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February 12, 2010

MUSIC: Will Kimbrough, Sam Newsome

By Dean Poling

VDT View — WINGS: Will Kimbrough

Musician Will Kimbrough presents a mix of country, bluegrass, folk, storytelling lyrics, with a bit of Dylan-sounding harmonica on the album’s title track, “Wings,” a song co-written by Jimmy Buffett. And Kimbrough’s hat is always ready with a tip to his influences. “Love to Spare” is a spare ballad which owes much to John Lennon and Ronnie Lane. How listeners sometime hear songs is a funny trick. Often, songs are produced not so much that we catch the words in the lyric but so the voice and words are an instrument within the orchestration of the tune. Kimbrough has the magic of a gifted voice that works as an instrument within these arrangements. But he also has the minstrel’s talent, the storyteller ability to make his words coherent even on a first listen. A nifty ability and a rare one to find. From music, mood, lyrics, voice, sound, etc., Kimbrough’s “Wings” soars. This CD will be released later this month.



BLUE SOLILOQUY: Sam Newsome

Sam Newsome makes a vibrant impression with his versatile renderings of solo works for the soprano saxophone. With exception of a staggering cover of Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk,” Newsome composed the other 14 instrumental pieces on this album. Newsome hits all the right notes, creating an album that is sheer melancholy blues, but one can’t help wishing a few songs into this album that more of “Soliloquy’s” blues owed more to melody than riffs that often seem to run up and down the scales, or the sad lonesome wail of air passing over reed. “Blue Soliloquy” is a moody piece of business, evocative of the tone set by that stark title, beautiful in its haiku of set pieces, but some listeners might find it too much squeak that’s way too bleak.

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