ALICE HOWE : VISIONS

 

  1. Twilight
  2. Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes
  3. Still On My Mind
  4. What We Got Is Gold
  5. Bring It On Home To Me
  6. Too Long At The Fair
  7. Honey Bee
  8. Getaway Car
  9. You Just Never Know
  10. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

Label : Know Howe Music

Length : 39:49

Release Date : May 17, 2019

Review (PopMatters) : There’s something oddly comforting and recognizable about Alice Howe’s music. What she’s crafted in the ten songs on Visions, her first full-length album, is an ingenious throwback. She’s not inventing any new genres, but paying deep respect to another era. Steeped in blues, folk, and the singer/songwriters so prevalent in ’60s and ’70s Southern California, Howe’s original songs and well-chosen covers make for a deeply satisfying experience that’s essentially a deep dive into the past with just enough of an update to make it sound fresh and new. Howe has plenty of firepower on Visions to make the performances click. Produced by fretless bassist Freebo – known for his work with Bonnie Raitt, Loudon Wainwright III, Maria Muldaur, and Dr. John, among others – the two are joined by guitarist Fuzzbee Morse, keyboardist John ‘JT’ Thomas and percussionist John Molo, West Coast musicians whose collective resumes could fill up any self-respecting music fan’s record collection. Not that Howe comes off as a naďve beginner propped up by studio legends. Far from it. Her warm, radiant voice meshes beautifully with the instruments, and her luminous original songs stand their ground alongside the covers. Howe’s “Twilight” is an eloquent, uncomplicated country-tinged folk that will likely invite comparisons to Mary Chapin Carpenter or even Joan Baez when her voice jumps into soprano range. Another original song, “Getaway Car” shifts to a bluesy shuffle with a rousing horn section and killer Hammond B-3 organ riffs. “Still on My Mind” is an assured, stately mid-tempo number that would feel right at home among folk-rock playlists of decades past. But as sharp as Howe’s songwriting chops can be, it’s the eclectic selection of covers that really make Visions such a satisfying listen. Muddy Waters’ “Honey Bee” is punctuated by bluesy guitar licks and crisp, retro-leaning electric piano. Joel Zoss’ classic “Too Long at the Fair” (previously covered by Bonnie Raitt, an obvious influence on Howe) is interpreted flawlessly here, with the dramatic instrumentation intersecting beautifully with Howe’s voice. Sam Cooke’s unimpeachable “Bring It on Home to Me” is transformed from a soul classic to an infectious blues/soul hybrid, with Stax-influenced horns and Freebo’s fretless bass among the litany of musical highlights. Visions closes with yet another cover, Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s all Right”, and like several of the other songs on the album, it’s been recorded by a slew of other artists. But once again, Howe puts her unique stamp on the song, keeping the arrangement simple with steady acoustic guitar and exquisite harmonies. There’s an uncomplicated beauty to Alice Howe’s music, and on Visions’ ten songs, the beauty rarely falters.

Review (Folking.com) : It’s just three years since the Boston-based Howe decided to make music a full-time career, the catalyst being meeting Bonnie Raitt’s legendary bassist, Freebo, at a folk music conference. He invited her to Bakersfield, offering to produce her debut album as well as co-writing several of the songs, channelling such diverse influence as Mitchell, Baez, Muddy Waters and Taj Mahal into a collection that pays homage but is never slave to the 60s and 70s folk and blues on which she was raised. Working with a tight house band, Freebo on fretless bass, Visions is a mix of originals and well-chosen covers from her parents’ record collection, kicking off with the Howe/Freebo co-write ‘Twilight’, a waltzing, reflective rootsy number about choosing between a relationship that pins you down or following the road stretching before you that afford as an early taste of her pure and airily flowing mezzo-soprano voice. The first of the covers comes with a soulful, relaxed interpretation of Taj Mahal’s ‘Lovin’ In My Baby’s Eyes’, electric guitar provided by Fuzbee Morse with Al Keith colouring the percussion on congas. It’s followed by another co-write, the folksy fingerpicked ‘Still On My Mind’ with its nature imagery lyrics that again talk of memoires but also the call of a life yet unexplored and a restlessness as she sings how “I sat down by the riverside/Fearing I could drink it dry/And still not be satisfied”. The sole self-penned number, coloured by John JT Thomas on accordion, ‘What We Got Is Gold’ is a gentle acoustic love song about valuing a relationship, especially when the life of a travelling musician means you may be often parted. Next up is the second of the five covers, Sam Cooke’s classic ‘Bring It On Home To Me’, a slow soulful sway on which her crystal vocals are complemented by Morse’s guitar licks, Thomas’s bluesy electric piano and warm trumpet and sax from Lee Thornburg and Paul Perez, respectively. Freebo gets to revisit his past with the folk-gospel ‘Too Long At The Fair’, a song previously recorded by Raitt on her 1972 Give It Up album on which he played, the version here fairly faithful to that although you might detect hints of Marvin Gaye’s cover of ‘Abraham, Martin and John’ to the musical texture. She stays with the blues for a slow burn though Muddy Waters’ ‘Honey Bee’ before amping up the charge for the bluesy swing co-write ‘Getaway Car’ (another life on the road track) with Thomas letting rip on Hammond organ and a full blown brass section scratching that itch. The final co-write, another travelling troubadour lyric, is a country waltzer ‘You Just Never Know’ that brings in Jeff Fielder on dobro and Geoff Goodhue on mandolin, the album closing with one last cover featuring just Howe and Freebo for a simple strummed, slower paced and more reflective reading of Dylan’s ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright’. One of the dictionary definitions of a vision is something beautiful. Seems appropriate.

Review (FolkWorks) : Alice Howe’shighly anticipated full-length debut CD, Visions, releases in May 2019. It’s an album that lives up to expectations and could not have been written without plenty of time on the road and a strong love for the process. Howe’s previous EP, You’ve Been Away So Long, hit the Folk-DJ charts with a #1 song — Homeland Blues — and reached #11 itself. She has recently been selected as a Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist, a Formal Showcase Artist at Northeast Regional Folk Alliance, an Official Showcase Artist at the FAR-West Music Conference, and 2019 Kerrville New Folk Finalist. Visions is a mix between self-penned songs and some choice covers, all woven together seamlessly. Four of the songs were co-written with her producer, Freebo. Freebo is best known for his years as a bassist for artists like Bonnie Raitt, Ringo Starr, John Mayall, Aaron Neville, Dr. John, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Maria Muldaur and others. For the past twenty years he’s been on the road promoting his own music. His time on the road and in the studio has given him the refined insight to be a perfect mentor for Alice Howe, and they have definitely hit their stride on this collection. The first track, Twilight, co-written by Alice Howe and Freebo, kicks off the album with a country tinged look at the world through the eyeglass of the traveler. Alice’s crystal-clear vocals give voice to her world view. Her excitement of what nature and the future have to offer, seems far more profound than naďve. She’s definitely found her calling and there is a sense of serenity that comes with that. It’s a theme that flows throughout the album. Next up is an upbeat and fun cover of the Taj Mahal song Lovin’ In My Baby’s Eyes. The song originally appeared as the opening track of his 1996 album Phantom Blues. Fuzzbee Morse (Bono, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Frank Zappa, Aaron Neville, etc.) adds some clever guitar licks throughout and provides a tasteful solo. Still on My Mind is another Howe/Freebo co-write that effectively brings to mind the way certain times and settings can provoke memories to rise to the surface — the persistent thought of a friend or lover poking through unexpectedly. The song captures both the persistence of memories and their ability to be invoked by a gentle breeze or a sound of nature. The self-penned What We Got Is Gold is a gentle love song that allows Alice’s voice to shine. A fairly stripped-down arrangement brings the lyrics forward. There’s a deep appreciation and understanding of the value of a relationship. Love songs often fall into categories of anger and despair or longing to return to what was and unrequited love. What We Got Is Gold” focuses instead on the special love of a heartfelt relationship and how it can be treasured for what it is. Bring It On Home To Me was originally a Sam Cooke hit back in 1962. It’s a great choice to showcase Alice’s rich and soulful vocals. Freebo’s fretless bass and John “JT” Thomas’ electric piano are both wonderful accompaniment on this passionate interpretation of a classic song. It can be assumed that Freebo suggested the next track, since Too Long at the Fair appears on Bonnie Raitt’s second album, Give It Up (1972), on which he played fretless bass. Alice gives the song a very rich interpretation. Visions continues with her cover of a Muddy Waters song, Honey Bee. This R&B hit from 1951 seems at first to be a rather surprising selection for this collection, but Freebo’s arrangement and Howe’s approach make it one of the highlights of the album. Another notable electric guitar solo from Fuzzbee Morse brings together a soulful, rich and honey-dripping vocal performance that showcases Alice’s versatility, while leaving us feeling that she has yet to push the limits of her vocal talents. The enjoyment continues with Getaway Car another Howe/Freebo song. This soulful rocker is a nice follow-up to the prior song, which in some ways leaves you wanting more. Getaway Car provides a punch with its horns and drums. It’s another song that showcases enjoyment of the road and being a touring musician: We’ll listen to Muddy, we’ll listen to Taj Stereo blasting while we get out of Dodge Freebo and AliceIt’s quite easy to picture Alice and Freebo in the car heading from one gig to another while they came up with this one. There’s a joy here that is contagious. You Just Never Know, the final Howe/Freebo tune on the CD, continues the theme of the road and the traveling troubadour. Easily an analogy for any road we choose to travel, this deeper look at life’s twist and turns is a more somber look at existence, while maintaining Alice’s positive outlook and ability to appreciate the process. The collection ends with her cover of Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right from his 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. As often as the song has been covered over the years, Alice Howe is able to give it an updated, fresh feel while staying true to the original. Her years of touring and performing have given Howe the ability to appreciate her role in the history of the traveling troubadour while still enabling her to bring a new light and energy to the music. Mixing new songs with classics from decades ago could lead to a disjointed mess, but Alice and Freebo have brought it all together, showing the continuity in a way that leads to one of the best albums of the year. At a time when the world has many struggles and stresses, it’s a true pleasure to be able to put on and listen to a new album that can make you think, enjoy, and reinvigorate one’s ability to find the positive in the world around us. Alice Howe and Freebo will be appearing live at McCabe’s Guitar Shop on Saturday, May 18 at 8:00pm. Tickets available here by calling McCabe’s at 310-828-4497. This will be the CD release party so be ready to make your purchase there. Russ Paris, an avid music enthusiast and collector. He, with his wife Julie, have been the hosts of Russ & Julie’s House Concert series for over 20 years. Russ is also a founder and former board member of Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West). He and Julie were honored with the annual “Legend Award” by the Topanga Banjo-Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival and the “Best of the West” Ambassador Award from FAR-West. He runs a number of award winning music related websites.e volledige review op FolkWorks.

Review (Americana UK) : Boston, MA native Alice Howe releases her first full-length album and there’s no doubt it will propel her right onto roots music lovers’ radars. Hard driving blues, modern folk or country ballads, Howe does it all with refinement and a velvety soprano voice. ‘Visions’ includes a collection of classic songs from blues and folk greats (namely, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke and Taj Mahal), as well as Howe’s own finely ornamented creations. The ten songs were recorded by top of the heap west coast musicians, headlining bassist Freebo (Bonnie Raitt, Crosby Still & Nash, Dr John etc.) as the big kahuna. As a result, ‘Visions’ is a very electric and produced piece of music, featuring thick layers of Hammond organ, buttery smooth guitar solos and honey dripping horn fills, departing from Howe’s usual framework of solo acoustic guitar. The tracklist still leaves some space for the more stripped-down stuff (‘What We Got Is Gold, You Just Never Know’), Those few tracks really highlight Howe’s seamless vocals and witty songwriting, and certainly make the listener asking for more. s de volledige review op Americana UK.

Review (American Blues Scene) : Boston based folk/blues artist Alice Howe once released an EP called Tiger Lily. In 2017 her EP You’ve Been Away So Long which contained the hit song “Homeland Blues,” begat her career in earnest. That particular song became the #1 played tune on the Folk-DJ charts. That same year she met storied singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Freebo. Since then the two have toured nationally and internationally, developing a musical relationship which led to Freebo producing Howe’s upcoming full-length debut album, Visions. Alice Howe Visisons Cover The writing and recording of Visions has encouraged Howe to work outside her framework of acoustic arrangements and with Freebo’s guidance, the duo has incorporated electric instruments, inventive percussion techniques, a Hammond B-3 and a horn section to lend a big band groove to some of the new songs. Howe has a flawless, honey voice that suits both her original compositions and cover songs to a T. Her acoustic guitar playing and folk style are reminiscent of some of the great singer/songwriters from 40+ years ago. Not surprising since her parents fed her a steady diet of Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and Jackson Browne with sprinklings of Muddy Waters and Taj Mahal as she was growing up. Visions has all of those influences, and then some on prominent display. The wistful, Americana flavored song “Twilight,” leads off the album. Brilliantly simple lyrics caught and held our attention from the outset. Alice follows that with her re-imagining of Taj Mahal’s “Lovin’ in My Baby’s Eyes.” She has been compared by many music writers as most comparable to Joan Baez. Perhaps, but she shines her own beacon on this Taj song, with electric guitar from Fuzzbee Morse adding the perfect punctuation. Howe is predominantly a folk artist and as such brings her best foot forward with songs like “Still On My Mind,” and “What We Got is Gold.” The veteran Freebo, who also plays on the album, brings his influence in fine fashion, helping adapt such classics as Muddy Waters’ “Honey Bee,” and the song “Too Long at the Fair,” originally recorded by Bonnie Raitt. Freebo played with Raitt on the album Give It Up, which contained that song, and stayed with her band playing fretless bass, guitar, tuba, and myriad other instruments for nearly a decade. His work as a session artist with performers that include Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dr. John, Maria Muldaur, John Mayall and others makes him a wellspring of experience from which Alice deeply draws. The combination of the two artisans is what truly makes Visions fine fare. On the Howe original “Getaway Car,” we’re treated to a musical change-up. A full-blown horn section along with stellar playing from keyboardist John “JT” Thomas, turbocharge this song in comparison to the subtlety of the rest of the album. “Getaway Car,” and Howe’s take on Sam Cooke’s “Bring It on Home to Me,” are a toss up for our favorite track on Visions. On the simplistic covering of the Cooke classic Alice pays homage to the “King of Soul” while still making the song very much her own. Sometimes we’re lucky enough to catch an up-and-coming artist as they fly into our radar. This is one of those times. Not only is Alice Howe a gifted songwriter and performer, she has the wherewithal to surround herself with artists that were actually on the scene of the genre she has chosen to showcase. Whether a fan of blues, roots, Americana, soul or folk music, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t get a copy of Visions the very moment it’s released.es de volledige review op American Blues Scene.