Customer Reviews

Redbird

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Redbird's debut recording is a very sweet collaboration between Jeffrey Foucault, Kris Delmhorst & Peter Mulvey. While none of these artists is a household name, each has established an individual solo career and come together here with a blending of sound. Their collaborative work together is exquisite. While each is represented by at least one track that they penned, the emphasis is on the music. Part of the charm of the set is the diversity and range of songwriters whose material they perform. This was apparently recorded in Mark Olson's living room in Fort Atkinson WI & has an informal feel.

R.E.M.'s "You Are the Everything" is a bright acoustic flower, "I'm very scared for this world, I'm very scared for me, Eviscerate your memory." "Lighthouse Light" by Ry Cavanaugh is a dreamy folk melody with Kris' lovely alto, "There is light in the distance, It's coming in from the west, There is light in the distance, Thinking of the one that I love best." One of my favorite tracks is the gorgeous "Patience" written by Mark Sandman who was the lead singer for the band Morphine. Kris' delivery is stunning as she calls to allow for time to heal. "Moonglow" is a standard that Benny Goodman recorded in the 1930s and has been covered by jazz artists like Duke Ellington & Count Basie as well as female vocalists like Billie Holiday & Joni James with a new version on Carly Simon's soon-to-be-released "Moonlight Serenade" CD. Redbird's acoustic version has a jazz flavor but is recast as an intimate folk gem with all three voices blending, "I started praying, 'Dear Lord please let this last.'" Mitch Jayne was a member of the Dillards who recorded his song "The Whole World Round." Redbird's version has a bluegrass flavor and polishes his lovely melody. "Buckets of Rain" is a classic Dylan song with one of his best melodies and great lyrics that Redbird nail in this catchy quiet version. The set concludes with a version of a song Tom Waits penned & first recorded on his "Mule Variations" CD. This is an excellent acoustic folk set from a group that obviously is having a blast playing together. The fun is contagious. Enjoy!

Before anything else is said, it is important to understand that this is a "living room session," recorded around a single microphone. It's something more than an off-the-cuff jam session, but definitely something less than a proper studio album. This is a pro in that you get a nice "live" kind of vibe, but a hugely frustrating con in the places where it's painfully obvious that they are not properly miked.

The music itself is beautiful. Simple as that.

This would be an amazing bootleg (and actually that's pretty much what it sounds like), but for a commercial release it shouldn't be too much to ask to hear everyone clearly.

This band has a sweet tone mixed with a folk and blues style. They hit the grove on every track! Buckets of Rain is a great song and they pay quite a tribute to it with their eclectic style!

Oddly enough I do not like any of the artists on their own (I don't own any of their solo disks), but I love the four of them together. All of them sound great when they sing and the music is wonderful. They each have songs where they take a lead and every songs sounds good. Don't get me wrong about each artist as they are tremendous, but something just clicks when they all get together. Easy to listen to music where you have a hard time taking this CD out of your rotation. I have listened to the disk a number of times and can't wait to share with my family and friends.

this is a very special album that I just stumbled on and yet it just maybe that the artists themselves just stumbled into making in an informal way one the best albums of the past 5 years. When listened to on a computer with earphones the casual microphone placement is barely noticable. This album is in a class with material that Chris Smithers and Danny Schmidt produce. It is very important to the folk genre that that this group of artists be encouraged to continue to work together.

I bought this album from Peter Mulvey and Jeff Foucault at their concert in Ashland, Virginia. Their sound comes through clearly on this album and it is pure auditory enjoyment. I've greatly enjoyed all of the Jeffrey Foucault albums I've listened to, and this is a great addition. It's also a nice introduction to the prolific Peter Mulvey. Peter has a great stage presence and you can't help liking him right away. If you get a chance to see them live, you won't be disappointed.

Buy this and enjoy it - then find them playing together live. These are amazing artists everyone should know about.

Okay, not even sure that it came out in 2006. However, that is when I first heard it, so that is what counts. I really hope they put out another album - even if it is only half as good as this one, it will be better than 95% of what I get to hear most of the time.
Buy it, burn it, steal it, whatever you have to do it is worth it.

I really like their sound and style but I did not know they were a cover band until I received the $13-15 CD and see the original artist listed next to each song. I like them but I would have Never spent that money on a cover band, not one original song - that's disappointing. Good CD but not worth the money, ask a friend to burn it for you!!