Friday, January 19, 2007


RAVE REVIEW FOR BOW THAYER by JOHN BARRY

Friday, January 19, 2007
Musician gets little help from Helm on new disc
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By John W. Barry


Bow Thayer's first name can conjure up images of those pretty, colorful things that adorn Christmas and birthday presents.

But there is nothing pretty about his music. His songs are grit and grime, simple strumming and singing, a tromp through the spring mud rather than a sleigh ride through the snow. Listen to Thayer's songs and you can feel the wind bite your face and the rain in your bones.

His singing voice sounds a little like Bob Dylan's. But Thayer doesn't sound like he's trying to sound like Bob Dylan. He plays the harmonica like Neil Young, raw and unrefined, taking the listener on a journey through his windpipes and the dirty, dusty roads of backwoods America with each exhale.

Thayer's latest album, "Spend It All," was released Tuesday and has everything you need for a front porch jam session or battle of the bands by bonfire — acoustic guitar, harmonica, mandolin, banjo, pedal steel and just to make sure you're paying attention — baritone clarinet.

"Spend It All" also boasts the drumming of Levon Helm, the longtime Woodstock resident and legendary stick and skins man for The Band. Helm has enjoyed a major resurgence thanks to his "Rambles," which are semi-regular Saturday night concerts at his recording studio, an event that on Saturday will feature Thayer and his band kicking the evening off.

The Alexis P. Suter Band will play second, followed by the Levon Helm Band featuring guitarist Jimmy Vivino from Late Night with Conan O'Brien. This week's Ramble is sold out.

On "Spend It All," Helm lends Thayer's original compositions that quick, spry, simple and soulful drumming that anchored some of modern music's most timeless songs, "Up On Cripple Creek" and "Ophelia" by The Band among them. ..> --> D(["mb","

Thayer has always ..nbeen a huge fan of The Band and the mystique that he said surrounds their legacy ..nand their music.

"They're unlike anything that ever happened in rock 'n' ..nroll," said Thayer, who grew up near Boston and now lives on the White River in ..nVermont. "They were in a class of their own."

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Rock superstars as client

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Helm isn't the only musical heavy-hitter to have taken notice of ..nThayer. Thayer's publicist is Elizabeth Freund, who also represents Ringo Starr ..nand The Beatles, and with a partner has opened Beautiful Day Media & ..nManagement in Brooklyn.

Listen to Thayer and it probably won't come as a ..nsurprise that he's receiving a lot of attention. He steers clear of the cliches. ..nHe also stays focused on his particular sound, but can also evoke the sound of a ..nband like Wilco.

Somehow, he seems to have applied his skills as a ..ncarpenter and artist — now he's building songs and painting pictures with lyrics ..n— to his song writing.

"It's just something that's in my blood and I ..nwould probably go completely insane if I couldn't do it,' Thayer said of writing ..nand performing songs. "It's just in my soul. I've got to do it. ... There are ..ntimes when I'm like, what am I doing this for. I've tried to stop.

It ..njust doesn't work. I get depressed."

For information, visit www.levonhelm.com or www.bowthayer.com.

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John W. Barry is the music writer for the Poughkeepsie Journal. Write him ..nc/o Poughkeepsie Journal, P.O. Box 1231, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602, call ..n845-437-4822, or e-mail jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com.

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Thayer has always been a huge fan of The Band and the mystique that he said surrounds their legacy and their music.

"They're unlike anything that ever happened in rock 'n' roll," said Thayer, who grew up near Boston and now lives on the White River in Vermont. "They were in a class of their own."
Rock superstars as client

Helm isn't the only musical heavy-hitter to have taken notice of Thayer. Thayer's publicist is Elizabeth Freund, who also represents Ringo Starr and The Beatles, and with a partner has opened Beautiful Day Media & Management in Brooklyn.

Listen to Thayer and it probably won't come as a surprise that he's receiving a lot of attention. He steers clear of the cliches. He also stays focused on his particular sound, but can also evoke the sound of a band like Wilco.

Somehow, he seems to have applied his skills as a carpenter and artist — now he's building songs and painting pictures with lyrics — to his song writing.

"It's just something that's in my blood and I would probably go completely insane if I couldn't do it,' Thayer said of writing and performing songs. "It's just in my soul. I've got to do it. ... There are times when I'm like, what am I doing this for. I've tried to stop.

It just doesn't work. I get depressed."