{"id":640,"date":"2016-05-31T15:48:28","date_gmt":"2016-05-31T15:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/?p=640"},"modified":"2016-06-09T23:26:59","modified_gmt":"2016-06-09T23:26:59","slug":"ftv-bar-scotts-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/?p=640","title":{"rendered":"FTV: Bar Scott’s Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Bar Scott recently gave us permission to reprint a piece she wrote entitled <\/span>Grace.<\/span><\/i> \u00a0She had sent it along in one of the numerous e-mails we had exchanged about two CDs she had sent \u00a0for us to air (<\/span>Parachute <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Journey<\/span><\/i>). \u00a0She mentioned living in Woodstock, NY for a period of years and I admitted that my knowledge base about that area only covered what I had seen in print and film about the original Woodstock festival. \u00a0That and what I had learned about Levon Helm\u2019s Midnight Rambles from Todd at the West Coast Bureau. \u00a0I was instantly jealous when Bar responded that she had been to the second Woodstock Festival, she loved the Midnight Rambles and had even had the opportunity to perform at one of them. \u00a0Should I have expected someone who actually lived in Woodstock to not have participated in the cultural offerings available to them there? \u00a0Bar has been more than gracious fielding my nosy questions about her musical roots (and her relocation to Colorado), so it seems only fair to do a full review of her 2014 release <\/span>Journey.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Right out of the gate I was struck with the rich tone that Bar\u2019s voice possesses. \u00a0She writes music that is quite percussive and the harmonies layered in the tracks add to the richness of the musical tapestry she is weaving. \u00a0<\/span>Ah Ha Ha <\/span><\/i>opens the CD with a rollicking feel that had me tapping my toes. \u00a0Her voice contains elements of many singers I have enjoyed over the years. \u00a0There is a definite Joni Mitchell sound but Bar transcends being pigeon holed as a mere Joni Mitchell disciple. \u00a0The pop music elements I hear also invoke Christine McVey from Fleetwood Mac and our old friend from Trees, Lindsay Tomasic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Track two (<\/span>Roll Over Me<\/span><\/i>) picks up the pace with drum and guitar melding into the rhythm of a train moving down the tracks. \u00a0Again the rich vocal harmonies are wonderfully recorded over the music bed. \u00a0Slowing the pace a bit in <\/span>If There\u2019s a Way, <\/span><\/i>Bar mixes Peter Tomlinson\u2019s accordion with Lou Pappas\u2019s mellow bass lines. \u00a0When she sings, \u201c<\/span>I would wander high above the tree line \/ \u00a0To see a full moon rise \/ I\u2019d linger \u2018til the morning light \/ To find away\u201d <\/span><\/i>you can feel the chill of the mountain air.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Running Away<\/span><\/i> is another beautiful track with Scott adding her soaring vocal to poignant lyrics about a changing relationship. \u00a0I really liked the way she interweaves the lead and background vocal parts. \u00a0In the title track (<\/span>Journey<\/span><\/i>), Bar makes great use of her writing skills. \u00a0Besides being a gifted singer, songwriter and musician, Scott is a writer. \u00a0She has the ability to meld her words with melodies that produce vivid images of a very personal nature. \u00a0The last artist who really made this impression on me was Kitty Donohoe who, now that I \u00a0think of it, shares all of Scott\u2019s professional qualifications: \u00a0writer, singer-songwriter, musician.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>A Little Love Can Mean A Lot <\/span><\/i>is the first track where I hear more Christine McVey than Joni Mitchell. \u00a0Don\u2019t get me wrong: \u00a0Scott has her own voice and style, but her phrasing and song structure remind me of McVey\u2019s best songs. \u00a0If I was a betting man, I would lay money that Bar Scott could step into Fleetwood Mac and sing any of McVey\u2019s ballads without missing a beat. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>A Winter Tide<\/span><\/i> adds a slow. shuffling drum line by Manuel Quintana to more accordion work by Tomlinson.. \u00a0This changes the pace of the song without actually changing the speed, which is an interesting effect. \u00a0This mode gets kicked up one more notch on the next track, <\/span>Letter Drop.<\/span><\/i> \u00a0<\/span>Letter Drop<\/span><\/i> isn\u2019t exactly stride piano, but it isn\u2019t pure jazz, either. \u00a0If I was going to invent a new genre to stick <\/span>Letter Drop<\/span><\/i> in to, I would have to call it \u201cjazz-doo-wop\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019m Not Perfect <\/span><\/i>now adds a subtitle organ texture the mix with more beautifully intertwined vocal parts. \u00a0It is obvious that Scott spends her due diligence in mapping out her vocal parts. \u00a0<\/span>John Alan<\/span><\/i> features Scott\u2019s piano, vocals, and perhaps her most personal lyrics on the whole CD. \u00a0Bar is truly not afraid of laying her emotions out for all to hear, but in a very uplifting way. \u00a0<\/span>Journey <\/span><\/i>ends very much as it began with the percussive <\/span>I\u2019m in Love.<\/span><\/i> \u00a0The song structure and vocals here remind me very much of Lindsay Tomasic\u2019s work. \u00a0\u00a0Bar Scott\u2019s <\/span>Journey<\/span><\/i> is a fine CD and as soon as I heard it, I ordered a copy for my wife\u2019s birthday. \u00a0If one is interested in more information about Bar and her body of work, visit her website at <\/span>www.barscot.com<\/span><\/a> .<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I can\u2019t say that I have dabbled with Kick Starter to fund any kind of musical venture, so maybe \u00a0I will now have to find a rich uncle or buy a winning lottery ticket. \u00a0\u00a0I would be up for a triple bill of Scott, Donohoe, and Tomasic in a concert at the Ontonagon Theater or the Algomah Honey House. \u00a0While this may be a little ambitious, Bar has indicated that she is investigating the 2017 Artist In Residence program offered by the Friends of the Porkies. \u00a0Should she find her way to the UP, I am pretty sure that we would find a way to put her on stage. \u00a0It would be another great <\/span>Journey<\/span><\/i> for Bar Scott and a treat for concert goers here.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Top Piece Video – Bar Scott’s Set the World on Fire<\/em>