Decca
2007
Join The Parade
About This Album
Marc Cohn takes some chances this time out. The sound, while inviting, is generally a bit rougher and dirtier than on his other albums -- thank goodness. His manner of writing has shifted as well, from well-clipped phrases (still present on the album's beautiful gospel and soul-tinged opener, "Listening to Leon") to places where the ends of his lines become absorbed into the instrumental backing. And yes, it is a very good thing. Excellent examples are on the moody second cut, "The Calling (Charlie Christian's Tune)," where Charlie Sexton's loops, the two drummers playing counterpoint shuffles, Benmont Tench on B-3, and Patrick Warren on Chamberlin and pump organ wrap his voice inside an atmosphere of such warmth and depth that the singer gets seduced by his own tale. There's real interaction here, not just a singer and a backing band. Sexton's electric guitar and Shane Fontayne's strumming acoustic give Cohn the ability to let himself get lost in all this support. And underneath it all is Jennifer Condos' bass, inching the story along. The backing vocals by Charley Drayton and Ephram Owens' muted trumpet solo bring everybody to the table, and the story unfolds like one told in close quarters.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6 and 7)

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