RainDogToo Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 For more than two decades as a solo artist and Grammy-winning producer, Joe Henry has worked with some of the most celebrated names in music, including Ornette Coleman, Elvis Costello, Allen Toussaint, T-Bone Burnett, Don Byron, Solomon Burke, Brad Mehldau, Madonna, and Ani DiFranco. On Blood from Stars, his remarkable and sprawling new album, Henry has the unprecedented pleasure of introducing the world to a new talent, a young saxophonist by the name of Levon Henry. "I was tempted to put him on my last record, Civilians (2007)," Henry explains of his seventeen-year-old son. "He wasn't quite ready for that –and neither was I. But in the last two years, he's found a voice and begun to speak in wildly expansive and complete sentences. It wasn't a matter of me thinking it would be cute to put him on a record. He was just the musician I most wanted to hear in that chair." It doesn't take long to understand why. An award-winning player in his own right – he's won two soloist awards at the Monterey Jazz Festival's "Next Generation" competitions – Levon lends his velvety tone and lyrical phrasing to songs such as "Truce," and the instrumental "Over Her Shoulder," which his father wrote as a vehicle for him. Nowhere is his playing more incandescent than on "Stars." His soprano sax leaps and darts with a melodic agility and a terse beauty. The album was recorded in Henry's own studio, which is located in the basement of the historic Garfield Home in South Pasadena, where Henry and his family now live. (An historical landmark, it was built in 1904 for the President's widow.) This made Levon's contributions that much easier. "Sometimes we had to do overdubs with him as opposed to recording him live, because he was at school," Henry recalls. "But then he'd come home, finish his homework, and come downstairs to join the festivities. It was lovely and strange, and yet it felt perfectly natural to direct him." But like any Joe Henry record, Blood from Stars is a collaboration, in the deepest sense of the word. Henry has assembled a remarkable cast of players, from his longtime rhythm section (ace percussionist Jay Bellerose, bassist David Piltch, and keyboardist Patrick Warren), to newcomers like Keefus Ciancia, whose murmuring samples lend the proceedings a dreamy, fragmented and cinematic feel. The sultry coronet riffs that drive "The Man I Keep Hid" and "Bellwether" come courtesy of guitarist Marc Ribot. "Not many people know Marc plays coronet," Henry observes, "and he doesn't do it a lot. He can do anything on guitar, of course, but it was sometimes much more to the point of my purposes that his deep musicality be articulated in a more primitive way. He brings a kind of raw, smeared-lipstick romanticism to whatever he does." Ribot's barbed electric guitar is also on display throughout, as are his flamenco sketches on the torch ballad "This Is My Favorite Cage."And, of course, this being a Joe Henry production, there are all many unexpected turns in the road. He's recruited the brilliant young jazz pianist Jason Moran to deliver the piercing, hymn-like piano work of "Prelude: Light No Lamp When the Sun Comes Down," which opens the album like an overture. Likewise, when the time came to light a fire under the track "Death to the Storm," Joe called upon the Chocolate Genius himself, vocalist Marc Anthony Thompson, whose soulful swagger turns the track's chorus into an ominous house party. Critics have long since given up trying to label Henry's sound. His music spans far too many genres. But the dominant sound on this record stems from blues tonality. Tracks such as "Bellwether" and "All Blues Hail Mary" begin as traditional blues forms ("I observed that structure like it was sonnet"), only to swell into ravishing epics that jump the rails to incorporate folky jazz and bent Sinatra-esque washes of sampled strings. "All the blues sing of love and death and you," Henry whispers in the latter, "As chances yet to take." The line is typical of his lyrical touch. "I've read that I'm supposed to be a very literary songwriter, someone whose songs are short stories set to music. But I can't imagine what where that comes from. I'm not linear…not remotely a reliable narrator," he says. "All I'm trying to do is put a light on something; and sometimes the clearest path is not a straight one." So this is what you can expect from Joe Henry's eleventh studio LP -a tour de force- in addition to all the desperate beauty and hypnotic vamping, the lush arrangements and seductive songlines: the sudden and thrilling illumination of places you've never been, but are somehow intimately familiar. Track List:01. Prelude: Light No Lamp When The Sun Comes Down02. The Man I Keep Hid03. Channel04. This Is My Favorite Cage05. Death To The Storm06. All Blues Hail Mary07. Bellwether08. Progress of Love (Dark Ground)09. Over Her Shoulder10. Suit On A Frame11. Truce12. Stars13. Coda: Light No Lamp When The Sun Comes Down 'Death to the Storm' -- Free MP3 of the Day Exclusive http://www.spinner.com/2009/07/14/joe-henry-death-to-the-storm-free-mp3-of-the-day-exclusive/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 it's good but, imo, nowhere near as great as civilians. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blureu Posted July 24, 2009 Share Posted July 24, 2009 NPR has a "first listen" scheduled for August 11 (Tuesday, 11:59 p.m. ET) Joe Henry: Exclusive First ListenStream "Blood From Stars" in its entirety exclusively at NPR Music one week before its release http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92887143 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted July 25, 2009 Share Posted July 25, 2009 it's good but, imo, nowhere near as great as civilians.Civilians would be hard to top. It sounds like he is using this as a platform for his kid. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ms. yvon Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 it would be hard for him top "civilians," but i thought the same thing about "tiny voices." and "scar." all in all, it's not a measure of making this record better than the last. i'm just excited for more music from joe. without falling into the temptation to try to quantify things: he is my favorite song writer. period. bonus: npr is streaming the new album the day before my birthday! thanks, bob b! just 15 min ago i was walking home from the grocery store and "kindness of the world" came up on my shuffle.but tonight i feel i'm floatingfor minutes at a timejust listening to the bellsand trusting in the kindness of the world damn. what's not to love? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ms. yvon Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 post script: i saw his son, levon, perform with jim white here in los angeles. he was terrific! and it was cute to see him escorted out by someone who may have been his grandmother after his work b/c it was a school night. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tongue-tied lightning Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 i'm always excited for new Joe ! it has some real bright spots, and a few, well slower spots. still my fav singer, next to Tweeds. what's this about his kid, E, tell me more Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mjpuczko Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 i wasn't trying to compare the two i guess just saying i don't enjoy this new one as much. just got into joe maybe 3 years ago but he's at the top for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RainDogToo Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 The album is now streaming here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111778232 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ripthisjoint908 Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Any other fans of Joe? Did his first two records with The Jayhawks as his backing band, went on to release Time Out of Mind-esque singer/songwriter solo records. His 2007 effort, "Civilians" is flawless. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chez Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Yes!! "Short Man's Room" (with the Jayhawks) is a great album. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blureu Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 New record out this year. Sample some of the new songs on this KEXP session http://blog.kexp.org/2013/12/27/live-video-joe-henry/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 I like him a lot. HIs post Jayhawks records are excellent too. Oh yea, he is a hell of a producer as well. LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 He's an artist I just can't get a handle on. I find hid stuff very intriguing, but he seems bent on becoming a poor man's Tom Waits. I still use Ohio Air Show Plane Crash as a decomperssor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AFv5_PwGMU Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 You guys DO realize the jibe about 'poor man's Tom Waits' is VERY jokingly presented? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted February 20, 2014 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Paste's description of him as "a modest-selling 'critic’s darling' with a reputation for pushing the envelope" sounds a bit like a little band we all know and love. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wendy Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Thread merge!(I hope ripthisjoint doesn't mind that I merged the only older thread about Joe Henry I could find into this one thread - I appreciate that a new one was started today.) Got to see Joe Henry perform at The Ark in Ann Arbor a few years back. Soooo worth the 3-hour road trip each way, and would do it again in a heartbeat. I love him. And I thank Ms Yvon for turning me onto Joe Henry all those years ago. In particular, I love her comment above about just being happy to have more Joe songs -- no ranking or comparisons necessary. Just more, please. I feel this way about Wilco, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ripthisjoint908 Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Thread merge! (I hope ripthisjoint doesn't mind that I merged the only older thread about Joe Henry I could find into this one thread - I appreciate that a new one was started today.) Got to see Joe Henry perform at The Ark in Ann Arbor a few years back. Soooo worth the 3-hour road trip each way, and would do it again in a heartbeat. I love him. And I thank Ms Yvon for turning me onto Joe Henry all those years ago. In particular, I love her comment above about just being happy to have more Joe songs -- no ranking or comparisons necessary. Just more, please. I feel this way about Wilco, too. Don't mind at all! I quickly skimmed and couldn't see an older one..but i'm glad there is a previous thread. I live just an hour north of Ann Arbor but wasn't into him at that time. Damn, I'm sure that was a good show. Definitely catching him next time he makes his way up here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doctor B Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Heard "Our Song" a few years ago in a bookstore. Could not get it out of my head. Beautiful and evocative. Bought Civilians and really enjoyed it. Always love it when I get turned on to an artist...I had never heard of him until then. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blureu Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Premiere: 'Lead Me On' from Joe Henry's 'Invisible Hour' albumhttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-joe-henry-album-premiere-lead-me-on-invisible-hour-20140328,0,4378925.story Quote Link to post Share on other sites
blureu Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 http://www.wfuv.org/audio/archives/fuv-live/joe-henry-fuv-live-2014 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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