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ORPHAN BLOOM – The Wary Traveler

(2011 Self-Release)

If you picked up Orphan Bloom’s excellent self-titled debut in 2010 and didn’t think they could get any more intense you would be dead wrong. The progressive metal quartet pick up right where they left off with this follow-up 4-song EP released in December.

Case in point: the last track, “Vanity’s End” a sledgehammering dirge that eclipses with vocalist Alex Kress wailing “You fool you / you crossed me for the last time.” He takes it up a register and then, when you think he can’t possibly go any higher – he does. The track then melts into a cacophony of feedback and sustain that would shock any conservative to their core.

The title track is a clinic in Zeppelin-like heavy riffage melded with bluesy, melodic lyrical lines. The guitar interplay between Kress and lead guitarist Saigopal Nelaturi in the middle section is intricate and inspired.

Orphan Bloom builds the tension right from the start. “Hole in the Ocean” starts with an arpeggiated guitar line before exploding into the first verse, the band deftly maneuvering between tempo and time changes throughout. The rhythm section is very impressive, completing the stellar front-line vocal and guitar razzle-dazzle that Kress and Nelaturi bring.

“The Siren’s Eyes” displays the band’s abilities to go psychedelic with vocal layers and effects while the band churns, building up a complex rhythmic foundation, always returning to the hook in the chorus. There is an extended coda that exemplifies the band’s trippy side.

The Wary Traveler was recorded at Blast House Studios and while it lacks some of the sheen that the debut album had, it gives the band a denser, heavier sound. The four songs flow together so well it’s easy to miss the fact that a new song has started. Orphan Bloom defies categorization. Rock, definitely, but a hybrid of many disparate influences and one of Madison’s strongest live acts.

BELLO

(2012 Self-Release)

 It’s funny that as things seemingly progress they seem to come around full-circle. Musical trends cycle, groups come and go, reform in various new constellations, drifting about and then coming back together. Just as curious is how refreshing familiar musical constructs can sound when they come back into fashion. The singer/songwriter, that confessional breed of individuality so often associated with acoustic guitars and a genre that defines the word mellow, has never really gone out of fashion. The new wave of deft acoustic artists that are dominating both college and mainstream charts these days don’t break new ground as much as they update the form.

Mike Droho and Scott Lamps go back to the early days of the new century with the Profits and probably further than that. I’m sure they would agree they are like brothers. Ida Jo joined their forces when the Profits went kablooey and Mike Droho and the Compass Rose ascended like a phoenix from its ashes with a more modern take; voice box artist Anthony Lamarr (an accomplished artist in his own right) adding hip-hop and soul sensibilities.

 Now these three have come together to produce an album of astonishing lushness that lives up to the name, Bello being an Italian word for beauty. It may be plaguing to refer to Bello as a supergroup but that is essentially what it is, as humble as all of these fine individuals are. This, my friends, is Madison’s own CSN. It takes about three seconds into the first track, “Show me the Way” to draw this conclusion.

With little more than acoustic guitars, Ida Jo’s sweet violin and an occasional percussion instrument, Bello creates a tropical rainforest of sound. When sounds, especially voices, are resonating in perfect harmonious pitch they create ghostly overtones. These fill in the spaces that these sparsely arranged compositions leave open, creating a powerful and moving sound that can only be described as tickling of the aural nervous system.

Singing is a special language of musical communication. There is a mental release, somewhat inexplicable, that happens when the joy of singing is fully realized. As a seeker who’s attempted to find nirvana through these methods, I can assure you that this is a therapy that is sorely missed. It can be therapeutic for the listener as well, as there is something about harmony that releases mysterious endorphins of order in a fiercely contaminated reality. Take a look at this video for the first single “Long Way Home”and tell me you don’t see evidence of this joy:

Lamps’ production skills have sharpened considerably over the last few years. He’s been involved with so many fine offerings of late: Ida Jo’s recordings, Brandon Beebe’s outstanding In This Place, the hip electronic artistry of Chants, Anthony Lamarr’s pair of ambitious outings, and, of course, his own recordings and numerous compositions for stage and film which have garnered him regional recognition and awards. His touch here is both everything and invisible. He’s soaked the sounds in just the right amount of reverb to create huge landscapes out of the barest essentials, while retaining the “pluck” that makes the rhythm happen where there are no typical percussion instruments.

Ida Jo has made a name for herself and there’s little doubt that the directorship of Midnight Voices, the a capella, all-female vocal group made up of high school students from around the city, has had an impact on her vocal abilities. Her violin on “More Than That to Me” and her vocal on “Don’t Tell me You Love Me” are highlights on two of the recording’s most moving tracks. Her recent solo recording, Singer in the Band, is a strong second effort that establishes her as a welcome musical force.

Then there’s Mike Droho. Without knowing with certainty, Droho is the common denominator in all of the aforementioned projects and undertakings. There is something uncannily positive about the man and his admirable steadfastness to his own charted course is inspiring. Droho is nearly tireless in his quest for self-discovery and expression, a trait that should be trumpeted. It’s likely that Droho’s spirit has fueled the creative fire of everyone he’s worked with. He’s also an assiduous pragmatist; he gets things done and makes things happen. Every band, and every success, needs one.

Whether these artists know or care, they are involved in building a rich legacy for Madison’s arts – Bello being a strong ingredient – one that the city should be proud of. Beauty is something that time cannot tarnish.

The release party for Bello is May 16^th at the High Noon Saloon 8 PM.

ANTHONY LAMARR – Intermission: The Learning Never Stops

(2011   Self-Release)

Musicians don’t often relish in repeating themselves or even carrying on a common theme from project to project. Then again why fix it if it’s not broken?

Aside from being a bit overly ambitious (in length), Anthony Lamarr’s 2010 debut, Opening Night: A Symphony from Sorrow, was very impressive indeed. For part two the template has remained virtually the same right down to the layout, the font, the liner notes and the flow of the album. This one, however clocks in at a more digestible forty minutes.

It is the calling of most artists to take personal experiences and visions and universalize them. Lamarr is no different and, in fact these two albums play like a documentary in musical form; musical as in stage musical. Especially central to Lamarr’s journey are family and faith with a capital F.

Scott Lamps returns as the primary instrumentalist, arranger, engineer and co-producer. Though Pete Ross returns on sax, the horn section that provided much of the funk on Opening Night are notably absent. The drums are programmed this time out and that makes for some stiffness but it’s the vocal performances that take center stage despite being a bit further down in the mix.

Things get started off in a hymnal way with “Vernal Equinox,” the date of Lamarr’s birth. Beth Kille provides a sweet lead vocal that sings the Lord’s praises, complete with massive layers of keys and chimes. “Order & Chaos” follows, a soulful tune that puts Lamarr’s magnificent tenor in the spotlight with Kari Arnett and Shawndell Marks providing graceful backups. This is easily the best track on the album.

Also returning are Rob Dz and J’Dante who appear on the linked tracks “Interlude – Deep Intermission / Intermission,” Dz providing the spoken word into and J’Dante contributing rhymes. Dz reappears later on “City of Change” along with E-Sweez.

“Keep Me Down” plays like a good old gospel stomp with singer/songwriter Corey Hart guesting on vocals.

Things take a turn for the strange on “Folk Song” the music suddenly veering away from the dense rhythms and urban feel to outright bluegrass. Even stranger is the use of 105.5 Triple M’s Jonathan Suttin to provide an introduction as if this were airing on radio in real time (maybe it was). The track features Anna Vogelzang on vocals and Julia McConahay on violin. Banjo (presumably played by Lamps) completes the Appalachian palette. Perhaps even stranger is the closer “Auf Wiedersehen” with Tom Klein playing accordion. Though it’s a nice showcase for Lamarr’s vocals, the spoken German stanzas simply go over the top. Stranger still was the choice to place “City of Change” between the two.

Intermission lacks some of the spark that ignited Opening Night. The mix is dense, even muddy in spots, and the programmed drums and rhythm tracks have a lot to do with that. These elements also seem to limit the expressiveness of the music. It feels like there’s less room for the songs to breathe with layers of keyboards and electronics. The result is a bit of monotony in the arrangements.

Lamarr appears prepared to carry on the theme to a third album, “announcer” Sarah Hoover clueing us in at the tail end that Act Two is on its way. It might be more prudent to scratch the weighty theme and template of the first two albums and just free Lamarr up to explore and express himself without these confines.

ANTHONY LAMARR – Opening Night: A Symphony from Sorrow

(2010 Self-Release)

The debut release from Anthony Lamarr was easily one of the more ambitious releases of 2010. At twenty-one songs and seventy-seven minutes, it’s an opus, especially for a debut. Lamarr’s background and education is in theater and here he presents these works in three “acts”. The album opens with a simulation of being in a theater with polite applause and a voice-over welcome urging the “audience” to sit back, relax and enjoy the show. It closes in similar fashion although it’s a long show – it’s just intermission; foresight into Lamarr’s 2011 release, Intermission: The Learning Never Stops, which carries on the theme.

Opening Night is biographical in nature; a playlist from Lamarr’s personal experiences. The arc of the story is not entirely clear but overall it begins with a sorrow that is overriding and ends with the optimism that he can indeed overcome. Lamarr attempts to expand his experiences from personal to universal and on this note he largely succeeds. The album sways from soul-searching reflections to outright worship songs, especially in the third “act”. The album probably could have done without some of the latter tracks, condensing it down to a more digestible length.

The ambition of the project is reflected in the sheer number of people involved: a core band that features Scott Lamps (bass, guitars, vocals, keyboards, arrangement, engineering and production), Ida Jo (violin, vocals), Austin Douse (drums), Michael “Mouse” Adams, Jr. (harmonica) and a horn section including Peter Ross on sax, Charley Wagner on trumpet and Sean Dray on tuba. There are copious special guests with songs tailor-made for them, choirs and even preachers.

“On and On” establishes the main groove of the record; a funky track that seeps Motown influences with ample use of horns. The guitars are notable here, a staccato pattern underlies the verses while crunching power chords drive the choruses. “Deep Afterthought” and “Afterthought” dial up the soul music, the former featuring a poem spoken by Rob Dz. Lamarr’s vocals soar bringing Luther Vandross to mind. A jazzy turnaround after the choruses is very effective as is the the song’s final refrain. Lamarr performed this pair at the 2011 Madison Area Music Awards, bringing in a troupe of dancers and choreographing the entire performance with impressive theatrical flair.

“Need to Change” is another standout, featuring Lucas Cates and blazing harmonica from Adams. It’s a more typical of a rock song with a familiar descending chord progression. The coda is a freakout and one of the more brilliant production moments on the album. “Why Go” is another with Ida Jo and Aaron Williams who turns in an outstanding and emotional guitar solo. “Doo Wah” lets Lamps take over the vocals and the textured, layered backups are a nice touch.

Other appearances include Lyndsay Evans (Sexy Ester and the Pretty Mama Sisters) who adds soulful vocals to “Choices,” J’Dante who brings a hip-hop section to “Better Than Me,” Mike Droho (Compass Rose) who sings on “The Place to Be” and Danielle Brittany who sings on a sultry lounge-jazz track appropriately titled “Jazzy Song.”

Lamarr’s alias The Soundshaker makes a brief appearance, showcasing his astounding ability to use his voice to reproduce complex beats, a technique known as beat-boxing.

The fact that a project like this flew so low on the radar while another of Lamarr’s outings – a video for the Wisconsin Badgers’ Rose Bowl appearance in January 2011 entitled “We’re Smelling Roses” practically went viral – is typical of the uphill battle musical artists face in this city. It’s often said that in Madison football, bratwurst or terrible illnesses will draw attention. Works of art…? Not so much.

BRANDON BEEBE – In This Place

(2011 Self-Release)

CD Release Party – High Noon Saloon, February 2nd

The enormous success of Bon Iver is likely to spawn a whole new generation of experimental folk artists, a genre that is already crowded with talent. Will Oldham may be the father of the movement with bands like the National and Band of Horses rising to prominence. Remember this name though: Brandon Beebe. In This Place is just being released and as a debut album it is startlingly developed both as an artistic expression and as an accomplished production.

Beebe plays several instruments, his primary tool being the acoustic guitar. He adorns his windswept compositions with lots of strings giving the music a chamber feel. Drums are used sparingly, Beebe opting for percussive instruments and handclaps much of the time. Only “She’s the Moon” gets the rhythm pumped up. Here electric guitars mix with a Latin-flavored groove. The closest thing to a pop song, “She’s the Moon” is the odd man out on the album.

The rest of In This Place is far more emotional and the instrumentation much more subdued. Like Bon Iver there are undercurrents of electricity in the form of eerily programmed keyboards and reverb-soaked guitar. This technique adds dimension to the sparse musical landscape and more than a degree of tension. The vocals, particularly the backing vocals, are often electronically treated, accentuating the mournful aspects of the songs. The gorgeous lament “Ashes” is a fine case in point. The vocal segment that opens the song sounds like wolves howling across a desolate plain. Gently finger-picked acoustic guitar and vocal are deceptive; a close listen reveals layers of delicate sounds that are simply a joy to delve into, despite the distressing nature of the lyric.  At times Beebe can seem much older than his years. His lyrics are deeply felt and bear the mark of someone who has a lifetime of experiences to draw from.  “My love, have we reached the point / Where the only way to go is down… An icy chill surrounds our heart…Embers fading into Ashes” are suggestive that the young man is learned in the ways of love; wise beyond his years.

Just when you think you’ve got a plaintive folk song you’ll get complicated chord progressions and passing tones such as the progression on “Future Memory.” Telltale signs of a songwriter with a special knack for inventing sophisticated melodies. “Gift/Outro,” which closes the album is another standout, straight-ahead strumming augmented with a vocal line that veers into falsetto, again recalling Bon Iver without going over the top. The song builds to a majestic climax before dissolving into reverb and delay as it fades down. It’s as though the music comes out of the ether and disappears again.

In This Place was recorded primarily by Brad Stubbe with a couple tracks recorded by Scott Lamps, who is becoming a strong force in production work around Madison. The strings were recorded by Tom Freeman. All deserve credit for the fine results as do DNA’s Mark Whitcomb, who mixed most of the album and Mike Zirkel (Smart Studios/Audio for the Arts) who also mixed a couple tracks. A strong release that is already destined for a “Best of 2012” entry, In This Place has set the bar very high.

Beebe will host a CD Release Party at High Noon Saloon on February 2nd.

“I wanted a song that really captured what Christmas means to someone like me, who is very spiritual, but not necessarily religious,” she explains. “And I wanted a song that doesn’t gloss over the dark stuff, but instead unravels the beauty of the complete picture.”

That evening Kara sat down and wrote “The Chandelier,” a song about finding strength, hope, and joy in the face of change and mortality. Her hope is that this song will touch and inspire people of all backgrounds this Christmas.

100% of the profits from any sales made before Jan 1, 2012 will go to small local farmers in Vermont, to help them recover from the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

Download “The Chandelier” now, and please considering donating.

GERMAN ART STUDENTS – The Power and the Trust

(2011 Self-Release)

I’m not sure what it is but after thirteen years the German Art Students still sound like a new band to me. Six years since their last recorded outing, 2005’s Name Droppers, this four-song EP inspired by the budget bill protests leaves GAS fans with the aural equivalent of sexual foreplay. If the members think they can just go back to family time now they’re probably mistaken. The buzz on the band is back in full force with rave reviews and several placements in local news outlets and television appearances. GAS fans are aroused and they want more!

There is little to dislike about the German Art Students. They’re reasoned in their lyrical approach and straddle the line between pop and punk rock with ease. Even though they lost an integral member when Andy Larson left the group in 2010 the GAS trademarks are still intact; an intelligence and awareness in the music but also a hefty dose of sharp-witted commentary.

Prime case in point is the title track, a song about Walker that somehow manages to evoke more pity than rage. The subject matter is damn funny but, then again, it’s downright pathetic. “He reminds me of somebody I’ve seen before / A scared little boy in the dark on the floor / I don’t think he read 1984 / I’ve seen it before” singer Annelies Howell observes over a folk-song chord sequence. The double-tracked vocal adds punch to the space vacated by Larson, one benefit derived from carrying on as a trio. “I wonder what he did in his sophomore year / Did he have any fun, did he drink any beer / Did he make any friends or just live in fear / His sophomore year” just about nails it. By this time the rest of the band has kicked in, the double-time snare drum on the 3 and 4 in the chorus is just plain cool and a brilliant touch. Like all great songs, it’s simple and to the point.

“HMS Funtime” uses maritime allegory (His Majesty’s Ship) to describe reaction to the political situation. Kirk Wall’s vocal implores “I just wanna get off this boat alive” over an angular guitar riff and a really cool bass line played by (I’m assuming) Howell.

“Jupiter,” is more whimsical and how it plays into the protest theme I haven’t quite put my finger on. No matter, it’s so goddamn catchy I can’t get it out of my head. Like an insatiable sweet tooth, this one satisfies the craving. It rocks just hard enough with a big, bold vocal blend, giving it a soaring quality. Again, the bass line here is central to the song’s propulsion and I’m drawn to it like the comet that hammered the planet some years ago.

The final tune, “Bible Camp” returns to the angular guitar statements found in many of GAS’s songs. It’s a humorous send-up that says what it needs to say in 120 seconds.

No nonsense, no bullshit, and in twelve minutes it’s over. It was fun but it’s like being on the carnival ride; you’re a little pissed that you waited in line so long for such a short excursion. Here’s hoping the success of this teaser will motivate the band to produce more material. Madison needs more of this type of salve. We’re suffering, yes, but the German Art Students have a way of helping us face the world with a smile and a knowing wink that the kids are alright.

Life Goes On for Former Producers Star Kyle Henderson

The trend for most musicians in Madison is to reach some level of recognition and dedication to their craft and then look for more fertile soil to launch a bid at success. Without a structured music industry, the odds have always been weighted heavily against realizing your dreams from Madison. But with the advent of the digital revolution and with the strides made in social networking technology, those limitations and old norms are being shattered. In fact, you could say that the very notion of what is “success” in the music business is being reinvented and retooled for the independent artist who possesses enough savvy to sidestep the usual horrors of assimilation. The revolution may still be in process but it is being televised…only it’s on YouTube and your iPhone rather than MTV.

But MTV is largely what made Kyle Henderson and his Atlanta-based power pop quartet The Producers a success. How he landed in Madison some twenty-five years later is a story of luck, hard lessons, rebirth, reality checks, loss and redemption.

The Luck

Henderson was raised in Indianapolis, the son of two educators. Beginning his musical journey on cello, Kyle was a poster child for the late-sixties/early seventies square. A quote form his bio describes him thusly: “By the time I was in Jr. High, I sang in the school choir, played in the orchestra, denigrated pop music as trash, competed on the debate team, studied in accelerated classes, played no sports and wore my brother’s hand-me-downs except for my brown oxford corrective shoes, which the parents said would fix my flat feet. Plus, I wore a near buzz cut long after other boys wore mop tops and longer. My father said long hair on men was ‘in bad taste.’”

Thank God for the power of rock and roll because Henderson soon found himself being asked to pick up bass guitar and join local bands. He had runs with a series of show bands, eventually relocating to the Atlanta area with one that came to be known as Whiteface. Fans began to pack The Bistro on the city’s north side to catch the funky soul the group regularly offered up and they became the “buzz” band of Atlanta. A prominent Whiteface memory  for Henderson is the night Warner Brothers executive Jerry Wexler pulled up in a stretch limo and entered The Bistro to check the boys out as they watched out the upstairs window where they were getting ready to take the stage.

Whiteface album cover

Here’s where the luck comes in. Tom Werman, a CBS/Portrait Records rep who was involved with Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon and Mother’s Finest, was in the city working on a Ted Nugent album and began to hit The Bistro nightly, becoming acquainted with the band and Henderson. Although Werman loved Whiteface, the band went with Mercury Records to Muscle Shoals Studio to record an album that stiffed badly as it could not compete with another Georgia-based band called the B-52’s. Henderson was 21 when the album was made.

On the first day of 1980 Henderson left Whiteface to join a new band with some friends from Cartoon, a Beatles tribute band. Drummer Bryan Holmes, guitarist Van Temple and keyboardist Wayne McNatt (a.k.a. Wayne Famous) dubbed themselves The Producers and immediately began writing. It was clear there was songwriting chemistry and the tunes began to flow. Eventually Werman came into the picture to hear the new group. Werman was all business but halfway through the first song, “You Go Your Way,” his head was bopping. Before the ten-song audition was over Werman remarked, “We’ll record the first album in November.”

The Producers recorded two albums with Werman on Portrait Records. The debut spawned the single “What She Does to Me” and, more importantly led to a video for “What’s He Got” that became a favorite on the newly-launched MTV. You Make the Heat, the band’s second album spawned the hit “She Sheila” which cracked Billboard’s Top 50. The video for the song was so popular it landed The Producers in the headlining role for MTV’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve at the end of 1982.

Hard Lessons

The band was on the doorstep of success as they prepared to take the stage for the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. But MTV’s Martha Quinn called the band out before the expected time and they were not yet prepared to take the stage. The aftermath found the usually cool Henderson in the face of the band’s road manager, a sign of things to come.

Despite their success, The Producers were dropped after the second album. The band had toured 280 days per year for three years. Henderson recalls life on the road during that time. “We were all married. Keeping that kind of schedule was really hard. Our daily conversations with our wives were usually hour-long conversations where we yelled at each other. We were at a level that allowed us to do that kind of touring and make a living playing music but we were also at a level where we didn’t get much support. We put ourselves up most of the time. We did a lot of touring with The Romantics and who would headline often depended on where we were. When they did “Talking in Your Sleep” and it went to #1, everything changed for them. Not so much for us so that was tough, we never had that big hit. That’s all we lacked and we were all frustrated because we were so close.”

To make matter worse they discovered they had not been paid royalties owed to them and the clause in their contract with CBS allowing them to make inquiries had run out. “The band knew nothing about business,” Henderson says. “The first two records had sold a half-million copies. We should have made good money from the songwriting royalties but we didn’t know they were payable on the first record sold. Somebody got that money but that person’s dead now and we were contractually prevented from recouping anyway.”

The Producers Debut Album

Henderson offers this advice: “The reason we were associated with these people [those who would take the band’s royalties, etc.] was because of my previous association with Whiteface. If we had waited a year I wouldn’t have been contractually obligated to that management. My advice is two-fold: First, to the best of your ability, you’ve got to have someone who knows business and you’ve got to be able to trust them.” He laughs and adds, “I can’t tell you exactly how you do that! If there is anything we know for sure it’s that quote from the Brains’ song which Cyndi Lauper made popular and that’s that ‘money changes everything,’ and it does. Secondly, you’ve got to be familiar enough with the business aspects yourselves so that you can recognize the red flags when they arise. Like, ‘Where are our writer’s royalties?!’ It’s not like every member has to have an M.B.A. but it’s about being able to hold others accountable for what’s going on. The narrative of ‘I am the artist, I don’t need to do that, I want to be a bohemian aristocrat’ is a powerful one. The balancing act between doing something because you feel trapped or waiting for the right opportunity is a tough one, too. Be wary of a situation where you feel trapped as we did.”

Disillusioned and burned out, Henderson left The Producers shortly after they were dropped by Portrait.

Rebirth

As one might expect, Henderson was searching for some kind of balance in his life. He turned to Christianity, becoming born again. “Like many people in the music business or art, I was just so sick of life,” Henderson says. “Here I was pursuing what I wanted to do but I was on the road all the time and I was tired of it. Like many other people, Christianity offered something I could commit myself to equally. It was a different kind of “all-consuming” from being the rock star. I just got involved with a community that was self-confirming in that way. I met some great people and still have political arguments with those that are especially conservative.”

Henderson went as far to record an album of Christian music for Kerygma, a record label headed by Kansas guitarist Kerry Livgren. That album failed miserably as well and Henderson admits that it was not a good move. “Everything about it sucked. The performances, the recording, the mix – hanging out with Kerry was cool, though. I sang background vocals on a couple of Kansas albums, when Steve Walsh was out of the band. “Fight Fire With Fire” was one. I sang on Kerry’s A.D. recordings, too.”

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Reality Check

Henderson’s experience with his immersion in Christianity began to hit a crossroads. “I still consider myself a theist,” he says. “When I was a strong Evangelical Christian I had a list of about 500 things that I believed in absolutely. That list has shrunk to two or maybe three. I moved away from it and that had a lot to do with my oldest son who was troubled from the beginning. The realities just weren’t figuring into that world view of what the promises were. I had to take account of that. I had a couple of options. One was that I was demon-possessed or something; the other was that there was a problem with this interpretation of reality. So the list of certainties began to chip away until it was a very small list of certitudes.”

The experience of making the Christian album and his continuing frustrations caused Henderson to give up on the music business. “It was the pendulum swinging from the sex, the drugs, the rock-and-roll, the debauchery, the glory to ‘I just want simplicity’,” says Henderson.  After a time, however, Henderson began to sing again, working for nearly three decades with convention bands. One was the Funk Club, an Orlando-based funk-and-soul band led by Liberty Devitto, Billy Joel’s drummer.  The bands did a ton of convention gigs and it was during this period that Henderson’s love for soul music and the blues was embedded. “There is just something about the lack of irony in those types of singers,” he says. “Something about a guy like Otis Redding who just gets up there and says it the way it is. There is something about that straight-ahead passion that I really like. When Roy Acuff sings ‘Whiskey and blood run together but I didn’t hear nobody pray,’ a song about a drunk driver, that’s something that hits me in the gut.”

If there was one thing Henderson’s Evangelical period did for him it was give him cause to read. He began to soak up lots of information and started attending college where he was drawn to journalism and writing. He wanted to edit an editorial page but wound up in marketing and communications.

Loss

In 2007 Henderson moved to Madison with his second wife, taking a job in the UW system doing internal communications for their e-marketing consortium. He earned his master’s degree in Communications at UW-Whitewater while he went through his second divorce. Henderson has been married “two-and-a-half times – the third one we never made official” and is currently unmarried.

His immersion into soul and the blues continued and he put together a band. Kyle Henderson and Blue Eyed Soul began gigging sporadically in the area. “I was no longer trying to make a living playing music,” Henderson says, “and that was okay. My music is my art now, not my job.”

Then in 2009, tragedy struck. Henderson’s eldest son Daniel committed suicide after struggling with depression for most of his life. The incident had a profound impact on Henderson and his music. Songs he began to write came directly from his losses and life experiences. Henderson has a tattoo on his left arm that reads “In memoriam Daniel: loved, wronged, missed 5/28/1987–10/6/2009,” signifying the internalization of that loss.

Redemption

In the summer of 2011 Henderson recruited his son Ted, also an accomplished musician in his own right; college-educated and poised to work in soundtracks and film, to begin creating the rhythm tracks for what was to become Henderson’s first recording since the 1980’s. Life Goes On couldn’t be a more fitting title for a project that was obviously cathartic and central to Henderson’s grieving process. (You can read our review here.) Ted and Henderson laid all the bass and drum tracks before taking the project to Mike Zirkel at Audio for the Arts. Jimmy Voegeli was brought in to add keyboards and Blue Eyed Soul members Mike Ripp and Alison Margaret contributed guitars and backing vocals, respectively. Hall & Oates’ resident saxophonist Charlie DeChant rounds out the lineup, adding his parts from a studio in Orlando, Florida.

The album is a mix of blues and pop songs with standouts being the pop gem “Aeroplane,” the majestic “Daddy, Don’t You Cry” and “On Your Memory” a song dealing most directly with the loss of his son.

“I don’t even think in terms of CDs anymore, really,” Henderson says about the album. “I’m not doing a typical release, I’m bringing it out slowly. The emphasis is definitely moving back to the song (versus the album) and that’s where I’m at.”

Henderson and Blue Eyed Soul will host an Album Launch Party at the Harmony Bar in on January 13^th. “It’s ‘Friday the 13^th in January’ that’s how we’re presenting it,” he says. Blue Eyed Soul members Alsion Margaret, Mike Ripp, drummer Michael Brenneis and bassist Jon Christensen will be joined by Jimmy Voegeli. Henderson still has mighty pipes and his singing is still impressive. He takes joy in pulling out The Producers’ hits as well as playing the blues and soul covers so near and dear to his heart. The new songs from the album should have added emotional impact both for Henderson and his audience.

Henderson likes Madison quite a lot. He’s got job security here for now and likes being involved with the Madison music scene though it troubles him that it’s so hard to make any money here. “I did a show here one night and went to the door man who gave me $3.50 for the whole band after they took out for the sound person. There’s something about that type of situation that’s disheartening. Thankfully, I’m not relying on this for my support but it could be hard to keep a band functioning when there is no money.”

Henderson’s story is reaffirmation that life does indeed go on for all of us.

KYLE HENDERSON – Life Goes On

(2011 Self-Release)

Most of Madison is no doubt unaware that there is a certified star that’s been living in their midst. Since moving here from Orlando in 2007, Kyle Henderson, formerly a member of power-pop sensation the Producers, has kept a relatively low profile. With the release of Life Goes On, all that should change. Henderson’s story traverses the range of human experience. You can read about Henderson in our feature story here.

Though he’s been performing as Kyle Henderson’s Blue Eyed Soul, a crack band currently featuring bassist John Christensen, ace guitarist Mike Ripp, drummer Michael Brenneis and jazz artist Alison Margaret on keys and backup vocals, Life Goes On is not a Blue Eyed Soul record. Henderson enlisted his son Ted to assist in creating the drum and bass tracks and the Jimmy’s Jimmy Voegeli provides keyboards while Ripp and Margaret do make contributions of their own. Hall & Oates’ resident saxophonist Charlie DeChant rounds out the lineup, adding his parts from a studio in Orlando, Florida.

One only needs to hear the leadoff track “Aeroplane” to recognize the talent and sensibility that Henderson brings. This is a classic three-minute gem of pop song; a peppy beat, a catchy melody, a sure-fire hook. But what has always made the pop song so immediate is its ability to lay bare a fundamental truth: a broken heart, a lost lover or acquaintance, a tinge of sadness or in this case, regret.  “I’m on an aeroplane under someone else’s name / I fly alone while trying to forget / this storybook I call my regret…Aeroplane won’t you come back / I’ve left myself on the tarmac / I wanna go home,”  Henderson sings over a bubbling bass line. DeChant’s saxophone is the perfect icing on the cake here.

A few songs on the album steer more toward the blues. “Ring Around Your Finger” and “Watch her Dance” are both funky blues workouts, the latter featuring an impressive keyboard solo from Voegeli. “I Been Down” is blues rock with a great guitar solo from Ripp. “Winner Take All” has a political message with references to Wisconsin’s current sorry state of affairs.

But when Henderson stays in the pop vein he really shines. Many of the songs on Life Goes On are about just that for Henderson, who has seen more than one man’s rightful share of pain and loss. When you understand that, songs like “Daddy Don’t You Cry” will simply rip at your heartstrings. A very Beatle-esque number, this is the moment of truth for the album. Voegeli’s organ hits the emotional nail right on the head, the backup vocals get brought up in the mix to deliver a powerful punch, and Ted Henderson turns in a beautiful guitar solo. Top it all off with the infectious melody and you’ve got a masterpiece that would make Elton John envious.

“On Your Memory” is another one of these. Dealing directly with his grieving process (the loss of his eldest son in 2009), Henderson delivers a soulful vocal line over a stuttered rock beat which is again perfectly accented by DeChant’s sax.

Life Goes On will immediately take you back to a time when music was everything, not some immediately dismissible collection of ones and zeroes that you can download in a minute and delete in even less.  A reflection of a man’s life deserves more than that and, if you’re like me, the next time you bump into Henderson about Madison you’ll find yourself resisting the urge to just give him a hug. There is sorrow in loss but there is joy in the discovery that music still has the power to translate, heal and even redeem.