This is a review of my latest CD, translated into English. The Dutch version is at the end.

Real Roots Cafe Netherlands
Kort McCumber, Ain’t The Same As Before (Lucky Nugget Records)
From little Vermont in the northeast of the US we have received the latest CD by Kort McCumber. According to his website it’s his 3rd CD and, considering what… “ain’t the same as before” has to offer, I am looking forward to those other CDs (and the live-DVD). This already shows my appreciation: I am rather impressed by this wonderful CD.

A happy mash of folk, country (fiddle), rock, blues and roots music with, on some tracks, a wonderfully exciting rhythm (especially in the only cover, Ola Belle Reed’s “I’ve endured”, the sad “Chenille” and the cheery “Pay the fiddler”). Kort himself plays no less than 12 instruments on this CD: several guitars but also cello, piano, harmonica, mandoline, dobro and “Irish” bouzouki. He is assisted on bass (Jim Gilmour, who can also be heard on background vocals on several tracks), drums, Hammond B3 as well as on electric guitar (Jeff Poremski on five tracks) and fiddle/violin/viol (Beth Wilberger, who also contributes with surprisingly pretty background vocals on six tracks). But it’s especially the original tracks, ten in total, 8 of which in collaboration with others, that give this CD its added value. Delightful melodies, beautiful choruses, great lyrics. Especially “Pay the fiddler”, “Ain’t the same as before”, “Highway 50″, “I’m sorry”, “I’ve endured” and “Welcome to Duluth” have stolen my musical heart. Let me quote the immortal first lines of this last song: “I carry a two dollar bill in my pocket to remind me of the love that you’ve shown from the start. And the letters you write, they’ve been helping me keep my mind off my mind and open my heart”, and further on: “Now that two dollar bill sits on the dresser in the house that we share at the end of the road. And that two dollar bill will always remind me that no matter the distance between us, you’re my home”. Ain’t pure love beautiful.
This Kort McCumber is a genuine discovery, a more than excellent singer-songwriter who has produced one of the better CDs of 2010 in the field of Americana.
(Fred Schmale)

Original Dutch version:
Uit het kleine Vermont in het noordoosten van de USA komt de nieuwste CD van Kort McCumber tot ons. Volgens ’s mans website is het zijn derde CD en gezien het gebodene op deze ‘Ain’t the same as before’ ben ik inmiddels razend benieuwd naar de andere cd’s 9en de live DVD die ook bestaat). Dat geeft al een waarde-oordeel weer: ik ben behoorlijk onder de indruk van deze prachtige CD.
Een vrolijke mengelmoes van folk, country (fiddle), rock, blues en roots muziek met in enkele nummers een heerlijk opzwepend ritme (met name in de enige cover, Ola Belle Reed’s ‘I’ve endured’, het triestige ‘Chenille’ en het pittige ‘Pay the fiddler’). Kort zelf bespeelt op de CD maar liefst twaalf instrumenten, de nodige gitaren, maar ook cello, piano, harmonica, mandoline, dobro en ‘Irish’ bouzouki. Er is hulp op bas (Jim Gilmour, ook in een aantal nummers te horen als achtergrondvocalist), drums, Hammond B3, ook op elektrische gitaar (Jeff Poremski in vijf nummers) en fiddle/viool/viola (Beth Wilberger, zorgt op zes nummers voor verrassend mooie achtergrondzang). Maar het zijn met name de originele liedjes, tien in totaal waarvan acht in samenwerking met anderen, die deze CD zijn meerwaarde verlenen. Schitterende melodietjes, prachtige refreinen, prima teksten. Met name ‘Pay the fiddler’, ‘Ain’t the same as before’, ‘Highway 50’, ‘I’m sorry’, ‘I’ve endured’ en ‘Welcome to Duluth’ hebben mijn muziekhart gestolen. Ik citeer de onsterfelijke beginstrofe van deze laatste song: ‘I carry a two dollar bill in my pocket to remind me of the love that you’ve shown from the start. And the letters you write, they’ve been helping me keep my mind off my mind and open my heart’ en even verder: ‘Now that two dollar bill sits on the dresser in the house that we share at the end of the road. And that two dollar bill will always remind me that no matter the distance between us, you’re my home’ . Prachtig toch, hele echte liefde.

Deze Kort McCumber is een heuse ontdekking, een meer dan voortreffelijke singer-songwriter die met één van de betere CD’s van 2010 op de proppen komt in het rijke Americanaveld. (Fred Schmale)

Tags: Dutch, Holland, Medicinal Americana, Netherlands

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