Gary Louris Vagabonds 2008, Tim O'Reagan Tim O'Reagan 2006, Gary Louris and Marc Olsen Ready For The Flood 2009

I've been wandering through the Jayhawks' catalog lately, partly because I said that Paging Mr. Proust wasn't a great Jayhawks record. I had to reconfirm my opinion of that outing, and I feel I can defend my position. Anyway...

I've been listening to a lot of Jayhawks lately, and I have renewed my love of the band. Hollywood Town Hall is among my all-time favorites, but they made more hits than misses.

Along the way while digesting so much Jayhawks also came a couple of solo offshoots of the band. 

Gary Louris' Vagabonds is really good. Produced by Chris Robinson, and staffed by an alternate Jayhawks band, they try fairly hard to not sound like the Jayhawks, and succeed as much as you'd want them to. The biggest sound change comes from the vocals. Eschewing the three part harmonies of the Jayhawks and replacing them with a nine member choir (with several famous names among them) for back-up vocals works well, and more than any other factor, makes this sound not like the Jayhawks.

Add to that a few songs that are somewhat experimental and markedly different also gives this a "solo record" sound, but it's still Louris. The opener True Blue sounds the most like a Jayhawks tune, and a good one. Omaha Nights gets a big rock treatment, as does We'll Get By. To Die A Happy Man, She Only Calls Me On Sundays, and I Wanna Get High show some different sides of Louris to good effect. It's easy to see these as songs he may have written previously and knew they weren't Jayhawks material. The record ends strong with the title track, D.C. Blues, and Meandering all exhibiting fine songwriting and well-crafted arrangements.

Just like a Jayhawks record, it's about the songs, and this one has the songs. It is fun to hear him try to sound different and succeed. And Louris' vocals are excellent throughout.

I also stumbled upon a record I bought, listened to a few times, and then it got lost in the stacks, all but forgotten. Tim O'Reagan's eponymous debut is in many ways what you might expect from a pent-up songwriter/drummer just waiting to cut loose. It shouldn't come as a surprise that it plays like a folk/country/Americana experiment given his Jayhawks connection. I wish I could be more enthusiastic, and the record has interesting moments, but it's not going to impress after his work with Jayhawks.

O'Reagan has a thin high-pitched voice just made for harmonies, but not so much as a lead singer. He's a fine drummer, and at least a passing guitarist, and an interesting lyricist. He writes some pretty melodies, but the hooks and catchy choruses mostly evade him. Most of the record is fairly simple country/folk with good lyrics and underdeveloped melodies. There are nice touches of piano, accordion, and guitar that keep things from being dull.

Near the end things get better. The last four or five songs are the most interesting, one is even uptempo, something the record could use a lot more of.

All of the Jayhawks participate, and there are several other artists that contribute. I guess the biggest problem is a lack of great songs, but his voice isn't really strong enough either.

The bad news (or good?) is that you'll probably never hear it. There's three songs on YouTube, nothing on Bandcamp or streaming services. There's very affordable copies on Discogs.

Jayhawks took an extended break between 2004 and 2010 that precipitated all three of these releases. I'm going to save your time and mine in dealing with Ready For The Flood. It's mostly acoustic, often just the two of them, and boring. The songs might be OK, but they needed to be developed into Jayhawks songs, and not tossed off by these old bandmates. Sure, they still harmonize well, but let's put some muscle behind that. I suppose if you love those acoustic demos that get tacked on as extra tracks, you might like this. Caveat emptor. 

The Jayhawks Sanctuary Park 2026

 

The new Jayhawks album has a lot going for it. A bunch of strong songs from Gary Louris' pen, those lovely three-part harmonies, Bob Ezrin, who produced the excellent Smile, producing, and the impressive skills of the core band- Jen Gunderman's perfect keyboards, Tim O'Reagan's drumming, Marc Perlman's bass, Louris' guitar and everyone's vocals.

Most essentially for a Jayhawks record, Louris' songs make the biggest difference, but Ezrin may deserve a thick slice of the credit pie. His work on Smile helped make it a highlight in the band's discography, and this new one compares most easily to Smile in its upbeat sound, which is a good thing.

There are many positive reviews you can read if you want to parse the individual songs. Upbeat lead single Keeping Our Heads Above Water, rocking numbers Kingston Girl, Always And A Day and American Midnight, political and rocking Mr. Lincoln, the wistful title track, those harmonies on Hands Upon The Wheel. There aren't really any weak tunes.

If you're not sure it stacks up with their best work, rest assured it does. That means it comes mighty close to the three that Marc Olson made with the band- Hollywood Town Hall, Tomorrow The Green Grass, and Mockingbird Time, and right there with Smile, Rainy Day Music, Back Roads and Abandoned Motels and XOXO. Just to be complete, that also makes it considerably better than Paging Mr. Proust, and especially Sound Of Lies. 

Cassandra Willson 1955-2026

Cassandra Wilson was one of the more highly regarded jazz singers of her time, which ended just recently at age 70. A fiercely independent artist whose career was long and varied, she became most famous for her jazz covers of blues, rock and pop tunes, but was equally respected for her own well-crafted songwriting, often in collaboration with select others.

She was not an overnight success. From 1985-1992, she made seven records for the JMT label, one Japan-only release, and one for DIW/Columbia. Most of this time she was associated with New York's M-Base collective headed by Steve Coleman and focused on improvisation within a funk-jazz-soul hybrid. These early records received some critical praise, but did not sell particularly well until she recorded her first of three standards records, the beautiful Blue Skies in 1988. Recorded with Mulligrew Miller on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, and a young Terri Lynne Carrington on drums, Wilson quietly turned ten classics from the great American songbook into priceless performances. The supporting trio was exceptional, and Wilson's contralto delivered smokey, sensual versions of every song. She continued recording for JMT, making five more records with the label. Live and She Who Weeps (both 1991) charted and were somewhat successful. Unfortunately, her JMT period releases are not available for streaming, though that may change now that she has passed. A few of the Blue Skies songs show up on the Sings Standards 2002 compilation,

Then in 1993 she signed with Blue Note, and debuted the blues-pop-country-world music jazz blend that would become her trademark on the highly successful Blue Light 'Til Dawn. In 1995 she repeated the formula on New Moon Daughter, which went to #1 on the jazz charts, received broad critical acclaim, and won a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance.

1997 saw here return to standards on Rendezvoux with pianist Jacky Terresson. It's good, but whether it's Terresson's arrangements, his playing, or the choice of material, it pales in comparison to Blue Skies. Next up Traveling Miles 1999, a bold move to cover Miles Davis songs and in several instances, to add lyrics to his songs. It is hit and miss, with moments both sublime and baffling. But you've got to respect her for taking the project on, and it sold well and charted high.

Belly of the Sun 2002 is a classic eclectic collection of songs for reinterpretation. Covering Robbie Robertson, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Jimmy Web, Robert Johnson, and others, and including four Wilson originals, some listeners wondered "Is this jazz?" The answer to that question only matters to high brow snobs. It's a solid record with few imperfect moments, but that happens sometimes when you still take chances, and Wilson does indeed take chances.

Glamoured 2003 continues the hot streak. Wilson writes half the songs while the rest is well-chosen, thoughtfully arranged covers. Producer and guitarist Fabrizio Sotti leads a keyboardless ensemble and brings out the best in Wilson. Almost everything works, and her version of If Loving You Is Wrong elevates an already classic song. Glamoured does not mean dolled up, it means enchanted, bewitched, and the title is perfect.

Produced by T-Bone Burnett, Keefus Ciancia and J.D. Foster, Thunderbird 2006 is Wilson's least jazz-like record, and continued to alienate her original "real" jazz fan base. Too many keyboards and electronics get in the way of her usual sound, but the record is still good. Just not quite as good as her best work.

Wilson returns to standards on Loverly 2008, and it is among her better work, and won her another Grammy. Jason Moran's piano, Marvin Sewell's guitar, and frequent contributor Lonnie Plaxico on bass lead a fine ensemble which also stars Nigerian percussionist Lekan Babalola. They are different in personnel and approach, but this one and Blue Skies are equally great records of standards.

Sewell and Babalola return for Silver Pony in 2010, along with John Batiste, Reginald Veal, and Herlin Riley, an all-star band that shines on a seamless mix of live and studio recordings. The record received somewhat mixed reviews, which surprised me, as I felt it was an excellent outing that leaned a bit more toward jazz, with less jazz-pop than her recent work. There are several longer songs that feature the band as much as the vocals, and it's a great band.

Another Country 2012 is a collaboration between Wilson and Fabrizio Scotti (see Glamoured above). They write and produce all of the songs together, and Scotti again plays guitar throughout. It's a different record from most of her work, and it is special in many ways. The two artists complement each other very well.

Her last recording, 2015's Coming Forth By Day is a tribute to Billie Holiday. Wilson does it her way, though, and never attempts to imitate Lady Day. Instead Wilson interprets and reimagines eleven songs by and/or associated with Holiday. Martyn Casey on bass and Thomas Wydler on drums, the rhythm section from Nick Cave's Bad Seeds, lay down a bluesy base while multiple guitarists and other talented musicians build an unusually atmospheric pallet for Wilson to color. Producer Nick Launay adds strings on the ballads, and it all adds up to a different sounding Cassandra Wilson record. But her distinctive voice and phrasing keep it very much in her wheelhouse, and mark the end of her career on a high note.

In all of this, Wilson's smokey contralto and sinuous and sensual delivery are what make her records so spellbinding. Her frequent use of guitars and interesting percussion over keyboards give her records a distinct flavor that is her own. A distinctive voice and an independent artist with a clear vision for her work made some of the best records of the last three decades. 

I had the pleasure of seeing her live twice, and I was in awe each time. As great as many of her records are, her live show was mesmerizing.

Prince Timeless 2026, The Guess Who Live 1972, Badfinger Straight Up 1971, Toy Matinee 1990, NRBQ Workshop 1972

The brand new Prince release really should have been titled Cash Grab.

 

The Guess Who Live at the Paramount 1972. I owned a Guess Who record (Wheatfield Soul 1969) way way back in '69. But everything I thought about the band changed when I heard this live record just recently. I was never convinced that Burton Cummings was the real deal. He is. The band totally rocks, and they are so much better than their records.

Badfinger Straight Up 1971. Everyone says that this is Badfinger's finest, and it sure is good. But for me, No Dice 1970 is just better, and it's definitely more fun. Hat tip to Bloggerythyms for this and The Guess Who.

Toy Matinee 1990. Never heard this until recently, and I can't remember which blogger to thank. A bunch of mostly studio pros form a band, make one record, and disappear. No big deal there, except it is a killer rock and roll record with great songs, fine instrumentation, tight arrangements, good vocals, and obvious intelligence about what makes a strong record.

NRBQ Workshop 1972. One of the most consistently strong NRBQ records, and yet somehow woefully neglected by the press. It's been reissued several times since 2007, and this new one is remastered. I don't know if it makes much difference, and I didn't compare it to my original vinyl, but it sounds good and there's a few extra tracks that have appeared before. For twenty years with Al Anderson, NRBQ made a whole lot of great ones. This one is in the top ten for sure.