I didn’t think they made them like Matt Lemmler anymore. He sings, plays the piano and writes his own material like the vintage guys from the 70s, such as Kenny Rankin or Danny O’Keefe. This two disc set has him in both the studio and working an audience with flavorful, flexible and rhythmic bands.
The first disc, entitled LOVE features him in a relaxed and folksy mood, giving hints of Billy Joel lyricism and feeling on “Truly,” grooving with David Torkanowsky’s B3 on a chunky read of “And So It Goes” or taking a rich read of The Beatle’s “In My Life” with a laconic stroll. Other standards, such as “Gone With the Wind” or “Baubles, Bangles and Beads” are reworked and refitted for modern ears, and the retrofitting works admirably, with even the piano musings of “Tara’s Theme” sounding as fresh as Scarlet O’Hara’s green dress.
The second album, Southern Songs and Sonatas has him at the Ogden Museum of Modern Art, and he opens with some rich piano work on an opening “Improvisation.” A mix of Southern Soul and Sunday Morning moods fills up the evening, with a percussively hip “Spirits” as well as a stark and riveting “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me” while the spiritual “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” is delicate and meditative. The band gets the joint jumping on “Animal Funk Party” and Lemmler has fun with “Can’t Shake Dat Cold” before closing up with the band and audience rolling down the aisles on “Amen.” This guys got an old soul and a warm heart.