J. JEFFREY MESSEROLE
Halfway Home
Halfway Home – Second Hand Rose – Madeline,
My Dear – The Arsonist – Geraldine – Missouri Moon – St. Lorraine – Help
Me Heal – Queen of Abilene – Last Call – The End Or The Eye
My Dear – The Arsonist – Geraldine – Missouri Moon – St. Lorraine – Help
Me Heal – Queen of Abilene – Last Call – The End Or The Eye
I reviewed one of Jeffrey Meserole’s CD’s last year, and it
wound up being a “Folk” CD of the Year from the Rural Root Music
Commission. I hope they are ready to listen to another ‘winner’ from
this young folk-like singer and rural songwriter. The very first song
“Halfway Home” is exceptional. Nathan Emerson plays a very old-style
pedal steel guitar style which matches the voice, the message, and the
music of this most excellently written song. Jeffrey is touching on
heart-like areas that a lot of ‘folk singers’ don’t tread near anymore.
Though he does not sound like Dylan, Messerole has a definite ‘touch’
of the master. His ‘stories’ are abundantly clear in their message, each
and every one of them. In song number two the debilitating instrument
is John Scott’s violin, which exacerbates exactly what Jeffrey is
saying. That word sometimes means to irritate or annoy, but here it
means to increase the intensity of the situation and feelings. In song
number three Jeffrey introduces us to a kind of moaning and exactly
right electric guitar played by Jesse Dagel. So it continues throughout
this entire CD. Much planning, playing, practicing, performing this
wonderful 11-essay on life today, yesterday, tomorrow. Sometimes as it
is, as it was, as it will be. As you can see, this particular CD is
full of what the old masters did with folk music, bring it alive, tell
the stories, tell the truth. What’s even more amazing to me is that J.
Jeffrey Messerole makes his home in Cherokee, Iowa. An unlikely place to
find an artist of this nature and capacity. Some of his style takes me
back to the ‘Eric Burdon and the Animals’ however it’s still pure
Messerole as he parlays his voice, style, and backing into the storyland
he shares with us. At no time however does Jeffrey abandon the older
folk style, lovely acoustic finger-picking guitar style which is
exhibited so well on “The Arsonist.” It’s the same all the way through
this very well planned musical adventure. Thank you Jeffrey for
submitting this very lovely listening experience. Off this one goes,
even though it’s very early for next year’s submissions to the Rural
Roots Music Commission.
wound up being a “Folk” CD of the Year from the Rural Root Music
Commission. I hope they are ready to listen to another ‘winner’ from
this young folk-like singer and rural songwriter. The very first song
“Halfway Home” is exceptional. Nathan Emerson plays a very old-style
pedal steel guitar style which matches the voice, the message, and the
music of this most excellently written song. Jeffrey is touching on
heart-like areas that a lot of ‘folk singers’ don’t tread near anymore.
Though he does not sound like Dylan, Messerole has a definite ‘touch’
of the master. His ‘stories’ are abundantly clear in their message, each
and every one of them. In song number two the debilitating instrument
is John Scott’s violin, which exacerbates exactly what Jeffrey is
saying. That word sometimes means to irritate or annoy, but here it
means to increase the intensity of the situation and feelings. In song
number three Jeffrey introduces us to a kind of moaning and exactly
right electric guitar played by Jesse Dagel. So it continues throughout
this entire CD. Much planning, playing, practicing, performing this
wonderful 11-essay on life today, yesterday, tomorrow. Sometimes as it
is, as it was, as it will be. As you can see, this particular CD is
full of what the old masters did with folk music, bring it alive, tell
the stories, tell the truth. What’s even more amazing to me is that J.
Jeffrey Messerole makes his home in Cherokee, Iowa. An unlikely place to
find an artist of this nature and capacity. Some of his style takes me
back to the ‘Eric Burdon and the Animals’ however it’s still pure
Messerole as he parlays his voice, style, and backing into the storyland
he shares with us. At no time however does Jeffrey abandon the older
folk style, lovely acoustic finger-picking guitar style which is
exhibited so well on “The Arsonist.” It’s the same all the way through
this very well planned musical adventure. Thank you Jeffrey for
submitting this very lovely listening experience. Off this one goes,
even though it’s very early for next year’s submissions to the Rural
Roots Music Commission.
CD REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART, President of National Traditional Country Music Association for Country Music News International