Poems by Vince Bell are recited by himself as he also plays guitar and is accompanied in a variety of traditional and non trad American moods by continuum, bass, piano, flamenco guitar, strings and drums. His voice is a subdued whisper, almost as if he’s letting you in on a secret on a crowded intersection. The environs go from parlor soft as on “A Little Poetry, to lovely flamenco sketches during “Bads and the Better.” Folksy material is presented on “Give Chance A Chance” and the rural “I Don’t Wanna Hear It” while “Gypsy gets a bit hectic with handclaps, guitar, percussion extra voices and continuum. Cumberland Gap bohemia?
Old time American sounds join in with a bit eclectic exoticism and jazz as singer/songwriter David Olney sings with a band of Daniel Seymour/b, Justin Amaral/dr, Ward Stout/fid, Steve Dawson/g-stg, Fats Kaplin/oud-acc, Charlie McCoy/harm-vib and a handful of vocalists. Intimate moods with steel string are on the folksy “Open Your Heart (and Let Me In) and some bluesy shadows are unearthed on”Running From Love.” Sounds from nomadic dust storms abound on “border Town” and the country roaded “Stand Tall.” You can feel the tumbleweeds with the vibes and fuzzy drums on “Wall” and Olney’s well traveled voice rides a nice shotgun on “Always the Stranger.” Travels with Charlie.