The name Patti Witten I was already familiar with for a few years. But it wasn´t until TJR played some samples from recent album Tell The Wind, that I convinced myself to buy some of her albums. And yes, normally I would not consider folk music, but the samples were interesting enough to make me change my mind. And if that folk tag puts you off also, wait a minute and read on.
To me, this music has little to do with what I call folk music. This is very intense stuff which, albeit based on acoustic guitar, has been arranged to fit seamlessly into popular music. Call it pop, call it soft rock, whatever. This has a quality that transcends tagging. At least that is how I feel after listening to this.
Patti not only is a singer with an identity of her own, she also is a competent guitar player. Both talents are used to write songs that stick, without sounding like something you have heard a million times before. The recommendation of Rosanne Cash on the CD artwork comes as no surprise if you ask me.
First song What I Don´t Tell You deserves to be a timeless classic every home should know and own. A fantastic melody and depth. I am very impressed with the music which is simply intelligent without sounding clever. Most songs that follow have an edge that gets to you. A lot of slow and medium tempo’s, but somehow it makes me listen and enjoy it all very much. Besides the song-writing skills of Patti, producer Rick DePaolo has done a great job as well as the rest of the musicians. A lot of detail in the playing. And some awesome heartfelt guitar solo’s as well.
For all you rockers, this is no hard rocking affair as you will understand. But for anybody with an open mind, I strongly suggest you listen to the samples (try CD Baby) and get a taste of it yourself. Impressive!
Personal play tips: just start it up!
Peter, I feel you really understood the direction that my folk roots have taken me. Such a nice tribute. I owe much of my sound to Rich DePaolo, fabulous producer and artist in his own right http://www.richdepaolo.com/
Your music speaks volumes. Glad you liked the way I tried to put it to words.
All the best, Peter
Thanks for featuring Patti. I find her music defies an easy description too (And I’m a Rocker guy at heart too)…..and thanks for putting the link to Music Worth Buying up there too.
Hi TJR,
Nice to see you are stopping by. No thanks, I always enjoy the videos from MWB.
Cheers, Peter