In an age of computerized media overkill, when so much of what passes for music is little more than product, it's all too easy to forget that music's true purpose is communication, not commerce.
Which may not render a gem like Mo' Kauffey's "Watcha Gonna Do" any more of a delight - it's just fine on its own, thanks - but it does make it all the more valuable. The disc - and indeed, the man himself - seems a throwback to a more innocent age, when friends would gather to make music together as a matter of course, rather than buying it, pre-packaged and targeted to a particular demographic, off the shelf.
With only three covers among the disc's fourteen tracks (Kauffey wrote all the rest except "Missing You," contributed by bassist/guitarist/engineer Ken Brown), Mo's crafted a homespun collection that celebrates life's simpler pleasures. The approach, accordingly, is low-key and laid-back. Yet the unflinchingly honesty of Kauffey's delivery and his obvious sincerity lend their own quiet intensity to proceedings.
Kauffey is joined here by a number of friends. Mel Brown, contributing both organ and acoustic guitar, is probably the only name of note. But participants all acquit themselves quite nicely, and the disc isn't really about instrumental wizardry anyway. Indeed, Kauffey took that rather unusual approach of using his own guitar and vocals as the bed tracks, with bass and drums added on later. (Piano on two cuts, courtesy of John Havlicek, was actually submitted over the Internet and mixed in locally - obviously Kauffey's not entirely averse to modern conveniences!).
So what kind of music does one find here? First, this isn't really a blues disc, at least not by conventional definition. While there are definitely blues here, most would probably file it under folk. The feel is acoustic; though there's a bit of electric guitar here and there, it's primarily for texture and remains subdued, and both harmonica and bass are unplugged. Kauffey's warm and weathered voice is more smooth than gruff, and he delivers everything with a relaxed, laconic ease that's utterly perfect for the material. And that material ranges from stunningly beautiful - the bittersweet "Celebrate" is achingly lovely and infused with a timeless wisdom - to the gently upbeat, as represented by the wryly humorous "Charlie Hates The Blues."
They're songs about ordinary life and extraordinary moments, carefully crafted and rich with a lingering resonance. The covers - the traditional "Railroad Song," Merle Travis' "Sixteen Tons," and Lightnin' Hopkins' "Fan It" - are well chosen and ideally suited to Kauffey's laconic approach. Ultimately, somehow, it all seems to add up to something approaching wisdom.
This isn't the type of disc to liven up a party; the prevailing mood is bittersweet, with an air of not-quite-melancholy reflection throughout. As the soundtrack to a rainy day, though - accompanied, say, by a nice cup of tea (okay, make it a 'kauffey')- "Whatcha Gonna Do" seems an ideal way to while the time away.
Very nice!
Web: www.mokauffey.com
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