Get it or forget it – Joey Racano, Ben de la Cour, Cathy Segal-Garcia, Andy Sydow, Wolfe Jackson

As we explained yesterday, while we were off covering the Hollywood Fringe Festival, we received 94 review requests for the month of June.  We will be focusing on those for our Get it or Forget it articles on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  For the Friday edition, we will focus on the July releases.  We should be caught up with everything by the end of the second week in August, so let’s get started.

Artist Name:  Joey Racano

Album Name:  Midnite Madness

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Blues/Rock

Track Listing:  1.  In the Middle of the Night; 2.  Tell the Truth; 3.  Medicine Wheel; 4.  Eight Ball Jones; 5.  Saturday Cyberdate; 6.  Hello Baby (Reunion Blues); 7.  Six String Savvy

Publicist:  Self-promoted

Review:  Joey Racano takes traditional blues guitar and adds in elements of pop (repetition) and rap to create a most unique sound, as demonstrated on the first track, “In the Middle of the Night.”  He also throws in some wailing sax for good measure.  “Tell the Truth” has more of a rock beat but continues with his spoken/sung vocals and pop repetitions that immediately distinguish his sound from others in this genre.  His lyrics are deep and may require multiple listens to fully comprehend all that he has to say.  What he lacks in vocal prowess is more than made up by the musical accompaniment.

Recommendation:  This one is worth a listen or two just because it is so different.  It’s a throwback to when music was more important than smooth silky vocals.  You may or may not like it, but it’s worth a listen nevertheless.

Artist Name:  Ben de la Cour

Album Name:  The High Cost of Living Strange

Label:  Flour Sack Cape Records

Genre:  Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Dixie Crystals; 2.  Uncle Boudreau Went to Texas; 3.  Company Town; 4.  Face Down Penny; 5.  Tupelo; 6.  Guy Clark’s Fiddle; 7.  Just Like the Blues; 8.  The High Cost of Living Strange

Publicist:  Broken Jukebox Media

Review:  Americana is a uniquely American genre, and Ben de la Cour plays it better than just about any other artist we have heard in recent memory.  His voice is strong, smooth and fluid, and his songs are well written masterpieces.  His instrumental soundtrack perfectly captures this genre, delivering compelling time capsules of life.  His publicist said his album was the best he’d heard this year, and we would tend to agree to that.  This is an artist that should be on the top of the Americana scene, and we are proud and privileged to have been chosen to review his album.  We think he belongs in the company of Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton, as well as in the national spotlight.  We really love the sound of “Dixie Crystals,” “Company Town,” “Tupelo,” “Guy Clark’s Fiddle,” and “Just Like the Blues.”

Recommendation:  If you love Americana, then you must add this one to your collection.  Get it today.

Artist Name:  Cathy Segal-Garcia

Album Name:  The Jazz Chamber

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Jazz

Track Listing:  1.  Star Eyes; 2.  Velho Piano; 3.  Time After Time; 4.  High Trapeze; 5.  Cinema Paradiso Theme; 6.  Message to Prez; 7.  This Moment; 8.  Universal Prisoner; 9.  Compared to What; 10.  Sleep in Peace

Publicist:  Mouthpiece Music

Review:  Cathy Segal-Garcia is a gifted jazz vocalist who has just released her 11th CD.  This time around, she adds an entire jazz chamber orchestra to the mix, and the result is rather grand, as in ballroom.  These tunes would have been right at home in the 1940s, with their elegant and expansive sound, and the feeling that you should be dancing around a large ballroom floor while she serenades your senses.  She even throws in a couple of cover songs, including a brilliant adaptation of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.”  Grab a glass of wine, dim the lights and enjoy.

Recommendation:  If you love jazz, then we’re sure this artist is already in your collection.  We recommend you add her latest.

Artist Name:  Andy Sydow

Album Name:  Reasons for Departure

Label:  Uncle Ralph Records

Genre:  Americana

Track Listing:  1.  Reasons for Departure; 2.  Directions to the Moon; 3.  Who I Want to Be; 4.  Secret Rodeo; 5.  Hearts go On; 6.  Shame on Me; 7.  Lonely Love; 8.  Jenny’s Masquerade; 9.  Bus Drive; 10.  Whispering Moon

Publicist:  EMPKT PR

Review:  Andy Sydow is a gifted songwriter who hails from Denver, Colorado.  On this album, he has hooked up with LA Music Critic Award winning producer Chris Daniels to deliver an amazing group of songs that loudly proclaim he has arrived and is ready for his cameo.  From the first notes of the title track, Sydow firmly establishes himself as a force that cannot be overcome, so we advise you to sit down and enjoy these tracks.  Daniels has managed to highlight all the strengths of Sydow’s style, and give us an album that is good from start to finish.  You will not want to miss a single track, but just sit back and savor the instrumentation, the lyrics, the stories and the voice of calm that permeates this music.  Sydow is a combination of Tom Petty meets Jackson Browne, and we will forever be a fan.

Recommendation:  You simply MUST add this one to your library.  Get it ASAP!

Artist Name:  Wolfe Jackson

Album Name:  Nobody Knows Me (Better Than You)

Label:  Self-released

Genre:  Americana/Soul

Track Listing:  1.  Nobody Know Me (Better Than You); 2.  Comfort Love; 3.  One More Time; 4.  Where my Heart Belongs; 5.  Brother; 6.  Lord Forgive Me (I’ve Been Bad) (bonus track)

Publicist:  Effective Immediately PR

Review:  Wolfe Jackson is a UK transplant who has firmly established himself as an American artist.  On his debut EP, he shows why he sold out his record release show at Hollywood’s famed Hotel Cafe.  His sound is raw and rare, and should provide him with a long career in music.  From the first notes of the title track, his amazing voice rises above the simple accompaniment, reminiscent of Jason Mraz, who was also had success at the Hotel Cafe early in his career.  His songs feel like they are being sung directly to  you while you listen to him in the comfort of your living room.  This is a voice that will surely rise like cream to the top of the music scene.  We expect to see him become a household name in no time at all.

Recommendation:  This one is a no-brainer.  You need this album in your library, where we are sure you will listen to it over and over again.