SIMMONS,STEPHEN - A World Without (CD)

STEPHEN SIMMONS is one of today's most interesting Americana musicians from Tennessee - and he's new on Blue Rose. With a powerful poetic streak and a wonderfully warm baritone voice, he has been releasing his musical stories, musings and observations for over decade with growing success. He has been to Europe a few times and has acquired something close to cult status especially in the Netherlands where he has appeared on festival and club stages. After a series of strong albums between folk and country, The Big Show is nothing less than Simmons's masterpiece (so far) and his entry into the Blue Rose world of exquisite songwriters like Greg Trooper, Owen Temple, Tim Easton, Chris Brecht, Markus Rill, Jeff Black and many more! Stephen Simmons has been living in East Nashville for many years now and is an established member of the alt.Americana scene on the other side of the mainstream. And in this creative environment he found inspiration for the songs of The Big Show full of depth and irony, innuendo and dry humor, wordplay and street wisdom. The Big Show is a concept album about a clown's life on the road with his circus. It deals with the search for love, the meaning of life, the dream of recognition and the ambivalence of yearning to roam and longing for home - all the big themes of small town life between the laughter of the audience and the lonely night blues. Thus, The Big Show refers not only to the short time beneath the spot lights but serves as a metaphor for life itself. However, Stephen Simmons has not written a psychological novel but made music, indeed! The Big Show is over 73 minutes long with 20 songs, most of them oscillating in the Americana world between folk, alt. country and country rock - some of them are short interludes and connecting statements. There are also some solo numbers presented solo - much like on his 2006 album Drink Ring Jesus - with acoustic guitar, a dylanish-sounding harmonica, and his always pleasing voice. Most of the time, though, the likable Tennessee troubadour is accompanied by well-known, top-professional studio musicians in a state-of-the-art analog production by Eric Fritsch who also helmed Simmons's 2004 full-length debut Last Call. Fritsch is not only a producer but also a multi-instrumentalist known for his work with Scott Miller & Commonwealth, Greta Gaines, Kathy Mattea and legendary Porter Wagoner on his Wagonmaster comeback. On The Big Show Fritsch plays electric and acoustic guitars (next to Dave Coleman of The Coal Men) and Hammond B-3 organ. Also aboard are Jen Gunderman (Jayhawks, Caitlin Cary, Paul Burch) on piano, accordion, organ, harmonium, Alex McCollough on pedal steel, Tim Marks and Dave Jacques on bass, Matt Crouse and Paul Griffith on drums and Wendy Newcomer on backing vocals. Stephen Simmons is a very expressive musician with a very unique sound and high recognizability - and yet hearing songs like 'Parchcorn Falls', 'Spark', 'Just What I Got' and 'I Am Not' will make the listener think of Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen and Bruce Springsteen while 'I'm Late', 'Empty Belly Blues No.32' and 'Heart Trouble' are reminiscent of John Prine and Townes Van Zandt. In the 6-minute "The Circus" he surprises with recitative storytelling van Morrison-style while the band goes into relaxed jam-mode. "C'mon World" on the other hand is free-roaming country rock, "Born With A Mind" is spoken word poetry above slide guitar - something you don't hear too often coming out of Nashville. And late in the game we get to the 9-plus-minutes "Revelations No. 34" with its wacky, surreal, stream of consciousness reflections on the American society and an arrangement culminating in a veritable rock song - definitely one of the album's highlights. You have never heard Stephen Simmons freed of commercial constrictions and musical corsets like this. The Big Show reveals him to be a great artist with a bright future ahead