A review written for the Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange
by Frank Gutch Jr.(frank.gutch.jr@gmail.com)

I'm not sure if a gypsy's eyes are like Patti Ecker's, but I
wouldn't be surprised. Gypsies are reputed to have a rascal's heart and when I
see the picture on the back of the CD cover, I see rascal and maybe a bit more.
The smile is wide, the eyes are mischievous and there is no doubt in my mind
that she could emasculate every man-jack of us in a fell swoop. Well, maybe
not, but there is likely more than a little drama in Patti Ecker because there
sure is in her music.

I envision Ecker in a smoky lounge or on (or off) Broadway
because she has a big voice, made for those venues. Of course, I'm influenced
by her cover of Put the Blame on Mame. I can see in my mind's eye Ecker
strutting across a stage, feather boa twirling and flipping while she vamps her
way through the song, big time, before taking on Mame's dramatic
eccentricities. Ecker can act, too. I know she can. You can't perform the song
that well without being able to act, can you?

Regardless, I know what she can do. She can write songs. The
blues and jazz are buried deep within her, and maybe that is why she has that
aura of the stage. It's not just the standard blues and jazz, either. She toys
with '20s ragtime and dixieland with Okay For You (Hollywood's conception of F. Scott Fitzgerald screens on my inner eyelids every time I hear it), You Missed Her visits the Carribean ('50s style), musical theater loves songs like the
jazzy Too Close, Too Soon (let's face it, you have to love a song which rhymes
"moon" and "June" without making you cringe), and there's
my personal favorite, Baby's Got the Blues. Ecker pulls out the stops on this
one and surrounds herself with just the right amount of blues and jazz, and
let's hear it for the ensemble. Even on the '50s-influenced Gypsy Lover's Eyes,
they have the touch.

Yes, let's hear it for the ensemble. Ecker gathered some
really fine musicians to help her with this. Rocco Phipps and Marc Edelstein
are outstanding on the upright bass, Gordon James floors me with his jazz
piano, Steve Doyle slides on that guitar, and, and… I like it better when
artists use a finite number of musicians because it's easier to pass the
praise, but what the heck, let her use as many as she wants. It works, and
that's what counts.

Ecker, if you're listening, take this for what it's worth.
There aren't that many people out there who can embrace musical theater and
make it work. I believe you can, and it would be one hell of a lot easier on
you than sucking down blue clouds of smoke in some basement speakeasy. I'm sure
you could do both well because you did it well here, but man, I would pay good
money to see you do a couple of sets of Baby's Got the Blues tunes. If you head
that direction, I'll be the one at the counter swilling down martinis with
three olives. Just pour me into a cab when you're done.

Track List:

    * Talk To Ya, Mister

    * Put the Blame On Mame

    * Baby's Got the Blues

    * Elsie

    * Indifferent Love

    * The Grace of a Song

    * Learn To Be Lonely          

.  * Not Really Spring

    * Shine

    * You Missed Her

    * Too Close, Too Soon

    * Okay For You

    * Gypsy Lover's Eyes

    * True Love Whispers

All songs written by Patti Ecker except Put the Blame On Mame (Roberts/Fisher).

Edited by: David N. Pyles

(dnpyles@acousticmusic.com)

Copyright 2009, ....Peterborough....
Folk Music Society.

Here's the news!

"Elsie" and "Indifferent Love" each received Honorable Mention Status in the 2008 Great Lakes Songwriting Competition!  And 90.9 WDCB's Lilli Kuzma gave me some righteous props by playing "Indifferent Love" on  last Tuesday's Folk Festival radio show.  Yay!

***************************************
Best moments: Summer '08

What a season it's been for music! Beginning with the triumphant return of The Shameless Hussies at a packed Fitzgerald's,  the two Midwest mini-tours with Louise Brodie, the front page of the Daily Herald,  children's concerts and the Incredible Train Gig with L.J., it's been a surprising and wonderful time for me and my music.

Best of the summer:

* The D.A.F.T Folk Fest, Escanaba MI.

Louise and I shared the stage with the wonderful Claudia Schmidt! Inbetween some violent storms, I joined Claudia and charming Escanaba chanteuse, Almudena Aguirre in an impromptu, three part "Sentimental Journey." Then Claudia provided a groovy scat/kazoo solo to "The Cat That's Walkin' the Dog." We had a blast, and met some great folks.


* The Incredible Train Gig.

L.J. and I really didn't know what to expect when we were called to play on an 11-hour gig on a train from Union Station to Minneapolis. It turned out that this Scottish-themed surprise birthday party was on the fancy schmancy Patrick Henry Private Cars. We immediately made friends with the gourmet chef, and played everything from bossa novas at dinner to "City of New Orleans" in the observation car, with everyone singing along. (I assure you, folks-- it does not get any better!) Then we drove back home the next day on Hwy 61!

* Wisconsin Mini-Tour. 

Louise and I  played at the delighful Harmony Cafe in Appleton on Friday and got a standing ovation (!!) at the Black Hawk Concert Series in Mount Morris. Talk about a warm welcome!

I'm shifting gears again to begin Global Roots Outreach for the Old Town School and attend the FARM Gathering next week.  I've got some senior gigs and some kids' gigs coming up, too.

I hope I see you all down the road soon!

Cheers!

Patti Ecker

http://www.pattiecker.com
http://www.myspace.com/pattiecker

Hosted By: The Shameless Hussies

When: Wednesday May 28, 2008
at 8:00 PM
Where: FitzGerald's
6615 Roosevelt Road
Berwyn, Illinois|14 60402
United States
Description:
The Shameless Hussies @ FitzGerald's

708-788-2118
Price: $10

Tricia Alexander, Patti Ecker, Diana Laffey, Jacquie Manning, Kate
Moretti - and Emcee / Erotic Poet, Margaret Nelson. A Cabaret-style
evening of bawdy and provocative acoustic music and spoken word
(blues, jazz, and folk), featuring 6 of Chicago's most engaging women
performers, beautiful voices and accomplished instrumentalists - all,
coming together for a One-Night-Only event. Witty, silly, empowering,
saucy - titters to guffaws. It's adult women at their best (while
behaving their worst!).


Click Here To View Event

The first song on this fine set lured me in – "Talk To Ya, Mister" boasts Patti Ecker’s sassy, bluesy vocal over a groovy, countrified soul vibe. A whole bunch more of this would be cool, I thought. In the same radio-ready adult-alternative vein as "Mister," Ecker and her tasty backing players later deliver the mellow, soulful "Shine." But Gypsy Lover’s Eyes is so much more.

Ecker’s album also has a full complement of jazzy tracks, some infectious pop rockers, and a few simple acoustic numbers. Ecker’s expressive, conversational vocal style works no matter what the genre, and she has chosen top-notch musicians. Ecker herself is a spot-on rhythm guitarist.

On the jazz/standard tunes, Ecker can sound vampy ("Put the Blame On Mame," the disc’s lone cover), vulnerable ("Baby’s Got the Blues"), gutsy ("Indifferent Love") and jaunty ("Too Close Too Soon"). "Indifferent" features Ecker’s charmingly dramatic vocal delivering lyrics from a bygone era, punctuated by John Otto’s bouncy clarinet. "Too Close Too Soon" is also a fine vocal performance, this time featuring another gifted soloist, fiddler Rick Veras.

The two pop rockers are nifty fun. "Elsie" is a Cajun-style ode to an oft-misbehaved dog. This would go great on a kids’ album, especially since the lyrics are clever without being condescending. "You Missed Her" is breezy, fun, and kind of tropical, buoyed by L.J. Slavin’s dancing flute.

The simple, folk-country "The Grace of a Song" and the closing "True Love Whispers" are shimmering, hopeful acoustic gems. At the other end of the spectrum is the absolutely smoking "Learn to Be Lonely." Ecker wails and growls her useful advice like she’s preaching hard-earned truths, and Steve Doyle nails his slide guitar riffs.

"Okay For You" and "Gypsy Lover’s Eyes" are also worth noting because they are so darned infectious "Okay" sounds like Bourbon Street, with Ecker strumming like a Dixieland banjoist. And "Gypsy" begins with Louise Brodie’ mournful violin and turns into a poppy treat with vocals that remind me of a ’50s- or early ’60s-style girl group.

Patti Ecker is a gifted songwriter in many styles, and a singer who can tackle any kind of song. (She also does brilliant work on her own background vocals). On Gypsy Lover’s Eyes, Ecker and her accompanying players confidently take us on a tour of many of the traditional styles that mesh into the modern Americana genre.

Sounds Like: Bonnie Raitt

Production/Musicianship Grade: 10/10

Commercial Value: 9/10

Overall Talent Level: 10/10

Songwriting Skills: 10/10

Performance Skill: 10/10

Best Songs: Talk To Ya Mister, Indifferent, Elsie, Learn To Be Lonely

I have fresh, new, from-the-CD downloads (instead of wimpy rough mixes) in my profile and they are now add-able!

Also, as well as being available on CDBaby.com, "Gypsy Lover's Eyes" is now available on Apple iTunes.com

And you can also get an autographed CD with lyric sheet from me. Send me a message and I'll tell you how.

Cheers!
Patti
www.pattiecker.com

"Gypsy Lover's Eyes" is now available on CDBaby.com! 

13 jazz/folk/rock/pop originals and one torchy vintage cover -- 17 musicians and the Vamp of the Prairie, Patti Ecker.

Just go to http://cdbaby.com/cd/pattisongs2

Singer-songwriter Tom Gorman's self-released 2007 CD 39 is full of songs about the road. And like that perfect cup of road coffee, it's strong, warm and bittersweet – at times, giving a potent jolt just when it's needed.

But these are not breezy tales of carefree wandering – they are the thoughtful reflections of a literate and introspective man moving into midlife.  Gorman's songs explore themes of love, longing, faith and redemption, creating a map of soulful musings.

The first track, "Route 39," remembers a season of youthful lust, the car a sensuous ride driven by the complex rhythms of Gorman's acoustic guitars. "Blue Ridge Mountain
Sunrise" paints an atmospheric picture of an all-night road trip, a "late-night beckoning" providing the escape from a planned life of "precision." "Chain Reaction" is a playful invitation to intimacy, "leaf and root, rope and knot, sweet and red is the wine that flows" as the organic connections that only come with mature love.  "Dancing Girls" is the gloriously strange tale of a misguided heart; its music is both tribal and sophisticated. 

And "Way Down" is simply one of the coolest songs I've ever heard – the marriage of existential rant and no-nonsense, hallelujah gospel.  So, for the soul who is searching for a "frequency from that sacred satellite," the way is simple and clear:

Go way down to the Jordan River
Way down to the deep water there
Go 'cross the Jordan River
Don't come back without something to share.

Gorman wrote or co-wrote, sang and played all instruments on the eleven tracks of 39, his considerable guitar and keyboard skills needing little support other than some tasty synth and electronic drum embellishments.  Gorman's rough and expressive baritone travels the hills and valleys of his compositions with poignancy and passion.

Of course, 39 is addictive. So get in your car, roll the windows down, find a long, winding country road, and slip 39 into your CD player. Then crank it up and drink Tom Gorman's music in deeply. You'll want to listen again and again.

Here's where he is on MySpace: www.myspace.com/gormansongs  

And here's Tom's website: www.gormansongs.com

Patti Ecker 10/10/07

Michigan Blueberry Pie report:

Mister went to Michigan to the Blueberry fest in South Haven yesterday. He brought back a transcendent Blueberry pie!

This Blueberry pie from Stephenson Farms is as divine as if Singing Angels had picked the berries at exactly the ripest, juiciest moment, dropping them tenderly into exquisite pearl-encrusted crystal buckets for transport to be made into Celestial Pie Filling. The crust is as tasty as the tastiest gourmet crust baked by Cinderella's Fairy Godmothers with a Magic Piecrust Wand.

If a Bad Fairy or a Fallen Angel were to eat of this pie, he/she/it would turn instantly Good, Virtuous and Merciful.

As of tonight, we still have 3/4 Transcendent Celestial  Blueberry Pie left.  It appears that we may be battling Fallen Angels and/or Bad Fairies for the next few days.

Last Saturday night, our sweet, beloved dog, Elsie passed away.

I adopted her November 19, 1994 from Orphans of the Storm in Deerfield. She was my best friend in the whole world, and a wonderful companion. She also saw many of the children on our block grow up. They all spent hours playing at "Elsie's House," and that was indeed a special gift to us.

Of course, she was an excellent hostess and buddy to the dogs in the neighborhood, but one of her special friends was neighbor-cat, Lars. It was so sweet to see her gently touching noses with him through the chain link fence. I think she felt protective of him, and when the long haired ginger tabby cat was outside with his people, she would "stand guard."

I wrote the song "Elsie!" in April of 1995. She was about one-ish, and still doing all that puppy stuff. I loved it when the kids would come over and request the "Elsie song."  And the first time Elsie heard it in a recording, she had a "what the...? doggie-cocked-head" look at the CD player and then at me, trying to figure out who was going to take her for a walk!

She was the "Catherine Deneuve" of dogs. Many times on our neighborhood walks, people would actually stop their cars, roll down the window and say, "That's a beautiful dog you got there!"

Her favorite holiday was Halloween. She'd wait patiently at the door with her toes just behind the threshold. When the children would come with hands out (and there were years of 100+ trick-or-treaters here!), not only would they get some excellent candy, but a wet nose-nuzzle and maybe a face-lick in the bargain. This often produced squeals of delight from the children and comments from the adults about how well-behaved Elsie was.

We started walking in Beck Lake woods very early on (until they made it "legal" and too complicated!) Elsie would literally cry with joy when we drove into the parking lot in anticipation of playing with so many furry pals.  She also was able to display her considerable herding skills with other dogs, and with small groups of people, too!

I'll miss her big, lusty bark, her soulful Cleopatra eyes, her constantly wagging plume of a tail, the deeply sensuous experience of touching her thick, gorgeous fur, and the solid strength of her muscles and bones beneath. When I rubbed her belly and buried my face in her perfect, soft white chest, she was deliriously happy and so was I.

At the end, her heart, her hips and her brain just got tired and we had to make the difficult decision to help her leave us. She was an extraordinary creature; just a gentle, beautiful dog --and a good, good girl!

I know, I know. It says "member since 1/28/2007."  Time is geologic for me. A couple of people (K.J. and Sue Fink) prodded me to give this an honest go after fumbling around with it at the beginning of the year and then forgetting about it.

But of course, in the last three days I have been obsessing like mad over my cyber-world.  And it's cool!  It looks like most of my South Florida Gang has the best pimped- out versions of their sites. I want!

After trying out a confusing and eye-fatiguing sunset background, and a bunch of stuff that didn't work at all, I am looking for "Bordello Wallpaper," or something that fits that description. I know this pink and green stuff looks kinda goofy. It's temporary, and the only thing that worked so far.

In the meantime, I'm just having fun finding great music from old friends and new ones. Yay!