After a lengthy hiatus along with a desk full of CD’s it is time to get back to reviewing the latest and greatest record releases that have been gracing the shelves of record stores all across the city of Toronto. The Christmas season unleashed a slew of new releases, and now it is back to business as usual and out recently is the follow up effort from a band returning from a 5 year hiatus as their superstar front woman came back home. It’s time to give “The Little Willies-For The Good Times” a spin
For fans of Norah Jones’ solo work, ‘The Little Willies’ may not quite be your cup of tea as this endearing collection of country music covers is clear reminder of what country music used to be. Consisting of Lee Alexander on bass, Jim Campilongo on guitar, Norah Jones on piano and vocals, Richard Julian on guitar and vocals & Dan Reiser on drums; these 5 got together simply as an excuse to be able to play at ‘The Living Room’ on New York’s Lower East Side. However like most one-off gigs the musicians & the fans simply had too much fun watching these 5 musicians from different corners of the country come together for with their love of classic American music.
On this their second album they tear into to some classic country songs from the likes of Ralph Stanley, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash & Dolly Parton to name a few. With the enthusiasm of an unabashed fan the musicianship on the entire album is pitch perfect and feels less like a calculated record and more like a jam session between friends playing the songs that are near and dear to their hearts.
Putting his own stamp on the Willie Nelson classic ‘Permanently Lonely’; Richard Julian manages to capture the heart and soul of the song without sounding like he is doing a Willie impersonation. On the title track, Norah Jones will send goose bumps up your arm with her tender interpretation of the title track ‘For The Good Times’ originally done by Kris Kristofferson and when tackling of the most often covered country songs, she gives ‘Jolene’ a haunting ethereal quality that you can see a darkened stadium listening to with their cell phones held high, one of the better version that song in quite a while.
Make no mistake that this is a country record; not one that is designed to hit the top of the charts or to sell 10 million copies but to remind us all of the genuine heart and soul that existed in a different generation of country music.
Key Tracks: ‘Permanently Lonely’ & ‘For The Good Times’
To learn more about The Little Willies, you can visit their site right here.
4 out of 5 stars.
“The Little Willies-For The Good Times” is available on ITunes and at record stores across Toronto; click here for a list of some of the finer ones near you.
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