So many great artists and so many great projects, but these two are very special ones -- one old, one new.
Jonathan Edwards is certainly known as a heritage artist and has given us so much more music (18 albums and counting) than Sunshine, the mega hit from the Seventies by which most seem to know him. He has been described as “one veteran performer who is neither grizzled nor nostalgic,” -- precisely the reason why his new music is so relevant today. How gratifying to find that Edwards has not lost his vocal or guitar chops in this fourth decade of songwriting. His songs still contain his time-honored wonder and love of life, artfully blended with the maturity of deeper understandings and insight. What a delight. His latest work, My Love Will Keep, must be on this list!
Edward's latest work contains wonderful originals and great covers, like this one, Rod MacDonald's "The Sailor's Prayer"
http://youtu.be/Cv24bE7zAtE
Vanessa Lively is not only a soulful human being, and wonderful singer/songwriter, but also an accomplished painter. She sold individual panels that composed a larger work to fund her latest work, Uncovering Stones. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, she recently came back home from a two year sojourn to South America where she and her husband worked as volunteers. Featuring an all-star cast of musicians, and a compelling mix of tempos and styles that embrace hints of urban, world, Latin, funk and pop, Uncovering Stones is a tasty chronicle of her experiences and emotions through the journey and the return. it is a beauty.
Here's Vanessa speed painting to an unreleased demo: "Diggin' Up Dirt"
http://youtu.be/m5sVexmp1LE
Two more tomorrow! In the meantime, you can review Tuesday's picks and Monday's as well.
