Jay Howlett
American Ghost Town
© 2003 Jay Howlett (660199010022)
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New folk with a lean towards Americana.
tracks
- 1 Manifest Destiny
- 2 Debt of Honor
- 3 American Ghost Town
- 4 Where The Water Is
- 5 December's House
- 6 Downtown Mall
- 7 One Road Left
- 8 Grandmother's Guitar
- 9 Manifest Destiny (Revisted)
- 10 Sometimes Love
- 11 Orange Coveralls
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notes
Jay Howlett is an award winning singer/songwriter with a powerful baritone voice and zeal for storytelling. Independent Songwriter Magazine says "Jay's voice carries a profound wisdom and depth that flow out of every breath, every syllable." An accomplished performer with a degree in theatre, Jay writes simple honest songs about life in and around America and the experiences that bring us together and tear us apart. Troubadours still exist on the "new folk" scene and this award winning songwriter is one of them.
"American Ghost Town" (Featuring the West Coast Songwriters Association Song of the year "Debt of Honor".) is the newest release from Jay Howlett. Also on this CD are songs that got him into the finals of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival and songs that placed him in the finals of songwriter competitions for the Sisters Folk Festival in Oregon (twice), The South Florida Folk Festival and the Founders Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Utah.
Joining Jay is a large cast of players including:
Joe Craven -- Fiddle and Mandolin (Joe has played and/or recorded with Jerry Garcia, Stephan Grapelli, Ramblin Jack Elliott, The Persuasions, Psychograss, Darol Anger, Rob Ickes, Tony Furtado, Ken Nordine, Mumbo Gumbo and many more.)
Jimmy Dewrance -- Harmonica (Jimmy is has a great blues title on Cdbaby.
Myron Dove -- Bass Guitar and Fretless Bass Guitar (Myron has been playing and recording with Santana, Steve Winwood, James Ingram Patty Austin, The Artist, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, Boz Scaggs, Vince Gill, Clint Black, Bruce Hornsby, Amy Grant, Herbie Hancock and many others.
Pete Grant -- Dobro (Playing and recording with the likes of Rodney Crowell, Herb Pedersen, Hoyt Axton, Tim Hardin, Guy Clark, The Dillards, The Persuasions, The Incredible String Band and Robin Williamson and his Merry Band.
Keith Greeninger -- Vocals (Two CDBaby Titles)
Jay Howlett -- Guitar, lead and Background Vocals
Steve Kritzer -- Vocals (Four CDBaby Titles)
Bob Malone -- Piano and Accordion (Six CDBaby Titles)
Megan McLaughlin -- Vocals (Two CDBaby Titles)
Chuck McCabe -- Vocals and Banjo (Two CDBaby Titles)
Karen Nash -- Vocals (Three CDBaby Titles)
Rolfe Wyer -- Vocals, High String Guitar, Electric Guitar and Bass.
Perhaps Jean Bartlett in the Pacifica Tribune (3/24/01) said it best after a live performance of the American Troubadours with Dave Nachmanoff, Keith Greeninger and Bob Malone. "Now I could talk about Jay Howlett's easy way with the guitar. The way his fingers just plunk out a rhythm like a tugboat winding 'round that old Mississippi. Or the way he maneuvers the breadth of a chord by the use of multiple, hole-punched capos. But it's that voice of his that stands out most, and those words he writes and sings so well. With the clear phrasing of Johnny Cash and a voice reminiscent of Gordon Lightfoot, Howlett's song serenade is a poet's journey on a ride you wish would know no end; nor has it since I bought his CD."
Jay Plays Breedlove Guitars and uses Elixir String by Gore.
reviews
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All Time Favorite
author: Jim KlossRunning a webcast gives me the opportunity to hear 6-10 hours/day of independent singer-songwriter CDs. Many of them are quite wonderful, but a few just float up there in the "My All Time Favorites" region. American Ghost Town is one of those CDs. So is the self-titled "Jay Howlett". How Jay was able to create not one - but *two* - of my All Time Favorite CDs is beyond me. Picking up either (or both) of these CDs will truly enrich your collection of outstanding singer-songwriters. I find Jay's music, lyrics, style and performance all top tier.
a great voice and imagination to match
author: martin kenny (window to my soul)i just discovered jay on wholewheat radio this Cd like all the rest are what music and wrting should be about , imagination and flare
Stunning!!
author: sherry austinthis album touches my soul with it's simple lyric beauty, fine instrumentation, arrangements, and superb clarity of production... images as american as woodie guthrie or kate wolf... a stunning album!
- author: Steve Howard
Jay Howlett's American Ghost town takes you on a soul searching journey across America stopping at your home town along the way. In the great folk tradition of Prine and Guthrie Jay weaves his music and stories into classic folk ballads that take you from farms and factories, to the railways, highways and backroads of America, and like the history of which he sings, American Ghost town leaves you forever changed.
"Highly recommended"
author: David Stafford: KKUP Radio, Cupertino, CA 91.5fmJay Howlett's fine new release, American Ghost Town, traces an arc of American history through the 20th century. This, however, is not a dull history lesson, but will have you humming the tunes and singing the powerful lyrics as you drive down the highway. Mr. Howlett has assembled a superb cast of musicians for this adventure, and the backup and occasional solos featuring Joe Craven on fiddle and Bob Malone on Piano are sonic high points in themselves. Howlett has a evocative singing voice, which carries the tunes well and does not leave you bored after half the album. Like the rest of "American Ghost Town" the artwork is stunning and the more that you look at it the more that you see. Highly recommended. David Stafford HOST Of KKUP's FRIDAY FOLK-OFF THE BEST LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC Fridays 3-6 PM KKUP-Cupertino, CA 91.5fm email: davstaff@ix.netcom.com
Howlett's collection is essential listening for fans of Bruce Cockburn, John Pr
author: Minor 7th Webzine"American Ghost Town", BlahBlahWoofWoof 2003 A song-cycle which loosely chronicles Howlett's rural travels throughout the United States, American Ghost Town bemoans an ongoing social, economic, and environmental decline of a heartland he loves dearly. Rather than curse the future, the singer / songwriter celebrates the past with a folksy diary of tunes torn between the author's fierce patriotism and society's dispassionate conservatism. Never preachy, Howlett spins his engaging tales with a spare, low-key demeanor, strumming his acoustic guitar behind the beat as fretless bassist Myron Dove, percussionist Tim Siefert, mandolin/fiddle whiz Joe Craven join a host of harmony vocalists who weave a shimmering backdrop to the strong, plaintive melodies in each cut. With lyrics made all the more powerful by rootsy, spare arrangements Howlett's collection is essential listening for fans of Bruce Cockburn, John Prine, Louden Wainwright III and solo Bruce Springsteen. © Tom Semioli