NAOMI BRISTOW Lovin’ The Ride
Watcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy – I Told You So – Cannoball Yodel – You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma – Delta Dawn – Blue – Pick Me Up On Your Way Down – ‘Til I Can Make It On My Own – Where Did The Yodelers Go – Mama’s Table – Once A Day – How Great Thou Art
“Lovin’ The Ride” takes me immediately to Janet McBride, whose biography is of the same name. I believe Naomi and Janet know each other, and I can almost hear Janet’s prompting, teaching, sharing, extolling, urging, throughout this wonderful project. The very first song out of the chute couldn’t be better. “Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy” sort of exemplifies this young beauty’s hopes and dreams in that ‘just right’ boy who will share her life. This delightful young Christian girl has a passion for the musical genre called ‘country’ and her own ‘country’ background growing up in Canada is very apparent. Naomi was with us at our LeMars Festival in 2010. This year we had the smooth crooner Jim Ed Brown at LeMars. Now guess what? Jim Ed joins Naomi on two incredibly delightful songs on this CD….”Pick Me Up On Your Way Down” and “Once A Day.” Jim Ed has a voice that you can identify in those first three notes. Not the case with most pop-country artists of today. His ‘presence’ is immediate on both songs he participated on. He went into America’s Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame this year, most deservedly so. His participation in Naomi’s CD is also a sign of his goodness, and his willingness to be part of what young people are doing in country music these days. Naomi’s mom also had the presence of mind to use good musicians on this project. Mike Baker on electric guitar; Bob Angello on steel guitar; Steve Sturm on acoustic guitar; Mike Schrimpf on harmonica (this guy is really good); Eddy Anderson on drums; Mitch Walker on key board; Dick McVey on bass; Tigar Bell on fiddle (here’s another outstanding musician); Richard Sterban from the Oakridge Boys helped on on bass harmony, as did Mike Lusk and Deb Thomas. Dick McVey the bass player produced and engineered a very very good CD. The mix is super, I don’t hear a lot of hyped up over production, I’d have to say it’s just right in that department. I’m not sure how old Naomi is now, but she is growing into a remarkably pretty young woman, who just happens to be a very talented singer. It’s also worth mentioning that “Once A Day” was written by Bill Anderson who was with us in LeMars last year. It was totally neat to hear Jim Ed singing on this one too. He has such a nice way with the words. The way they did it was for her to sing a verse, and then he’d sing a verse. Way to go Naomi, you have all the ‘good guys’ on your team. I really liked “Blue” the way Naomi does it. It’s hard to move away from the Leeann Rime’s (another Janet McBride protege) original version, but it’s good and great fiddle and steel on it. I will obviously pass this CD along to the Rural Roots Music Commission, with my hope that they will consider it for “Young Country of the Year” CD.
Naomi Bristow P O Box 93, Beeton, Ontario, Canada L0G 1A0
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BOB EVERHART