Customer Reviews

Secret Anniversaries

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Saw Jeff at a small church in N.E. Pennsylvania. He put on a great show so I decided to buy one of his CD's. Then I bought another, then another, and another. This guy is good. Thanks Jeff for all your fine music.

An earlier album, Hired Hands, showed amazing promise for Jeff Talmadge. He now seems to upgraded the picking and songwriting and this album is a must!

Jeff Talmadge's latest release on indie Bozart is a crisp autumn walk across the laid-bare soul of a Texas boy whose hard-earned insights into the joys and sorrows of life shared between women and men were earned on the long, hard blacktop of experience. It has the flavor of early Lyle Lovett without the misogynous edge.

Talmadge's literate lyrics, the hallmark of his songwriting craftsmanship, slip, slide and slither through carefully textured melodies touched by a brilliant cast of Austin's most talented musicians: Beth Galiger, Larry Seyer, Brian Wood, Glen Fukanaga, Chris Searles, Freddie Krc, Spencer Starnes and Gene Elders. Elders' sizzling violin, Galiger's tasty flute and vocals, and the cello mysteries of Peter Kempter and Frank Kammerdiener highlight spare arrangements that compliment Talmadge's honest, gritty vocals. The songwriting collaboration between Talmadge and Texas expatriate David Rodriguez, "Midnight Flight," comes to life with Larry Seyer's clever guitar work.

Wink Tyler's Austin Recording Studios have given birth to notable gems in the past by such luminaries as Marcia Ball, Huey Lewis, Nancy Griffith, Guy Clark, Asleep at the Wheel, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Willie Nelson. Secret Anniversaries will earn Talmadge a choice position on Wink's "Wall of Fame."

All in all Jeff's a serious songwriter with a serious attitude towards album production. Cellos ! Violins ! Flutes ! Upright bass !The musician credits sound almost like an orchestra ensemble. However they seem to blend in well with Jeff's songs,in this self produced collection of mostly slow to mid tempo bitter-sweet ballads. Some beautiful guitar work by Mr.Talmadge & Brian Wood as well as the rest of the guitarists. Damned good stuff!