
parts of New York City at the time of Hurricane Sandy; and “Happy New Year,” a
bittersweet song that expresses both hope for the future and sadness at great
loss.
Find me on Twitter. twitter.com/@mikeregenstreif
And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif
And on Facebook. facebook.com/mikeregenstreif
--Mike
Regenstreif
No comments:
Post a Comment