Try this fantastic track from the 1968 album... 900 Miles
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Never exactly fitting into one musical genre, Callier was maybe closest to folk music. But his songs were also infused with both blues and jazz. And while that's what made Callier so hard to classify for commercial purposes, it's also what made this first (78 + minutes with alternates) album so good. He's released a number of albums over the years but, for me, this 1964 album is certainly one of his very best--maybe his best. But I remember this LP when it was first released to little acclaim. Some of these performances are five "stars" to my ears--they're so clean and pure sounding--but I resisted rating the album five "stars" because my personal taste reared it's head.
Callier has a good voice for singing the blues, but you can hear definite strains of folk music (from playing gigs with Fred Neil, David Crosby, Dino Valenti, and others) in that certain period folk style. And using only his own acoustic guitar playing along with two bassists in a period traditional setting to set off his vocals, these spare (mostly) first takes have that kind of feel to them. Most of the songs are traditional with a few more (then) contemporary tunes added to the mix.
Influenced by Coltrane's music with his use of two bassists, this is where his jazz leanings come into the picture--both musically and in his vocals. Coupled with an honest feel and sound in these performances, these songs are an amalgam of styles that he would never better. With his voice supported by guitar and twin bassists, they weave together a solid sound, sometimes with different tempos from the players in one song--but it all works. And that voice-listen to "Cotton Eyed Joe" or "Jack 'O Diamonds"--for good examples of Callier's bluesy folk/jazz style. That this album was allowed to go o.o.p. for a while is a crime. As I said, never really on many music fan's radar when released, this album is deserving of it's present reissue (with five worthwhile alternate takes) which more music fans (not just folk or jazz vocal fans) should check out. The bare-bones simplicity of this music speaks volumes for Callier's talent. Never attention grabbing like a lot of albums, these performances seep into your head like a fine wine and can be savored over and over again. Amazon Review
