Mainstream country music, in many ways, has become a formulaic and tedious exercise in monotony. Much of the world of country music has crossed so far into the realm of pop one would almost expect that if Michael Jackson were alive he would be making a country version of his Thriller album, complete with banjos, mandolin, and fiddle overdubbed. Record companies continue to try to milk the last drop of gold from an archaic and dying industry model by releasing reissues and dressing up the latest Ken or Barbie and providing them with Nash-York country songs, furthermore, while true artists and songwriters are forced to toil in obscurity hoping that some organ grinders monkey, from a record company, notices them at a songwriters night or discovers them on “facebook.” Despite all that is wrong with the music industry, there are still real artists and songwriters making superb music, on independent DIY labels. Nashville’s own Jeff Blaney is but one sterling example of a true artist doing just that and his album Moonlight Waltz is a fabulous taste of what country music radio is missing. Blaney echoes the sentiments expressed above in his up-tempo and witty “Post Apocalyptic American Blues,” the forth track on Moonlight Waltz, when he astutely states, “When I pulled into Nashville I was hoping to find Hank; it feels less like Music City and more like Citibank. Hanks gone away.”
Blaney is a genuine modern day troubadour and his album brings in seemingly disparate influences such as country, classical, blues, bluegrass, and jazz music and blends them together perfectly. His songs are reminiscent of Robert Hunter/Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Robert Johnson, and Larry Sparks, while also remaining uniquely his own. A self proclaimed “Americana” artist, Blaney’s album is a masterpiece of self written and produced musical magic. His bluegrass style “Oh Love of Mine,” the albums second track, tells the classic story of a love that has been lost and a man lamenting this loss pleading for the woman to, “come back to me oh love of mine.” Track number four, the title track, “Moonlight Waltz” is a waltz standard with a bright and crisp mandolin accompanying the story of how a man uses music to vanquish his heartache. “Take My Hand,” track number five, is a traditional country/bluegrass inspired song that spins a yarn of a rambling man yearning for his love to take his hand and let him show her the freedom and beauty of a vagabond existence.
White Bluff, Nashville, and the rest of Middle Tennessee if you enjoy traditional country music, bluegrass, or just tight well crafted songwriting, Jeff Blaney’s album, Moonlight Waltz, will not disappoint. Blaney continues to make real traditional country/bluegrass/Americana music that Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, and Waylon Jennings could be proud of. For more information on Jeff Blaney, his music, and much more visit www.jeffblaneymusic.com. Blaney’s web site also tells of his upcoming shows in and around Nashville, so make sure you go out and support this artist and get your copy of Moonlight Waltz. Furthermore, as always keep reading, keep it real, and keep it country.
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