JACK LANGLEY – Portraits

JACK LANGLEY – Portraits

 
Blue Tattoo – The Truest Love – All The
Blues I Can Use – I Wanna Wander Free – Snowbanks Of Home – Hurt With
The Best – Blue Mood – A Gentle Wind – Along The Way – Some Sweet
Tomorrow
 
     
I’m a Jack Langley fan, I have been from the very
first time I heard him.  If there was ever a real pretty red-headed girl
in Sioux City, Iowa, I know she would love Jack Langley too.  He makes
his home in Sioux City, and hopefully he’s happy there, cause he
certainly has paid his dues, all the way to Ireland’s Restaurant in
Nashville.  That in itself is pretty amazing.  Roger Miller started the
‘live’ music shows at that popular eatery in the 50’s.  They kept it
going as long as they possibly could, and Jack has the somewhat
‘sorrowful’ title of being the last one to perform there.  Does he have
memories of that time in his life? Of course he does.  Listen to “All
The Blues I Can Use” on this remarkable original song CD, and you can
instantly understand why Waylon and Willie dropped in at the Ireland to
play the pinball machine, or Jimmy Buffet stopped by for dinner. 
Why?  They probably had all the blues they could use for that day at
least.  Think there was more country celebrities stopping by to hear
Jack Langley?  Of course there were.
     
Jack is the really good acoustic rhythm guitar player
doing his chords on this CD, and his sometimes unusual chords, exactly
the way he wants them to sound on this Orange Carpet Studio production. 
His son Mike lays down a mean electric guitar lead.  I like the way
they mesh it together on “All The Blues I Can Use.”  It’s sometimes soft
and sincere, and other times hard and sad. Lots of ‘good’ blues energy
in this song. The electric bass is a little loud, but not that much.
     
Like all good songwriters, Jack writes about his own
experiences.  He reminds me of another Iowa writer, Max Barnes.  Wow,
would they have created sparks if they could have ever gotten together. 
This CD by Jack was issued in 1999, and though the ‘rules’ are not
solidly set with the Rural Roots Music Commission, I think I might be
able to get them to listen to it.  All the rules say is they have to be
submitted within a year before the awards. 
     
The final word on this remarkable piece of music is,
if you like thoughts and dreams told in words you can understand, if you
like a story with the melody, if you like something a little different,
if you like classic country, but also classic folk, and classic blues,
and classic music, you will certainly like classic Jack Langley.
 
Bob Everhart, Reviewer

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