Joel Harrison - The Other River (2017)

'The Other River' is a personal and striking collection of original songs written, arranged and sung by veteran US guitarist and singer/songwriter Joel Harrison, and follows his acclaimed quintet release on Whirlwind - 'Spirit House'. Whilst it bears some of Harrison's trademark compositional moves, this album - his eighteenth - may come as something of a surprise to his many, established jazz followers. The project's focus is very much its lyrical, unfettered storytelling conveyed through stripped-down music - unabashed Americana modelled on the work of Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, and Robert Hunter - which reaches out to the heart in candidly dealing with mortality and loss, redemption and forgiveness. "I came to this music because I had to", says Harrison. "There were things I was going through that made me yearn for a new level of honesty and bare-bones truth-telling. Words seemed to be the way forward. Instrumental music couldn't pierce these regions in the same way". Joel Harrison's core ensemble all share a love of jazz, country, R&B and gospel, which can be heard in the stylistic multiplicity of their approach to these eleven numbers.
Pianist and keyboardist Glenn Patscha has added his master's touch to the music of Roseanne Cash and Marc Cohen, and along with bassist Byron Isaacs was a founding member of seminal folk/gospel group Olabelle. Both Patscha and Isaacs also spent time with Levon Helm, whilst drummer Jordan Perlson (an ally from earlier jazz recordings) plays with many songwriters, including Kaki King and Becca Stevens. And Harrison also welcomes a handful of guests including previous collaborators Cuong Vu (trumpet) and Anupam Shobhakar (sarode), plus the vocal empathy of Fiona McBain. The results are, by turns, gorgeous ('All My Beautiful Enemies'), stark ('Bus to Brighton'), psychedelic and bluesy ('The Other River'), buoyant and funny ('Chelsea Hotel'), moody and surreal ('Made It Out Alive').

Personnel:

Joel Harrison - electric/ acoustic guitar, voice lap steel, National Steel six-string banjo
Glenn Patscha - piano, hammond B-3, pump organ, synthesizers, voice
Byron Isaacs - electric and double bass
Jordan Perlson - drums, percussion

Guests :

Jamey Haddad - percussion (3, 5)
Christian Howes - strings (3, 9)
Fiona McBain - voice (1, 2, 8, 10)
Cuong Vu - trumpet (5, 8)
Anupam Shobhakar - sarode (5)

Tracklist:

01. My Beautiful Enemies 04:30
02. Scarecrow Ray 04:03
03. The Other River 06:07
04. So Long Chelsea Hotel 04:29
05. Made It out Alive 05:07
06. You're All That Matters to Me 04:16
07. Yellow Socks 05:58
08. Still Here 02:58
09. I Wonder What Happened to Jordan 03:31
10. Reservation Blues 05:08
11. Bus to Brighton 04:49