I am a bit old school — many of the artists I admire are spread over a wide expanse of decades. In the last few years it occurred to me that many of my favorite artists are not getting any younger. Joni Mitchell is ill and hasn’t released any new material since 2007’s “Shine.” Emmylou Harris is still going strong but she too, is 68 — looking quite good still and performing excellently. Joan Baez and Buffy Sainte-Marie are both 74 and their last studio albums were released back in 2008.
So while these artists are still active, their output is slowing down and with each new year they are older still. Their material may be waning because at that age there isn’t much to sing about. New song-subjects that are appropriate for their ages is scarce. After all, even The Beach Boys aren’t going to be writing new songs about running on the beach with bikini clad teenagers anymore.
These artists have always tried their best to record great songs, message songs, personal and confessional songs and not just product. So, their aim at recording new material is knowing exactly where the target is. Who their audience demographic is. Even Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are not the active songwriters they once were – though the majority of their late output isn’t too bad considering their ages. Bob Dylan has started to cover old Frank Sinatra songs…because he is obviously — not losing creativity — but, is running low on new things to say. He too, is at an age where the songs have to reflect the reality that is his now. There are plenty of new blues-roots songs to write and fortunately for Dylan he tells stories in many of his songs and the focus is not always on him. So, I have confidence in his songwriting output. What I don’t have confidence in will be his ability to sing them – ten years from now when he is 83. Personally, I am still interested in anything Dylan does, and he has written enough material that rediscovering songs he did and I originally ignored will be an interesting hunt. I am sure I missed some great tunes.
So, I have started wondering who could step up from the lowlands and make that long trek up to the top of the hill. After all someone, eventually, will have to step into Joni Mitchell’s spotlight, or Emmylou’s, Joan’s or Buffy’s. So far, I have heard many good female singer-songwriters but I can’t even begin to wonder if they have sustainability. Will they be able to keep an audience interested for twenty, thirty or more years as those women have?
Recently, I listened to a CD that was so packed with interesting songwriting, music and vocals it was like finding an old forgotten trunk filled with money. This lady had so many authentic influences in her approach that it almost sounded as if she was all those great female vocalists wrapped into one body. Intentional? Planned? Or just cosmic coincidence? I don’t really care. She has some alchemy.
Alice DiMicele is an artist from Ashland, Oregon and while she is not 21 years old she has an earthy voice that exemplifies youth, experience, originality and some activism. Except for knowing that information I have not read her biography. I want to be able to compare her to artists with familiarity without knowing who she actually admires.
Her recent release “Swim” – contains ten tracks that seamlessly flow from the lyrical folk and jazz inventiveness of Joni Mitchell, to issue-oriented music of Joan Baez, (Alice’s concerns are more environmental than political) — to the roots-country-Americana of Emmylou, and the powerful emotional bliss of the vocals of Native American Buffy. There is so much here to endorse, something for everyone and with the quality that maintained the careers of all those legendary female singers. Besides, Alice even looks like she belongs with those all those marvelous female singers.
The first track “Soul Fly Free,” has that magical vintage folky sound that Norma Tanega had in abundance back in the 1960’s when she released her “Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog,” “The Street That Rythmes With 6 a.m,” and “No Stranger Am I” (which was covered by Dusty Springfield). Alice’s vocals on this track are also reminiscent of Buffy Sainte-Marie in timbre and many times she pronounces her words the way Ruthann Friedman did on her song “People” from her “Constant Companion” album on Warner Bros. Friedman — famous for her song “Windy” that became a major hit for The Association. Put all three of these singer-songwriters together and you have the essence of this kick-off tune. Very Native American in its feel, despite a soaring lap steel and a heavy Hammond Organ.
“If I Could Move the World,” has that again a sense of Native American musical blood snaking through, under the notes but it’s actually a smoky jazz tune with Alice singing in a low sexy register – much the same as Cassandra Wilson, or Madeleine Peyroux.
There’s an under current of trumpets, flugelhorn, and vibes. Alice at one point holds her notes so long it reminded me of Ramblin’ Jack Elliott when he did the same thing back in the 60’s to a mesmerized audience. Toward the end of the song Alice is just gyrating her vocals in a Joni Mitchell jazzy bop-inflected manner. At the end, she is also sounding like actress-singer Irene Papas from Aphrodite Child’s 666 as depicted in the deeply orgasmic “∞” (Infinity) track. The song is by Alice is remarkable.
From these creative songs Alice now begins to “swim” into the violin-acoustic guitar driven “Open Road,” and she is gracefully driving top-down on the black top through Americana territory. Her voice bends the words like a branch, skims the surface of a pond like skipping stones, and goes from sensual roots vocals to the deep and refined Cassandra Wilson voice. Her authority in this blues-oriented song is dynamic. She certainly learned her music lessons well and if not, then she has the instinct required. Her vocal growls — where it’s needed — are sincere and potent as European espresso elsewhere. There are moments when I believe Joni Mitchell would smile listening to a song like this.
Still in a roots mode – “Old Life Back,” is delicate of expression and the voice is still powerful and consistently fine. This one is easily relatable. This is a hat-tip to Buffy Sainte-Marie and her environmental concerns. A subtle banjo anchors the song as she leads off with her “boom…boom…until it bursts.” This is not a protest song as much as an educational song. She doesn’t preach, she just lays it out before you Houdini-like. You don’t even know she is teaching you as you enjoy the melody. It’s one of the catchiest songs on the album and it’s poignant. A beautiful way to get an important contemporary message across without sounding radical and heavy handed.
“Inside,” is a slow cooker – but when that beautifully warm trumpet comes in it savors the ear. Alice writes her songs the way an artist uses color. Not too much red, not too many grays or black, blend here, there, scratch a little, feather, stroke and the images form like stories. That’s the way Alice’s music unfolds.
“When Jane Rides Scout,” is upbeat – the brass invigorates the simplicity of the song and Alice’s water-color voice runs freely between the notes. Excellently recorded and captured – every instrument can be heard adding to the fire with it’s little embers. The finale is a well recorded radiating trumpet solo – I got goose-bumps with Mikey Stevens started to play. It was just enough in the right place to accentuate the sincerity of the lyric. If the song was vanilla ice cream then the trumpet is its flambe — the brandy set afire for an instant.
The next track would be so perfect for Willie Nelson or Emmylou Harris – but, Alice sings “Schoolhouse” with such exhilaration, accompanied by violin and mandolin that I can’t imagine anyone making this better. It has that perfect old-school country thread running through it. The violin takes center stage here – and the Reinhardt Melz drums slowly become so commanding and fiery it will clean out that wax in your ears. Alice’s dramatic vocals wrap up her lyrical story and this alone recommends it. This is country drama of the finest order. The last verse, as the album notes, is Alice’s positive affirmation for the Klamath River in Northern California. Read more about that online.
The title track “Swim,” is back to being jazzy. The guitars play in a vintage burst – Newport Jazz 1958 – and Alice’s jazz vocals are Julie Driscoll-Tippet in nature. (Ms. Driscoll-Tippet having been lead vocalist with Brian Auger’s band — “Streetnoise” for decades and then solo with her “Sunset Glow” album.) The brass snares you in like a spider web and the Hammond Organ is a slice of Jimmy Smith’s indelible distinctive style. Again, that devilishly brilliant blast of trumpet is captivating. This is a heavy tune and the groove is dance floor perfect. Anyone who doesn’t tap their foot when this plays is dead.
“This Love,” could become a coffeehouse, folk music circuit classic. Sung with the same warm sincerity that Mary Chapin Carpenter sang when she recorded her brilliant “This Shirt.” It has all the elements of sadness, optimism and the beautifully warm strain of the cello that has a concentrated current of romance without being lush . Alice pronounces her words with angst at times remininscent of Kris McKay when she sang “If Ever You Need Me.” This kind of performance goes for the heart. It’s real, it’s meant in every way to be authentic and not just a singer singing a song. Alice’s tone has strenght and is stimulating. Her songs require a lyric book – she is that good. This is a tear-jerker but it’s not lame, or contrived in any way.
The closing song is one of The Grateful Dead’s classics by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia. “Ripple,” in the hands of Alice, allows this song’s true beauty to rise to the surface. No hippie overtones. The song has matured and listening to something from the 60’s recorded fresh, today, by a new, younger voice – shows the enduring authenticity of that era’s songs. “Ripple” fits in Alice’s repertoire and the beauty of the song may not lie with it being an old Grateful Dead song. It’s wonderful, and perfect for a female vocalist probably because if you listen closely – you will recognize that the melody is actually “Any Dream Will Do,” by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. That song was written several years before “Ripple,” for the play “Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat.” Plagiarism? I don’t think so. I think the Dead worked something out with those composers and all is fine in music land. I hope so because I like both songs equally. What would be real nice is for Alice to record a version of “Any Dream Will Do,” next or thread the two together in concert.
As for Alice’s version of “Ripple,” it is absolutely beautiful. Maybe more Grateful Dead songs will be covered by an artist as wise as Alice DiMicele.
The album “Swim,” is her 12th solo album and it was Produced very well by Alice. There are too many musicians to name individually but every one of them performed excellently. The packaging is a die-cut 4 panel (what? No lyric book?) and depicts a serious Alice with her acoustic guitar under water to support her environmental concerns. I admire the way Alice provided her message without being overly political or activist heavy. She balanced everything as a true artistic endeavor and she should be listened to and savored. There’s a lot to like on this ten song collection.
I will add Alice DiMicele to my Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Buffy Sainte-Marie collection – they are all musical soul mates.
Photography Credits: No Specific photographer name listed / found for portrait shot in review — Photo courtesy of Alice Otter Music. Photos on CD of Alice by Jeff Burlingham & photos of salmon by Thomas Dunklin.
Website: http://www.alicedimicele.com/newsite/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/alicedimicele
MySpace Music – Type in Alice’s name: https://myspace.com/
BandCamp: https://alicedimicele.bandcamp.com/
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review / commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of No Depression. All photography is owned by the respective photographers and is their copyrighted image; credited where photographer’s name was known & being used here solely as reference and will be removed on request. YouTube images are standard YouTube license.
John Apice / No Depression / April 2015