# CD review: Lee Palmer – Horns & Harps 2018: Video

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2018/12/29/cd-review-lee-palmer-horns-harps-2018-video/
- Published: 2018-12-29T21:05:36+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**CD covers can sometimes convey a misleading impression of the music contained 
in the album itself.  Canadian singer/songwriter/guitarist, Lee Palmer’s sixth album,
_Horns & Harps_, is a case in point. **

The black and white CD cover is a close-up photograph of a bookish-looking Palmer
in a striped shirt, smiling behind dark glasses and finger-picking a barre chord
on what looks at first instance to be an acoustic guitar. It’s a cover that suggests
a solo performance of folk music. As Willie Dixon reminded us, however, you can’t
judge a book by its cover and _Horns & Harps_ is actually a collection of 10 Americana
songs played by a full band, with a lot of blues, a fair amount of rock, a splash
of jazz and a hint of country.

Recorded at Jukasa Media Group in Caledonia, Ontario, _Horns & Harps_features eight
songs written by Palmer together with covers of Jessie Winchester’s “Isn’t That 
So” and Walker and Arnold’s “You Don’t Know Me” (originally made famous by Ray Charles).
The core band comprises Iain McNally on guitars, Sean O’Grady on drums and percussion,
Alec Fraser Jr. on bass, Steve O’Connor on piano, Wurlitzer and organ and Chris 
Ayries on backing vocals. Presumably Palmer also contributed guitar, but the CD 
liner notes do not clarify this. The title of the album then comes from the fact
that it was recorded primarily over two days, one featuring the saxophone of Turner
King, the other featuring the harmonica of Roly Platt.

Palmer is an intelligent and subtle songwriter, with an ability to craft a memorable
lyric and, structurally, while still being blues or blues-based, the songs smartly
avoid the 12 bar cliché trap. The opening track, “Waitin’ On The Train”, for example,
neatly sets out Palmer’s metaphorical stall as O’Connor’s piano drives the mid-paced
bluesy stomp, which suits Palmer’s lightly weathered voice to a tee. The band provide
supple support and the song also includes a tremendous harp solo from Platt and 
an unexpected vocal call and response at the end with superbly uplifting contributions
from Ayries.

The breezy “Good Morning Joe” features some fine slide guitar and artfully ambiguous
lyrics. Palmer’s reading of “You Don’t Know Me” emphasizes the jazz leanings that
are easy to overlook in the original and features another fine solo from Platt. 
King’s sax comes to the fore in the slow shuffle of “My Baby Again” and the jazzy
pop of “Life Rolls On” (which also contains a nice guitar solo). Generally speaking
however this is not an album where the emphasis is on the solos. The priority is
very much focused on the song.

There is a gentle, relaxed approach to the songs on _Horns & Harps_.  The music 
and singing throughout is contained and controlled. This, combined with the slow
or mid-paced tempo of the songs, gives the album something of a “late night” feel.
This is not the album with which to kick off the party. When you’re still washing
the glasses  in the early hours, however, long after everyone else has left, this
album is the perfect accompaniment.

![Картинки по запросу Lee Palmer – Horns & Harps](https://i0.
wp.com/4.bp.blogspot.com/-zvpvhZhawq4/W8V7nxsAsWI/AAAAAAAAFc0/vp4On-yqy7Y24BahnUaGS6IEAjH-
dGQjQCLcBGAs/s1600/%25D0%25A4%25D0%25A0%25D0%259E%25D0%259D%25D0%25A2.jpg?w=640&
ssl=1)

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