Alice Di Micele – Interpretations Vol 1
Rootsy singer-songwriter-guitarist Alice Di Micele has released sixteen albums of almost all original music across her three-and-a-half decades as an Oregon based musician (the New Jersey born Di Micele moved there in 1988).
But, on album number seventeen, she pays homage to songs and artists that have influenced her own songwriting.
Starting as a something to do in lockdown exercise when she started to learn some of her favourite songs, Interpretations Vol 1 features numbers from the songwriting pens of Neil Young, Kate Wolf, Reverend Gary Davis, Christine McVie, Tom Petty, Abbey Lincoln, the Grateful Dead and Sting.
(Such diversity of artist selection nods to Alice Di Micele’s broad canvas of musical loves: "My first concert was the Grateful Dead in 1982; two weeks later I saw the David Grisman Quintet at Carnegie Hall," says Di Micele).
Bookended by two Neil Young numbers, a faithful to the original arrangement (sans banjo and pedal steel) of 'Old Man' and the dreamier 'Harvest Moon,' Interpretations Vol 1 offers up a collection of well-chosen covers, Alice Di Micele style, with a little help from a number of friends including Rob Hohler (bass), Skip Edwards (keys), Nick Kirby (drums on four songs) and Bret Levick, who adds backing vocals to five tracks (including the Neil Young brace).
'Give Yourself To Love,' by American folk singer-songwriter Kate Wolf (lost too soon in 1986 at only 44 years of age), carries the original’s poignancy and even more delicacy through Alice Di Micele’s solo acoustic & vocal arrangement; 'Death Don’t Have No Mercy' by the Reverend Gary Davis, extended here to a six-minute full band blues, adds delightful, if mournful contrast.
(Special mention here for Di Micele’s blues crying vocal and the guitar work of Nick Kirby and Dirk Price).
The folksy rock-pop of the Christine McVie penned Fleetwood Mac number 'Over My Head' (here sporting a more Americana country arrangement) is a great fit for Alice Di Micele’s voice and musical sensibilities, as is the forlorn arrangement given to Tom Petty's 'Square One' (a huge fan, Alice Di Micele formed tribute band Petty Thievery shortly after Tom Petty’s passing).
Jazz singer Abbey Lincoln’s old Parisienne styled lament 'Throw It Away' is a clear labour of love for Alice Di Micele (Lincoln was a major influence on Di Micele; the song also highlights how versatile a vocalist she is).
'Throw It Away' has opened many of Di Micele’s live shows (A cappella no less) but here, on this near seven-minute interpretation, she is in the accompaniment of jazz guitarist Mimi Fox.
'Sugaree' by the Grateful Dead retains the woozy pop-blues vibe of the original but here Alice Di Micele and band add slightly more sway (mention here too for Joe Diehl on guitar, Rob Kohler’s bass work and the backing harmonies).
Sting’s 'Hounds Of Winter,' played in delicate trio mode with Andy Casad on acoustic guitar and Rob Kohler’s delicate bass lines, is a song close to Alice Di Micele’s pet loving heart (a grieving comfort when her dog Blue passed in 2005, the song returned to her thoughts in 2020 when her dog Roxy Ann passed).
Covers albums are quite commonplace and frankly, some are instantly disposable.
But when recorded and sung with the love and respect as shown by Alice Di Micele, an album such as Interpretations Vol 1 (which hints at more to come) becomes not just worthy of attention, but close to a necessary addition to any collection.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
But, on album number seventeen, she pays homage to songs and artists that have influenced her own songwriting.
Starting as a something to do in lockdown exercise when she started to learn some of her favourite songs, Interpretations Vol 1 features numbers from the songwriting pens of Neil Young, Kate Wolf, Reverend Gary Davis, Christine McVie, Tom Petty, Abbey Lincoln, the Grateful Dead and Sting.
(Such diversity of artist selection nods to Alice Di Micele’s broad canvas of musical loves: "My first concert was the Grateful Dead in 1982; two weeks later I saw the David Grisman Quintet at Carnegie Hall," says Di Micele).
Bookended by two Neil Young numbers, a faithful to the original arrangement (sans banjo and pedal steel) of 'Old Man' and the dreamier 'Harvest Moon,' Interpretations Vol 1 offers up a collection of well-chosen covers, Alice Di Micele style, with a little help from a number of friends including Rob Hohler (bass), Skip Edwards (keys), Nick Kirby (drums on four songs) and Bret Levick, who adds backing vocals to five tracks (including the Neil Young brace).
'Give Yourself To Love,' by American folk singer-songwriter Kate Wolf (lost too soon in 1986 at only 44 years of age), carries the original’s poignancy and even more delicacy through Alice Di Micele’s solo acoustic & vocal arrangement; 'Death Don’t Have No Mercy' by the Reverend Gary Davis, extended here to a six-minute full band blues, adds delightful, if mournful contrast.
(Special mention here for Di Micele’s blues crying vocal and the guitar work of Nick Kirby and Dirk Price).
The folksy rock-pop of the Christine McVie penned Fleetwood Mac number 'Over My Head' (here sporting a more Americana country arrangement) is a great fit for Alice Di Micele’s voice and musical sensibilities, as is the forlorn arrangement given to Tom Petty's 'Square One' (a huge fan, Alice Di Micele formed tribute band Petty Thievery shortly after Tom Petty’s passing).
Jazz singer Abbey Lincoln’s old Parisienne styled lament 'Throw It Away' is a clear labour of love for Alice Di Micele (Lincoln was a major influence on Di Micele; the song also highlights how versatile a vocalist she is).
'Throw It Away' has opened many of Di Micele’s live shows (A cappella no less) but here, on this near seven-minute interpretation, she is in the accompaniment of jazz guitarist Mimi Fox.
'Sugaree' by the Grateful Dead retains the woozy pop-blues vibe of the original but here Alice Di Micele and band add slightly more sway (mention here too for Joe Diehl on guitar, Rob Kohler’s bass work and the backing harmonies).
Sting’s 'Hounds Of Winter,' played in delicate trio mode with Andy Casad on acoustic guitar and Rob Kohler’s delicate bass lines, is a song close to Alice Di Micele’s pet loving heart (a grieving comfort when her dog Blue passed in 2005, the song returned to her thoughts in 2020 when her dog Roxy Ann passed).
Covers albums are quite commonplace and frankly, some are instantly disposable.
But when recorded and sung with the love and respect as shown by Alice Di Micele, an album such as Interpretations Vol 1 (which hints at more to come) becomes not just worthy of attention, but close to a necessary addition to any collection.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ