The Best Songs: Jerusalem Tomorrow
by David Olney

COMING RIGHT FOR YA:

David Olney & Sergio Webb are in the van and headed East! Join the boys for lunch TODAY at 12:00pm/Noon (EST) at the Knoxville Visitor’s Center downtown, or listen to the free, live broadcast on WDVX-Radio/Knoxville, also streaming here: http://www.wdvx.com/

Other performances THIS WEEK include Alexandria, VA ~ Windsor, CT ~ Shirley, MA ~ New York City and a live interview/performance on Sirius-XM satellite radio with Mr. Dave Marsh on Sunday, April 22 (Earth Day!)

Chattanooga, TN ~ Parkersburg, WVA ~ Dayton, OH ~ and Ann Arbor, MI are on the horizon. Of course, new tour dates & other media performances are listed below and online at DavidOlney.com. 

DAVE’s DITHRYRAMB DISCOURSE?  Uncle Dave’s FASHION STATEMENT?:

These are some of the early contenders….HELP DAVID re-name his weekly “Fireside Chat” video posts! Send your ideas to DavidOlneyAlert@comcast.net  and CLICK HERE to watch this week’s “Fireside Chat” where David shares a BRAND NEW SONG – “Johnson City Blues” – co-written with Sergio & John Hadley. David’s weekly video shorts feature a few minutes with your favorite curmudgeon and a live performance of at least one song along the story behind it.  Visit DavidOlney.com every Tuesday for a new short.

ACTING IS ALL ABOUT THE EYES: 

Seen the NEW David Olney “Jerusalem Tomorrow” video of the song featured on “THE STONE”? Click HERE to see and hear the artist/writer of the moving song Emmylou Harris, James King and others just to record themselves. 

OUR KIND OF MUSIC Digs Deep:
Wanna know how David comes up with some of the wildly intriguing stuff he creates? Check out the cool video interview with Blake Phillips at Our Kind of Music and witness David Olney’s embrace of new technologies. Here’s the link:  http://ourkindofmusic.com/2012/04/12/david-olney-interview/

Share the “Titanic” video: http://youtu.be/niznJTq5g3E

White Star Line’s RMS TITANIC sank on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City 100 years ago on April 15, 1912. Many have written songs about Titanic. This is the only one from the Iceberg’s point of view. David Olney’s “Live at Norm’s River Roadhouse Vol. 1″ is available at the DavidOlney.com Store or via Amazon.com!

Norm’s River Road House, was a small listening room in West Nashville, TN, known for its electrifying music as well as killer live shows from regular performers David Olney & Sergio Webb. The boys are joined by percussionist-producer Jack Irwin on this FIRST-EVER self-released LIVE album. “Live At Norm’s River Road House, Volume 1″ — features the trio playing 76 minutes of soul-stunning music as never heard before, along with original artwork designed at Nashville, TN’s historic Hatch Show Print by Ms. Julie Sola.

01. Intro/Whistle Blow
02. Upside Down
03. Wait Here For The Cops
04. Sweet Poison
05. Panama City
06. Postcard From Mexico
07. Intro of Band
08. Titanic
09. Oh Yeah
10. One Tough Town
11. Ukelele Waltz
12. Who’s The Dummy Now?
13. Sunset On Sunset Boulevard
14. Snake Song
15. Kubla Khan
16. Lee’s Highway
17. The Highway’s Coming

“A folksy charm embedded recording, which baseball fans will doubtlessly find engaging and enlightening.” - Maverick Magazine (UK)

Based on a play by Ben Jones a/k/a Cooter on Dukes of Hazzard, “Ol Diz: A Musical Baseball Story“ is about legendary Hall-of-Fame baseball pitcher Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean and his rollicking journey from barefoot cotton picker to national renown. The music was written by David Olney & John Hadley and features 11 Americana-themed songs about the plays hero and Americas past time. This album is being offered for purchase as a David Olney Exclusive Limited Edition CD as well as a digital download on iTunes, Amazon and other online digital download retailers.

01. You Can Call Me Diz
02. Don’t Need Shoes
03. Precious Memories To Alma Dean
04. Anybody Here Seen Elmer?
05. The Cards Are Pitchin’ Dizzy Dean Today
06. Heaven’s Game
07. Brothers Dean
08. The Gas House Gang
09. True To My Pat
10. Satch’s Six Basic Rules
11. Hall Of Fame

via Ol Diz: A Musical Baseball Story!.

David Olney’s Mini-Album Series: Art for the Ears

By Kezzie Baker. (Read more reviews via Music is Good)

“To me, it’s bogus that art can only be in museums.  The real art is what goes on when people don’t expect it.  My idea of a good time is getting in front of an audience and giving them more than they expected.  That makes it a worthwhile, fulfilling thing to me.” – David Olney

Townes Van Zandt’s short list of favorite music writers included Mozart, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Bob Dylan, and … his buddy, David Olney.  Obviously Olney keeps pretty good company, and deservedly so (except Eric Taylor once said, ”Townes must have had a drink or two when he said Olney was up there with Mozart – Olney’s about as good as it gets when it comes to writin’, but he don’t sing like Mozart.”).  With a career spanning more than four decades, he’s had time to polish his art to a fine shine.  Whether performing blues, jazz, country, or folk ballads, Olney excels in them all – not to mention he can seriously rock.   In short, David Olney is one brilliant artist – even if he doesn’t sing like Mozart.   I am constantly amazed at what he comes up with next.

His latest venture is a unique series of thematic mini-album EPs on his own Deadbeet Records label, two of which have been released so far.  Each EP consists of reinterpretations of some of Olney’s classic catalog tunes combined with brand new songs to create its own unique theme.  The series capitalizes on Olney’s special talent for spinning a tale, which has made him one of the most original and impressive storytellers in the music business.

“Something happened. Back there all those centuries ago. Something not easily believed or easily dismissed. Two thousand years of glory and horror, of love and hate, of beauty and violence have only made those long ago events more murky and more enigmatic. But nothing comes of nothing. Something happened. The Stone is an attempt to address those events. From varying points of view (a con man, a donkey, a murderer and a soldier), a story is told. A picture struggles to emerge. Nothing is proved. Nothing is denied.’” (From the CD cover)

Newly released on March 20, 2012, The Stone is the latest in David Olney’s thematic mini-album series. The cover art and song titles don’t leave much room for doubt as to what the theme is.  Although timed to be released just before Palm Sunday, this is not so much a religious recording as it is simply the telling of “the greatest story ever told” by one of America’s greatest storytellers.  As Ray Waddle, columnist for The Tennessean, said, “Olney is a folk/roots/rocker who comes at his occasional subject of faith from odd angles.  He writes about people on the periphery of revelation, witnesses rattled by a glimpse of the blinding light.  Whatever the subject, Olney is likely to stay in touch with an ancient theme of the human story – a heartsick restlessness, a longing for homecoming.”  The Stone follows this angle, approaching its subject from the outside looking in - in Olney’s words, “from the points of view of some of the peripheral characters. How did they respond to these events (whatever they were)? What in the world did they think was going on?”

Olney has used unusual perspectives in his songwriting before,  most notably in the songTitanic.  While the Titanic may be most often associated with the hymn “Nearer My God to Thee,” or Celine Dione’s hit from the movie soundtrack, “My Heart Will Go On,” Olney’s song is uniquely written from the perspective of the iceberg.  It’s powerful, and it’s quite frightening in its intensity – just one demonstration of the talent of the songwriter who has penned these little mini-albums.

The Stone develops its theme over six tracks (three previous compositions, plus two brand new songs) cleverly arranged in chronological order to tell the Easter story, beginning with the journey to Jerusalem and ending with the missing body. Olney admits he’s sure “something” happened, but isn’t convinced it happened as it has been handed down to us.  Not exactly the kind of stuff the Christian music industry would be interested in.   Still, with the exception of the imagined scenario for the motivation behind Judas’ betrayal, the songs are not outside the realm of possibilities when stacked up against biblical records and Olney’s imagination brings a powerful human element into the 2,000-year-old story.  It takes a huge talent to pull off such a project, and Olney pulls it off very well.  Regardless of your personal beliefs, it will affect you – if for no other reason than for the sheer drama in which it is performed.

The opening track, ”Jerusalem Tomorrow,” is a powerful spoken-word piece narrated by a con-man healer who “can’t make a dime” since a stranger came through town ahead of him who “has everyone convinced he’s for real.”  A backdrop of Sergio Webb’s acoustic guitar steadily drives the music forward as the story unfolds.  The song  appeared on one of Olney’s earlier albums, and was also a hit recorded by Emmylou Harris.   Next up is “Brays,” another previously recorded song completely reworked.  As one might expect from the title, it is sung from the perspective of a donkey who triumphantly enters the city of Jerusalem  as palm leaves are placed at its feet.  The musical arrangement is impressive, with some ingenious orchestration consisting of a low, beastly, cello-like sound coupled with reverberating higher notes that struck me as being similar to what is heard in a donkey’s braying.   The blues-rocking “Brains” picks up the pace with lyrics about the betrayal punctuated by a smoking harmonica.  We are then brought to the upper room with the song, ”Flesh and Blood,” the only song that isn’t from a peripheral character’s point of view.  Rather, it juxtaposes the passover meal  eaten in ”a faraway place, a faraway time” with the present, where it is still observed and held sacred by believers.  The track list returns to the periphery with the arrest, presented from the perspective of a thief and murderer in “Barabbas,” a previously released song composed in classic Olney storytelling fashion.  The final track is the chilling and somber “A Soldier’s Report,” which recounts a Roman soldier’s reluctant report to his superior in which he tries to explain the disappearance of the body under his watch.  It is a most effective ending to a very impressive mini-album.

Supporting musicians for The Stone are few, but more than adequate – Olney (vocal, guitar and harmonica), Jack Irwin (harpsichord, percussion and orchestrations), Sergio Webb(classical guitar), and Dave Roe (string bass).  ”When we started recording these songs, I thought they would be complicated,” said Olney.  “More voices, more instruments.  But the songs have a peculiarity to them that called for a simple approach.  The sound is very minor key.  Like a voice inside your head.”

The first in the mini-album series debuted in May of 2011:

“Downtown streets. Slick with Rain. Watch your step. Don’t talk to strangers.”

So says the blurb on Olney’s website about his first EP in the series, David Olney Presents: Film Noir.  The words are the opening lyrics to its first song, “Frank is Gone,” and they set the stage for everything that follows on this five-song mini-album of ‘50s-‘60s detective music that artfully evokes that film noir atmosphere with “arrangements as smoky as Bogart’s ashtray,” as Rochester’s Democrat & Chronicle puts it.

Indeed, this little mini-album drips with the atmosphere of film noir enough to wring it out like a rag. From the moment the ear catches the opening sinister-sounding riffs of a descending walking bass spilling from the speakers, the mind’s eye conjures up an image of a vintage movie screen where desperate and shady characters come to vivid life. We are introduced to characters like Frank, who abruptly skips town in a shroud of mystery, and to his girlfriend Gracie who “keeps the front light on”as she waits for him, but by the second track (“Blue Moon Hotel”) admits against a backdrop of a smoky, sultry sax that she thinks Frankie never made it. We get hints of a deal, and the double-cross, and we’re pretty sure who the man is who’s holed up in a cheap hotel room with just a bed, a blanket, and a pillow that amounts to not much more than a prison cell. Then there’s “$20 Serenade” about a robber who strikes up an amiable enough conversation with a stranger on the street until he pulls out a gun, but the tune is such a toe-tapper, it’s hard to get too concerned. There’s also a slow-grooving blues tune with a surprising and very effective muted organ adding to the mood set by the walking bass line and slow bluesy guitar strumming. Perhaps the best song on the EP is a remake of Olney’s previously released tune, “Sunset on Sunset Boulevard,” about a host of characters including an aging star who sips her martini and throws a glass at her TV as she shouts “those filthy swine have all forgotten; how dare they turn their backs on me!” The atmospheric ‘tinky-tink’ of piano keys from multi-instrumentalist and producer Jack Irwin, Jim Hoke’s smoky saxophone, and some very impressive finger-picking from guitar maestroSergio Webb (who, by the way, is an impessive artist well worth checking out) provide just the right finishing touches to this gem.

Independent weekly newspaper Philadelphia City Paper included Film Noir in its list of Top 10 Roots Albums of 2011, stating, “these dark stories and their perfect small jewels of cool jazz must be honored for offering fascinating listening, both lyrically and musically.” I wouldn’t argue with that. Give it a listen here:

While these two EPs are radically different from one another thematically, they share a similar sparse and (for the most part) smooth and easy musical blueprint.  That is not to say, though, that all of Olney’s 20+ albums are of this kind. He can rock to bring the house down, swing to a country stomp, and perform anything in between  remarkably well, as his discography proves.  (For those unfamiliar with Olney, I highly recommend starting with  The Wheel or Omar’s Blues, two of his greatest achievements.)  But as good as Olney’s recordings are, audiences virtually all agree his live performances are even better.  The one word that is repeatedly used to describe them is “intense.”  Few artists are able to so completely bring an audience under their spell as David Olney does.   He is on the road a lot, both throughout the U.S. and in Europe, so do yourself a favor and check his website for the touring schedule to catch a show near you

One reason for Olney’s ability to captivate a live audience with such intensity is his love for theatrics.  When he sings songs about characters, he doesn’t just sing about them.  He inhabits them for as long as the song lasts.  “I think if I was ever going to do any other kind of self expression or artistic endeavor, I would probably be an actor,”  he says.  Along those lines, he has been publicly reciting classic poetry for the past several years and posting the performances on Youtube, where he is gaining a loyal viewing audience.  Here’s one fine example:

As I said, I’m constantly amazed with what he comes up with next.

The Stone – David Olney (Deadbeet Records, 2012)

Whichever label you use to describe David Olney, it’s not enough. If you introduce him as a ‘folk artist’, people won’t be prepared for the humor and dry wit. If you say ‘singer-songwriter’, the energetic live performance might come as a shock.On new album, The Stone, his 23rd project, Olney retells, as you can gather from the cover art and song titles, a rather famous story. The six songs function as separate chapters and each track switches the point of view to another actor in the tale. Read More!

via Urban Country News » CD Review: The Stone – David Olney.

The Stone ROLLS and The Station Inn will ROCK this Thursday!
Share this event here on Facebook!

Join birthday-boy David Olney and his band to celebrate the release of “THE STONE” — his second installment of his new series of thematic mini-albums, which launched last year with his “Presents FILM NOIR” recording.

“Along with Tom Russell and James McMurtry, David Olney is one of the greatest American story tellers working today.” ~ 27 Leggies

“Been listening to ‘The Stone’. GREAT. I dig these ep¹s you¹re doing. Like chapters in a grand Tolstoy deal.” ~ Tom Russell

This THURSDAY, March 22……8:00 PM….(early start time!)
DAVID OLNEY and The Debonairs
at
The Station Inn
402 12th Ave. South
(In The Gulch)
Nashville, TN 37203
Cover: $10.00
Reservations: 615-255-3307
http://tinyurl.com/DavidOlneyMusicCityRoots

Yeah, solid as a rock.

When David Olney plays, it’s hard to pay attention to anything else. That is assuming you would even want to. His performance is exuberant and his songs and presence always fill the entire room. The prolific and respected multifaceted singer-songwriter opened his 6-song set with ‘God-Shaped Hole’ and followed with two new songs, ‘Barabbas,’ and ‘Brains.’ Both can be found on the upcoming EP, The Stone, due out March 20. Read More!

via Urban Country News » The Roys and David Olney Entertain on Music City Roots. Read More!

Come celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Film Noir Foundation’s annual film festival in San Francisco! Join us Monday, January 23, 2012 for a double bill of GILDA / THE MONEY TRAP and Featured Musical Performance by DAVID OLNEY and SERGIO WEBB.

NOIR CITY X is proud to welcome the prolific singer-songwriter David Olney to this year’s festival. David’s songs have been recorded by Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Del McCoury, and others. He has released more than 20 albums over four decades and performs worldwide. Accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Sergio Webb, David will perform live on Monday night, January 23 at 6:00 p.m, on the Castro Theatre’s Mezzanine for a 45-minute set. His performance will include songs from his mini-album, David Olney Presents: FILM NOIR, which earned him spot on the Philadelphia City Paper Top 10 Roots Albums of 2011, citing, “these dark stories and their perfect small jewels of cool jazz must be honored for offering fascinating listening, both lyrically and musically.”

The price of admission includes Featured Musical Performance by David Olney at 6:00 pm on the Castro Theatre’s Mezzanine, followed by a double bill of RITA HAYWORTH & GLENN FORD.

7:00 pm GILDA (1946, Columbia, 110 min.) Rita Hayworth created her Hollywood “Love Goddess” legend in this tailor-made romantic drama, first of several sex-charged pairings with costar Glenn Ford. The film’s amazing sexual symbolism slipped past the censors (and most viewers) at the time; today the film is regarded as one of the greatest examples of a director “working around” the Production Code. Screenplay by Marion Parsonnet; adaptation by Jo Eisinger; story by E. A. Ellington. Directed by Charles Vidor.

 9:20 pm THE MONEY TRAP (1965, MGM/WB, 91 min.) Thirty years after steaming up the screen in Gilda, Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth were reunited, poignantly, in this ’60s-style homage to old-school film noir. Director Burt Kennedy gives a hard, jazzy edge to the proceedings, winking toward the film’s 1940s roots, while giving the full ’60s-style sex-bomb treatment to costar Elke Sommer. Screenplay by Walter Bernstein, from the novel by Lionel White.

More information on this year’s festival at NoirCity.com!

A DUTCHESS, A MARINER and ULYSSES, Oh My!
Miss David Olney’s live classic poetry performance debut at the Southern Festival of Books last month?

"Americana superstar David Olney is a rare soul who is both AN EXCELLENT STORYTELLER and AN EXCELLENT PERFORMER…Olney’s poetry readings aren’t just recitations, though."  Read why here: The Examiner

FLORIDA This Weekend, a NASHVILLE THANKSgiving…TEXAS in Early December:
Sopchoppy! It’s just fun to say, eh! David & Sergio Webb are on the Western coast of Florida this weekend. Only 2 shows down South: Sopchoppy & S. Tampa. Catch ‘em while you can.

Gonna be in Music City, U.S.A. on Thanksgiving weekend? Get your Black Friday shopping done and enjoy an intimate Saturday night with David & Sergio at The Attic house concert series. The beautiful upstairs room features a lovely little stage and room for about 60 folks. RSVP today.

Beach time awaits in Galveston in early December with a return to the infamous Old Quarter. The duo then closes out Kenny Pipes’ series near Houston and the Pinetop Mystics series in Nacogdoches before returning to Nashville for private party & benefit performance season. Yup. The boys do it all.

Have YOU Had YOUR "FIRESIDE CHAT" with DAVID OLNEY?
Tune in every TUESDAY evening at 7:00 pm EST for a LIVE short visit with David as he talks about the life of a troubadour, performs one or more of the many songs in his repertoire and shares the story behind it. Tune in by clicking here.

LEARN TO DANCE with DAVID:
Pick up some groovy dance steps for the holidays! Click here to see David Olney’s "Boots Are Made For Walkin’" video and get those toes tappin’. It’s good for you.

SPOILER ALERT!
The NEXT installment of the David Olney thematic EP series is rounding second and headed for third. Expect new music from the maestro in Winter 2012. Until then – feel the rhythm on the track, don’t turn ’round, don’t look back – be sure to visit DavidOlney.com and pick up a copy of David Olney Presents: FILM NOIR and one of those sporty t-shirts for yourself and turn on a friend. They ain’t gonna hear this on the radio.