Love and Loss-Recordz & Gigz

Gary Young and Steve Williams have pressed an album of country originals. Gary is a prolific songwriter and here are twelve excellent examples of country tunes he has penned on love and loss. Steve helps out and lays some excellent country riffs including harmonizing harps on a couple. You can hear this technique on the opening track over on my Soundcloud page, Hold You. Highlights are I Want To Hold You In My Arms, Way Past Crying, It’s Hard To See (Stuart Fraser added guitar not long before his passing), The Dog Is Staying and Gary displays his piano skills on I’m Leaving. CD available at any of Gary or Steve’s gigs.

I want to plug two international albums out now at all good and bad record outlets. Firstly, Huey Lewis is back with new material and his distinct sound. Huey has been struggling with Ménière’s disease and among the debilitating issues associated with the illness is not being able to perform live. Check out Her Love is Killing Me and Pretty Girls Everywhere for a bit of harp action. Secondly, Hazmat Modine have released a new album, Box Of Breath. There’s a familiarity in the music of many of the songs, but this doesn’t detract from the quality of the product. Wade Schuman blows the Tennessee Triller on several, but not on my favourite the title track (which probably should have had harmonica-in line with the title) which deals with our mortality. Love the lyrics and in particular these lines, “We’re older now than we have ever been, But younger now than we will ever be again.” And “Every old person is just a young person getting old.”

Kevin Borich releases his first single from his album, Duets later this week. Leading off is Call A Friend featuring Russell Morris. Nice sentiment and hook. Check out on streaming platforms and video clip is here https://youtu.be/j2qGsQtWi5U.

Three amazing gigs at this fantastic historical venue. The Memo Music Hall in Acland Street, St. Kilda. No I’m not on their payroll.

Thursday 27th February 7:30-Justin Brady Bushfire Benefit: Justin lost his home in the Mallacoota bushfire. He was the noted harp player (and other instruments) for Things Of Stone & Wood. Special guest is Greg Arnold front man for TOSAW.

Saturday 7th March 7:30-Chain: Matt Taylor & Phil Manning keep the Ozblues rolling and tumbling.

Sunday 15th March 3pm-Dingo Radio: Songs of Kerryn Tolhurst continue their fine roadshow. Top End Of Town has been released and is available on iTunes and Spotify. Here’s Spotify link Town.

A new upload. Having seen Kerryn’s Dingo Radio and loving their rendition of Aaron I grabbed my vinyl copy of The Dingoes debut album and gave it a spin. I then had the urge to blow the ‘G’ harp riff to Pay Day Again. Hear here Pay Day. Kerryn recently spoke to HRR about the writing and production of the song, “Payday was the next complete song I wrote after Aaron. I was searching for an Australian scenario and I guess I fell back on Henry Lawson for inspiration. We never had a Woody Guthrie or Jimmie Rodgers. The wacky stuff was an attempt to amplify the sense of place with that album, hence the various sound effects on some tunes. I can’t remember that we ever played that song live. And that was John Bois on Pub with no beer. And the album cover was taken in Sassafras. Gone now.”

They did do one live version which appears on a Sunbury album. The back photo on the album cover was taken in Sassafras not far from the author’s residence.

Looking at another couple of Aussie harps to add to the Timeline. I’ll keep you posted.

Next months feature article is titled Winger Griffiths.

Thanks to Mark Hand for sending these photos of his Ernst Hess harmonica after reading NAWFOS #2.

Ch SD