Search - The Crooked Jades :: Worlds on Fire

An enthralling addition to this band's recorded legacy

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 07/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 54:57

Songs - 1. Can't Stare Down A Mountaineer, 2. Sandy Boys, 3. Fork & File, 4. Goodbye Trouble The Soul of Man, 5. One Girl On The Turnpike Road, 6. Girl Slipped Down, 7. Old Cow Died, 8. Ring The Moon, 9. Shirttail Boogie, 10. Shallow Brown, 11. Heaven's Gonna Be My Home, 12. Indian War Whoop/Pancake Walk, 13. Blur, 14. Blackberry Blossom, 15. World's on Fire



Old-time music, by nature, balances a certain amount of repetition and rhythm with innovative melodic forays. Still claiming that "Old Time is Not a Crime," this San Francisco-based band formed by guitarist Jeff Kazor in 1994 now has a decade of experience and numerous albums under their belts. Since their last album, however, the Jades appear to have undergone some personnel changes. Gone are Lisa Berman, Tom Lucas, Stephanie Prausnitz, and Dave Bamberger. Now joining Kazor are Jennie Benford, Adam Tanner, Erik Pearson and Megan Adie. While the band lineup has changed, both Pearson and Tanner have been associated with the band since the early days, and both appear on most of the past Crooked Jades recordings.



The various instruments consistently played include guitar, fiddle, banjo, fiddle, and bass. Some songs incorporate jaw harp, piano, banjo uke, soprano uke, and slide. Fiddler Bruce Bowers appears as a guest on "Blur" and "Shallow Brown," while Bruce Kaphan's piano also appears in the latter. Kaphan also recorded and mixed the album. The band's multi-instrumental prowess is a continuing strength, as is their spirited vocals.



The Crooked Jades draw from both traditional and original material. Songs from both sources sit nicely side by side, the contrasts providing considerable diversity for our listening enjoyment. Kazor's "Goodbye Trouble The Soul of Man" makes a poignant statement, and Benford's "Can't Stare Down A Mountaineer" implies that the hardy breed of old-time mountaineer (or musician) is stalwart, brawny and strong. Many of their songs have a mesmerizing feeling, almost an impression of "new-age" sensibility that bewilders our consciousness to some degree. A standard chantey like "Shallow Brown" is infused with new life with a pensive arrangement that turns the song into a reflective lament. "Blackberry Blossom" is unlike any standard rendition of that traditional offering. The medley of "Indian War Whoop/Pancake Walk" has plenty of emotion, while the next track "Blur" has plenty of emotive sentience. There are distinct differences as the juxtaposition of the old and new take shape.



The Crooked Jades recorded three albums for Copper Creek, then began producing their own independent releases. "World's on Fire" is an enthralling addition to their recorded legacy. The Crooked Jades' interpretation of the old-time genre is a reinvention and artistic foray into very seductive and adventurous territory. Balancing sophistication with rusticity is no easy matter, and this band rises nicely to the challenge. And they succeed splendidly. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

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Worlds on Fire / Crooked Jades

BowHead | Northwest Arkansas | 12/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My absolute favorite album by this group. Wonderful musicianship and detail, beautifully arranged with a wonderful mix of original and old-time traditional roots music."