Love for the
Land By Sanford Jay
There is something rustic about the music Christopher Stanley writes and plays. "Love for the Land" is a 14-track CD of nothing but good old, down home tunes. It is a collection of originals and covers. The vocals reminded me of Cat Stevens at first, back before his religious awakening. But let the comparison stop there. The obvious centerpiece is the title track which Stanley wrote about a man named Alfred Jackson, a farmhand who took over working for Stanley's grandmother after his brother died and never asked for any payment. Jackson was still alive when Stanley recorded this album, and as Stanley says, has life all figured out at 85. There are also some very good cover tunes, CCR's "Lodi," Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet," Jim Croce's "I've Got a Name," as well as "Waltzing Matilda" and "City of New Orleans." Stanley chose his music well because there is an underlying passion. The technical end is very good. The sound has a good balance of instrument and vocals. I have a picture in my mind of Stanley playing in a quaint and cozy coffee shop.
|
