cds by stan moeller
& t.s. baker:
walking on ledges
(1993 go figure records)
this title is currently available on cassette only (sorry), and can be ordered only through the mail.
send check or money order for $8.00 to:
t.s. baker
40 harvest lane
york, me 03909-5111
review of walking on ledges from music
reviews quarterly (vol. 1, #2 winter, 1995/1996)
"on the cover of this disc is a picture of quasimodo on a ledge of
notre dame cathedral, and while it doesn't really have anything to do
with the sound of the recording, it's a neat cover photo. maybe it's appropriate
because stan moeller and t.s. baker have a recording with a classic black
and white movie appeal to it. their musical sources are wide-ranging,
avoiding current trends and styles for melodies that could have been as
appropriate in the forties as the nineties. when the slide guitar kicks
off "sweet kinda lovin'" with an acoustic guitar and percussion
underneath it, the sound echoes back to lounge jazz acts from bygone decades.
smooth and syncopated, the rhythm rolls easily and energetically, enhanced
by a strong standup bass line and actual tap dancing to give it extra
snap and vitality. elsewhere in songs like "home" folk music
becomes the musical source, again handled with solid rhythmic foundations
and timeless effectiveness. then there's the appropriate circus sounds
of "circus" with its time-honored story of the runaway circus
boy who admires the trapeze girl. toss in the pop feeling of "you
and i," the latin feeling of "why be blue," the bluesy
jazz of "he always leaves," and the melancholy ballad style
of the title song, and you get every musical style popular music has provided
all rolled up into one fine recording.
those are the ledges that stan moeller and t.s. baker walk, but to hear them walk them is to be completely unaware of the danger they put themselves in. this recording could so easily have crashed from its own ambition, but because both performers are so genuine and talented, they make it look easy. both have wonderfully smooth voices, both seem totally comfortable and at ease as they perform. full but uncluttered, they have assembled all the many pieces of this recording together superbly. walking on ledges is an oddity in the musical world, but it should have special appeal to acoustic fans who are willing to enjoy acoustic music from all it's various sources, past and present. solid music is timeless, and that's what stan moeller and t.s. baker have both cleverly and honestly assembled here. walk on the ledge with them; the view from where they are is great.
key personnel:
produced by t.s. baker
stan moeller - vocals, guitar
t.s. baker - vocals, guitar, accordion, mandolin, keyboards