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Singer-songwriter, folk, Americana. 

Negen+ jaren geleden voor het laatst gespot op Spotnet. Niet door mij toen. Hij kan het nog steeds. Verfrissend.

I can’t bring myself to say vintage artist, a blast from the past, an old-timer, or nostalgic. Not with this CD. Right from the first gust of wind in “Sailing,” through to the excellent “Nothin’ But a Man,” Tom Rush (vocals/acoustic guitar) may be mature, but he cooks up some marvelous stuff here.

The musicianship on every cut is stellar & Rush is always in fine voice. There’s a coolness to his authoritative tone, something seldom heard in younger artists. Maybe it takes time & experience & having lived the songs as Rush has.

Yes, it’s folky, but it’s not immersed in heavy-handed political sauce. The songs are often poignant, formidable, reflective & in a time-honored way. The melodic soil that Gardens Old, Flowers New (Drops March 1/Appleseed Recordings/46:00) is planted in comes from a rich & fluid place.

It has memorable tunes with no visible retreads from another era. Instead of a young rebel, we have a “father’s” voice — soul searching & where the message brokers once dealt the revolutionary cards with political mudslinging & bellyaching — they should have just told a good story with a lesson in it. A good story like Tom Rush did. Music isn’t going save the world, but it will shed light, a bright light…if it knows where to shine. Mr. Rush knew where to point his light. With “Won’t Be Back At All,” Rush touches upon a John Prine-type narration that touches down achingly beautiful.

The 14 blossoms on this new set were produced by Matt Nakoa (keys/guitars/slide trombone/harmonics/add’l percussion) in CT. Songs composed with expertise & quite distinguished. Never indulgent, just tasteful & wait for it – groovy. Yeah, groovy. I haven’t said that word in decades but, it’s applicable with a wink.

This is Tom’s first new LP in 5 years & it also celebrates the label Appleseed’s 25th year. The project incorporates songs about watching a child learn about the world & falling in love with tunes that are cheerful, sad & dealing with loneliness.

Tom’s a folk icon from the 60s. His classic song “No Regrets,” is high on my list of desert island discs, his version & Scott Walker’s cover. Tom is an artist with musical instincts that have never rusted – not judging by this collection. Immensely enjoyable.

Tracks:
01 - Sailing
02 - Glory Road
03 - Gimme Some of It
04 - Nothin' But a Man
05 - If You Will Love Me
06 - Lullaby in E
07 - Toy Boat Song
08 - One More Time Around the Sun
09 - It All Comes Down to Love
10 - Siena's Song
11 - The Harbor
12 - To See My Baby Smile
13 - Won't Be Back At All
14 - I Quit

Staat er compleet op, 10% pars mee gepost. Met zeer veel dank aan de originele poster. Laat af en toe eens weten wat je van het album vindt. Altijd leuk, de mening van anderen. Oh ja, MP3 doe ik niet aan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWSWUD5soGM&t=7s