THE ZMED BROTHERS
The Everly Brothers Experience
When Will I Be Loved – Crying In The Rain –
Roving Gambler – Gone Gone Gone – Walk Right Back – Kindness Is Magic
(one of their originals) – Problems – Poor Jenny – Devoted To You –
Claudette
I’m probably one of the few country artists in the
upper Midwest that has performed with the Everly Brothers. A couple of
times actually, a good one at the old Music Box in Omaha, and one that
got canceled at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha. I’m also one of the few
country artists from the upper Midwest, that stood in front of the stage
at Knotts Berry Farm in California, staring at where the Everly
Brothers once performed, threw their instruments down, walked off the
stage and didn’t speak to each other for years and years. At that very
second in my life it occurred to me that I would never ever hear that
beautiful brother-harmony singing again….ever. Well they did toward
the last, but it was never the same.
Kathy Graeve, one of our local music teachers brought
this album to me. She, like me, is very impressed with the ‘harmony’
these young guys have given back to us. For me, the ‘harmony’ is right
on. The ‘lead’ lines drift away from the actual Everly Brothers
individual sound, but the essence, and the eerie ‘harmony’ they have
together is right on. I never knew the Everly’s recorded “The Roving
Gambler” one of the songs my wife Sheila and I do when on tour, but the
Zmed Brothers put the harmony right where it belongs, and made it sound
great in the Everly Brothers style. Their backing group is “The Bird
Dogs Band” and they are right on in the music backing. Lead guitar
picking is a little on the modern-electric sound, but still fits the
songs really well. The emphasis is on that very ‘particular’ Everly
Brothers harmony. According to the Album cover, this is Volume-2 of
their Everly covers, so I’m going to try to find the original. I liked
all the songs on this CD. “Walk Right Back” is just a hair slower than
the way the Everly’s did it, but still it’s a fantastic song and well
done. It will surely bring back some fond memories of what really great
music is all about. Burleigh Drummonde is their producer-engineer, and
I’m confident he is very carefully listening to any departure from the
original Everly sound. He did a good job, that’s one difficult task,
especially when the re-capturing artists are as good as the Zmed
Brothers are.
The Zmed Brothers were invited to Shenandoah, Iowa,
last year (2017) to be part of Bill Hillman’s (an old friend of mine)
continuing efforts at keeping the Everly Brothers music alive and well.
The Everlys of course got their start in Shenandoah, which was probably
their most formative years. They became icons in the music business
around the world, perhaps the best ‘true brother harmony’ at it’s very
best. The Zmed’s are carrying that tradition on, and doing it very very
well. There are a few other Everly imitators, one duo in England, but
they are more imitators than they are actual perpetrators of
resurrection. The Zmed’s close the session with “Claudette” a neat song
Roy Orbinson liked a lot. That’s a story totally of its own. Good job
Zmed’s, keep up the good work.
www.music-savers.com RECORD REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART, President, National Traditional Country Music Association for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show