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Barefoot
and Prolific
by
Dick Diamond
Strictly
Barefoot - Music from Arts Fest 2001
• Available
at many Utah area music and bookstores or at www.timpanogos.org
• Russ Kendall (Producer)
• Scott Wiley (Mastering)
It was the early
seventies when popular music from Wasatch Front artists began to
bloom in the fields of public recognition. Aside from the world
renowned Tabernacle Choir (whose music is more traditional or classically
oriented), Utah wasn’t considered a hot bed for popular music
performers. It was the Osmonds who put the Beehive State on the
map and into the minds of the music consumers. In the late eighties
The Jets had a brief bout with stardom with their smooth and harmonious
brand of popular music. Anonymous to mainstream American society,
the early seventies also saw the rise of Mormon pop music (as it
came to be known) and its creator Lex de Azevedo.
Saturday’s
Warrior and My Turn on Earth were big hits with Latter-day Saints
all over the country. As time went on, the music of LDS recording
artists began to sound more and more like good popular music but
with lyrically meaningful messages. Julie de Azevedo, Kenneth Cope,
Michael Webb and Greg Simpson, among others, have performed great
strides in removing the labels that have encircled their ilk. These
fine LDS artists are now not only running beside the finest national
Contemporary Christian music artists, but beside the most current
secular music artists.
The Wasatch
Front region has been witness to a singer/songwriter explosion in
the past few years with the Timpanogos Singer/Songwriter Alliance
(TSSA) riding the bow of encouragement. For America’s Freedom
Festival in Provo during the July 4th holiday, TSSA assembled a
group of performers, consisting of some of the hottest regional
singer/songwriters, to demonstrate their craft. As a result of this
festival, TSSA compiled an album incorporating the music of twenty
different, popular and up-and-coming Utah artists. The album “Strictly
Barefoot” is an eye-opening compilation. I must admit, trying
to review a various artists type album is sometimes akin to finding
important genealogical information in the phone book. It may be
there, but it’s not a great time. On the contrary, “Strictly
Barefoot” provided quite an enjoyable listen. There must be
something in the Utah water, as evidenced by the profusion of some
great new artists (many previously unknown to me) on this sampler.
After listening to this CD, one may be tempted to say that this
territory has become a hot bed of musical talent.
The album opens
with familiar tracks by Cherie Call, Colors and Shane Jackman (see
the recent Meridian reviews on these artists). Julia Davis Allen
appears on track five with an absolutely spellbinding ballad titled
Carry Me. Her ability to convey the emotional content of the song
is inspiring. Ryan Shupe & his Rubberband add their trademark
keen musical wit to this collection, just as they did on the God's
Army Soundtrack. John McVey performs his moving tune When She Runs
(track 8), one of my favorite and best written songs on the album.
For a real treat, listen to McVey's unplugged version of the song
on his MP3 website (www.mp3.com/mcvey), which I find even more compelling
than the fine studio version on this album.
"Strictly
Barefoot," once again, sets itself apart from the mediocrity
of sampler albums by rewarding the first time listener with moments
of joyful discovery. In addition to the great Julia Davis Allen
tune mentioned above, a creative new song by Julie de Azevedo, I
Can't Count the Stars, made a sneak preview here prior to its late
August release on Julie's release of "Hello Sky." You
may remember I already reviewed this wonderful album on Meridian.
The clean acoustic guitar work and expressive vocals of newcomer
Joey Dempster proves to be one of the great finds on this CD. I
also had to pop into Joey's website (www.joeydempster.com) to hear
what else this songster had to offer-I was not disappointed. Another
artist I had never heard of before who goes by the name of Sofina,
offers up the inventive tune Rum (song 14), anchored by a comfortably
smooth bass and percussion groove.
What can I say,
I actually enjoyed a sampler album. And as an added bonus, all of
the proceeds of this CD go to the worthy cause Giant Steps: A program
for children with autism. If you have been curious as to the state
of the popular music art along the Wasatch Front, you owe yourself
a copy of this unusual collection. Now, take your shoes off and
enjoy a walk through the fresh cut songs of Utah's prolific crop
of talented singer/songwriters.
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© 2001 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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