CHRIS SMITHER
''STILL ON THE LEVEE, DISC ONE''
JULY 22 2014
93:09
**********
DISC ONE
1 Devil Got Your Man 4:38
2 Don't It Drag On 3:12
3 No More Cane On the Brazos 1:57 (Traditional)
4 Love You Like a Man 2:31
5 Rosalie 4:22
6 Lonesome Georgia Brown 2:26
7 Song For Susan (Featuring Rusty Belle) 4:04
8 Another Way To Find You 3:31
9 'Deed I Do (Featuring Catherine Norr) 3:35
10 Like of Chain 4:15
11 Train Home (Featuring Allen Toussaint) 4:16
12 Lola 3:53
13 Leave the Light On (Featuring Rusty Belle & Robin Smither) 3:31
Tracks By Chris Smither, except 3
*****
DISC TWO
1 Hold On 3:48
2 Shillin' For the Blues 4:04
3 No Love Today (Featuring Allen Toussaint) 4:47
4 What They Say (Featuring Loudon Wainwright III) 2:44
5 Slow Surprise 3:15
6 Can't Shake These Blues 3:52
7 Call Time 3:23
8 Up On the Lowdown 3:37
9 Seems So Real 4:42
10 Small Revelations 4:11
11 Winsome Smile (Featuring Rusty Belle) 4:12
12 Leave the Light On (Featuring Rusty Belle) 4:23
All Tracks By Chris Smither
**********
Dana Colley /Sax (Baritone)
Billy Conway /Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Kris Delmhorst /Cello
Jim Fitting /Harmonica, Vocals
David Goodrich /Diddley Bow, Guitar, Inside Photo, Liner Notes, Mixing, Piano, Producer, Vocals
Ian Kennedy /Mastering, Violin
Kate Lorenz /Percussion, Vocals
Matt Lorenz /Guitar, Hi Hat, Main Personnel, Vocals
Jeremy Lyons /Guitar, Slide Bass
The Motivators /Primary Artist
Catherine Norr /Featured Artist, Vocals
Barry Rothman /Main Personnel, Turntables
Rusty Belle /Featured Artist
Chris Smither /Composer, Foot Stomping, Guitar, Inside Photo, Primary Artist, Vocals
Robin Smither /Featured Artist, Violin
Anita Suhanin /Vocals
Allen Toussaint /Featured Artist, Piano
Zak Trojano /Drums (Bass), Guitar, Hi Hat, Vocals
Loudon Wainwright III /Featured Artist, Guitar, Vocals
**********
OFFICIAL/ABOUT THE ALBUM
Still on the Levee, Chris Smither’s career-spanning, double CD, provides a sweeping showcase of Smither’s music – fresh takes on some of his very earliest songs to his most recent. On the occasion of 50 years of songwriting and performing, this newest recording, his sixteenth album, Smither sounds timeless; utterly confident and unafraid, filled with humility, humor, a knowledge of what inevitably lies ahead, yet refusing to succumb to darkness. Here he reconnects with his New Orleans roots, recording at The Music Shed where guests like Allen Toussaint could stop by with longtime right-hand-man David Goodrich at the helm. Other visitors adding their talents to the twenty five tracks include Loudon Wainwright III, Kris Delmhorst, roots-rock/junk-folk Rusty Belle, members of renowned rock band Morphine, as well as some family members, too- with sister Catherine Norr adding a backing vocal and daughter Robin contributing fiddle. The effect is extraordinary; strength compounds strength, and leaves the listener feeling touched by grace, or an almost otherworldly wisdom. A must have for any Smither fan.
**********
REVIEW/AMG
Steve Leggett
This two-disc set finds blues and folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist Chris Smither celebrating his 50 years as a performer with re-recordings of some of his signature songs. The album was recorded in New Orleans and features guest spots from Allen Toussaint, Loudon Wainwright III, members of the band Morphine, and others, and the end result is a nice career retrospective and a good introduction to this solid singer, writer, and player for those who haven't heard him before.
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Richard Skelly
Like John Hammond and a handful of other musicians whose careers began in the 1960s blues revival, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Chris Smither can take pride in the fact that he's been there since the beginning. Except for a few years when he was away from performing in the '70s, Smither has been a mainstay of the festival, coffeehouse, and club circuits around the U.S., Canada, and Europe since his performing career began in earnest in the coffeehouses in Boston in the spring of 1966. Smither is best known for his great songs, items like "Love You Like a Man" and "I Feel the Same," both of which have been recorded by guitarist Bonnie Raitt. Raitt and Smither got started at about the same time in Boston, though Smither was born and raised in New Orleans, the son of university professors.
Smither's earliest awareness of blues and folk music came from his parents' record collection. In a 1992 interview, he recalled it included albums by Josh White, Susan Reed, and Burl Ives. After a short stint taking piano lessons, Smither switched to ukulele after discovering his mother's old instrument in a closet. The young Smither was passionately attached to the ukulele, and now, years later, it helps to explain the emotion and expertise behind his unique fingerpicking guitar style. Smither discovered blues music when he was 17 and heard a Lightnin' Hopkins album, Blues in the Bottle. The album was a major revelation to him and he subsequently spent weeks trying to figure out the intricate guitar parts. Smither moved to Boston after realizing he was a big fish in a small pond in the New Orleans folk/coffeehouse circuit of the mid-'60s. Also, acoustic blues pioneer Ric Von Schmidt had recommended Smither check out the Boston folk-blues scene.
Smither recorded his first couple of albums for the Poppy label in 1970 and 1971, I'm a Stranger Too and Don't It Drag On. In 1972, Smither recorded a third album, Honeysuckle Dog, for United Artists, which finally saw release on the Heavenly label in the mid-2000s. On the sessions for that album, he was joined in the studio by his old friends Bonnie Raitt and Mac Rebennack, aka Dr. John. After a long bout with alcoholism, Smither launched his recording career again in the late '80s, although he hadn't stopped performing. His return to a proper recording career, due to a deal with Flying Fish Records, didn't happen again until 1991, when the label released Another Way to Find You, a folk-blues album. Smither recorded It Ain't Easy for the Adelphi label in 1984; the album was re-released on CD ten years later.
Since then, he's more than proved his mettle as an enormously gifted songwriter, releasing albums mostly of his own compositions for the Flying Fish, Hightone, and Signature Sounds labels. Smither's albums during the '90s and into the 21st century include Happier Blue (1993, Flying Fish), Up on the Lowdown (1995, Hightone), Drive You Home Again (1999, Hightone), Live As I'll Ever Be (2000, Hightone), Train Home (2003, Hightone), Leave the Light On (2006, Signature Sounds), and Time Stands Still (2009, Signature Sounds), a career highlight. Any of Smither's releases are worthy of careful examination by guitarists and students of all schools of blues and folk music. Smither is still, to some extent, an unheralded master of modern acoustic blues. Fortunately, his recordings and festival bookings during the '90s and into the 21st century have elevated his profile to a higher level than he's ever enjoyed previously.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
**********
''STILL ON THE LEVEE, DISC ONE''
JULY 22 2014
93:09
**********
DISC ONE
1 Devil Got Your Man 4:38
2 Don't It Drag On 3:12
3 No More Cane On the Brazos 1:57 (Traditional)
4 Love You Like a Man 2:31
5 Rosalie 4:22
6 Lonesome Georgia Brown 2:26
7 Song For Susan (Featuring Rusty Belle) 4:04
8 Another Way To Find You 3:31
9 'Deed I Do (Featuring Catherine Norr) 3:35
10 Like of Chain 4:15
11 Train Home (Featuring Allen Toussaint) 4:16
12 Lola 3:53
13 Leave the Light On (Featuring Rusty Belle & Robin Smither) 3:31
Tracks By Chris Smither, except 3
*****
DISC TWO
1 Hold On 3:48
2 Shillin' For the Blues 4:04
3 No Love Today (Featuring Allen Toussaint) 4:47
4 What They Say (Featuring Loudon Wainwright III) 2:44
5 Slow Surprise 3:15
6 Can't Shake These Blues 3:52
7 Call Time 3:23
8 Up On the Lowdown 3:37
9 Seems So Real 4:42
10 Small Revelations 4:11
11 Winsome Smile (Featuring Rusty Belle) 4:12
12 Leave the Light On (Featuring Rusty Belle) 4:23
All Tracks By Chris Smither
**********
Dana Colley /Sax (Baritone)
Billy Conway /Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Kris Delmhorst /Cello
Jim Fitting /Harmonica, Vocals
David Goodrich /Diddley Bow, Guitar, Inside Photo, Liner Notes, Mixing, Piano, Producer, Vocals
Ian Kennedy /Mastering, Violin
Kate Lorenz /Percussion, Vocals
Matt Lorenz /Guitar, Hi Hat, Main Personnel, Vocals
Jeremy Lyons /Guitar, Slide Bass
The Motivators /Primary Artist
Catherine Norr /Featured Artist, Vocals
Barry Rothman /Main Personnel, Turntables
Rusty Belle /Featured Artist
Chris Smither /Composer, Foot Stomping, Guitar, Inside Photo, Primary Artist, Vocals
Robin Smither /Featured Artist, Violin
Anita Suhanin /Vocals
Allen Toussaint /Featured Artist, Piano
Zak Trojano /Drums (Bass), Guitar, Hi Hat, Vocals
Loudon Wainwright III /Featured Artist, Guitar, Vocals
**********
OFFICIAL/ABOUT THE ALBUM
Still on the Levee, Chris Smither’s career-spanning, double CD, provides a sweeping showcase of Smither’s music – fresh takes on some of his very earliest songs to his most recent. On the occasion of 50 years of songwriting and performing, this newest recording, his sixteenth album, Smither sounds timeless; utterly confident and unafraid, filled with humility, humor, a knowledge of what inevitably lies ahead, yet refusing to succumb to darkness. Here he reconnects with his New Orleans roots, recording at The Music Shed where guests like Allen Toussaint could stop by with longtime right-hand-man David Goodrich at the helm. Other visitors adding their talents to the twenty five tracks include Loudon Wainwright III, Kris Delmhorst, roots-rock/junk-folk Rusty Belle, members of renowned rock band Morphine, as well as some family members, too- with sister Catherine Norr adding a backing vocal and daughter Robin contributing fiddle. The effect is extraordinary; strength compounds strength, and leaves the listener feeling touched by grace, or an almost otherworldly wisdom. A must have for any Smither fan.
**********
REVIEW/AMG
Steve Leggett
This two-disc set finds blues and folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist Chris Smither celebrating his 50 years as a performer with re-recordings of some of his signature songs. The album was recorded in New Orleans and features guest spots from Allen Toussaint, Loudon Wainwright III, members of the band Morphine, and others, and the end result is a nice career retrospective and a good introduction to this solid singer, writer, and player for those who haven't heard him before.
**********
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
Richard Skelly
Like John Hammond and a handful of other musicians whose careers began in the 1960s blues revival, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Chris Smither can take pride in the fact that he's been there since the beginning. Except for a few years when he was away from performing in the '70s, Smither has been a mainstay of the festival, coffeehouse, and club circuits around the U.S., Canada, and Europe since his performing career began in earnest in the coffeehouses in Boston in the spring of 1966. Smither is best known for his great songs, items like "Love You Like a Man" and "I Feel the Same," both of which have been recorded by guitarist Bonnie Raitt. Raitt and Smither got started at about the same time in Boston, though Smither was born and raised in New Orleans, the son of university professors.
Smither's earliest awareness of blues and folk music came from his parents' record collection. In a 1992 interview, he recalled it included albums by Josh White, Susan Reed, and Burl Ives. After a short stint taking piano lessons, Smither switched to ukulele after discovering his mother's old instrument in a closet. The young Smither was passionately attached to the ukulele, and now, years later, it helps to explain the emotion and expertise behind his unique fingerpicking guitar style. Smither discovered blues music when he was 17 and heard a Lightnin' Hopkins album, Blues in the Bottle. The album was a major revelation to him and he subsequently spent weeks trying to figure out the intricate guitar parts. Smither moved to Boston after realizing he was a big fish in a small pond in the New Orleans folk/coffeehouse circuit of the mid-'60s. Also, acoustic blues pioneer Ric Von Schmidt had recommended Smither check out the Boston folk-blues scene.
Smither recorded his first couple of albums for the Poppy label in 1970 and 1971, I'm a Stranger Too and Don't It Drag On. In 1972, Smither recorded a third album, Honeysuckle Dog, for United Artists, which finally saw release on the Heavenly label in the mid-2000s. On the sessions for that album, he was joined in the studio by his old friends Bonnie Raitt and Mac Rebennack, aka Dr. John. After a long bout with alcoholism, Smither launched his recording career again in the late '80s, although he hadn't stopped performing. His return to a proper recording career, due to a deal with Flying Fish Records, didn't happen again until 1991, when the label released Another Way to Find You, a folk-blues album. Smither recorded It Ain't Easy for the Adelphi label in 1984; the album was re-released on CD ten years later.
Since then, he's more than proved his mettle as an enormously gifted songwriter, releasing albums mostly of his own compositions for the Flying Fish, Hightone, and Signature Sounds labels. Smither's albums during the '90s and into the 21st century include Happier Blue (1993, Flying Fish), Up on the Lowdown (1995, Hightone), Drive You Home Again (1999, Hightone), Live As I'll Ever Be (2000, Hightone), Train Home (2003, Hightone), Leave the Light On (2006, Signature Sounds), and Time Stands Still (2009, Signature Sounds), a career highlight. Any of Smither's releases are worthy of careful examination by guitarists and students of all schools of blues and folk music. Smither is still, to some extent, an unheralded master of modern acoustic blues. Fortunately, his recordings and festival bookings during the '90s and into the 21st century have elevated his profile to a higher level than he's ever enjoyed previously.
**********
WEBSITE
**********
TO THE TOP
**********
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