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 Reviews Of Joel Mabus CDs

Retold
The Banjo Monologues
Parlor Guitar  
Golden Willow Tree  
Thumb Thump  
Six Of One 
How Like The Holly 

RETOLD  Reviews

'Retold,' Joel Mabus
Latest Joel Mabus CD, 'Retold,' should please his devoted fans

Chris Rietz | For the Lansing State Journal

"Retold," set for release on Jan. 15, is the 18th album from songwriter/multi-instrumental hotshot Joel Mabus on his own Fossil Records, launched in 1987 to produce his own recordings.

It's a program of 12 Mabus originals, featuring only Joel's voice and acoustic guitar, from the label's first decade, songs in varying degrees lost, under-represented on CD or - most importantly - songs that continue to thrive and evolve in his countless live shows.

"Retold," then, is not at all a rehash of old faves - the unmistakable sign of an artist in winding-down mode - but no less than first-time definitive recordings of some of the most popular songs in Mabus's two-decades-and-counting career.

1988's "Naked Truth" LP, a live album, was the source for four of the songs, including the mythic, spooky title cut, the powerful anti-war ballad "Touch a Name on the Wall," and the sharp, playful "Swing That Thing," interspersed with Joel's blazing guitar breaks - and a couple of musical quotes from Duke Ellington and Bach, too.

Likely his most-requested song of them all, "Duct Tape Blues" is here, complete with the "badoo-badoo" story (don't ask, just listen), a broad palette of blues licks, some rumination on modern excess and more. At a full 10 minutes and 54 seconds, Mabus may be hoping to give his fans all the "Duct Tape" they want, once and for all.

An even better candidate for deathlessness-by-acclaim is the dead-on hilarious "Hopelessly Midwestern," a Heartlander's National Anthem if ever there were. It comes packaged with the tale of his encounter with a tie-dyed California type, an opportunity for Mabus to trot out his best folksy, Will-Rogers-meets-Garrison-Keillor oratorical style and crank it up to 10.

"I don't call it a 'best of' album," Mabus remarked wistfully, "but I'm sure there will be some who call it that." In the notes he acknowledges the old bromide that a songwriter's works are his children, and indeed, the 12 songs on "Retold" have grown up tall and strong, and done well for themselves. For those seeking an introduction to this acclaimed, multi-talented artist, or longtime fans who want THE Joel album, this is it - "best of" or not.

Chris Rietz works at Elderly Instruments in Lansing . His reviews appear every other week in Lansing State Journal's What's On. 

 

 

The Banjo Monologues Reviews

PENGUIN EGGS MAGAZINE Autumn 2007 Issue 35

Joel Mabus   The Banjo Monologues  

Fossil  Records

Joel Mabus introduces this CD with an accompanied monologue about the banjo  “I don’t know if the world needs another banjo record” he says “but I do” and then he goes on to say  “There are a dozen different ways to tune a banjo and all of them are wrong”. What follows is an amazing mixture of songs, tunes and stories about the banjo and Joel Mabus’s experience as teacher, banjo player and appreciator of the instrument and the music. Mabus reaches with superb taste into old time music to pick the tunes for this recording. He is such a fine interpreter of this music that some of the old hillbilly standards, which I first heard and learned during the ’60’s folk scare, and which over the years I’d come to regard as passé, achieve new life in the hands of this man. The playing and singing are magnificent and the story telling informative and fun. If you love banjo music this is a disc for you.

– By Mitch Podolak

---------------------------------------------

CD review: 'The Banjo Monologues,' by Joel Mabus Mabus delivers yet another original album with 'Banjo Monologues'

By Chris Rietz | For the Lansing State Journal 3/29/2007

The banjo has "flirted with showbiz now and then, but mostly it's played in kitchens and back porches. Now to me that makes the five-string a noble thing."

So begins "The Banjo Monologues," fully the 17th album from Joel Mabus, and the 14th on his own Fossil Records label, slated for release on May 1 - perhaps his most direct and intimate project yet.

Mabus's banjo-playing is a unique hybrid of the old-time, percussive, "clawhammer" style and its modern melodic grandson, the so-called "chromatic" style. His easy mix of both is, while not at all showy, entirely original - a bridging of both worlds that's almost unheard of.

As a result, the tunes and songs are a surprisingly varied smorgasbord of tastes: the rustic comedy of "Three Nights Drunk," 19th-century ragtime with "Whistling Rufus," even an original, the darting "Dragonfly" ("my wife's favorite"). And for anyone who thinks the banjo is only for happy stuff, Joel finds the heart of darkness in the murder ballad "Willow Garden," a particularly chilling example of an already gory genre.

Note too that Mabus doesn't shy from what could be called standard material: "John Henry," "Roll Down the Line," "Cripple Creek." Mabus is that rare artist who can bring old chestnuts to life not by making them exotic, but by doing the opposite: finding the pulse in the old songs, by understanding them in a way that few others do.

But the best moments, the stuff that makes his 17th album fresh, are the "monologues," seven of them.

Here Joel talks about the banjo, its mysteries, about an 80-year-old student he once had, but most of all about his own southern Illinois parents, their siblings and in-laws who made a living as "hillbilly" musicians during the Depression.

All of this is told in a slow-paced, rhythmic, folksy style that's more than just affectation or schtick; it's simply the way these tales should want to be told. Think of Garrison Keillor; or better yet, "Alice's Restaurant," in which Arlo Guthrie sounds more Okie than his own father. It's connecting the music - and himself - to a rich and cherished past, and "The Banjo Monologues" is accordingly less about showbiz, and more like the porch or the kitchen, than any banjo album you're ever likely to hear.

[Chris Rietz is the CD buyer for Elderly Instruments, and writes reviews for LSJ on a biweekly basis]

Early reviews from the Internet:

Also don't  miss Joel Mabus' cd. Another great one. 
Joel gets it right every time. 
Every cd is different and never a dull moment any of his cds.

Roz Larman Folkscene Radio
posting to FOLKDJ-L

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The CD is a grand tribute to the banjo and to old-time music. Modern audiences may not understand why "hillbilly" music was so popular in its day. Early record producers gave the style the "hillbilly" moniker, which unfortunately created an image that has detracted from the music. In "The Banjo Monologues", Joel celebrates the true beauty and significance of the music, enabling modern audiences to understand the connection the music had with its audiences. Listening to the CD from beginning to end is a unique experience. I imagine this what Mark Twain or Garrison Keillor would sound like if they played the banjo. "The Banjo Monologues" helps cement Joel Mabus reputation as an artist.

Joel Mabus is the Joe Dimaggio of the folk music world - a virtuoso who can make the toughest plays appear effortless. His performances are memorable and he leaves the audience with the feeling that they have spent an evening with a good friend or long-lost relative. His charm, intelligence and skill are evident in his inviting style.

[Portion of blog posted by RON OLESKO Wednesday, March 28, 2007 Co-host of "Traditions" at WFDU, Fordham University Radio]

---------------------------------------------------------

I have an embarrasingly high stack of CDs that need to be reviewed for our radio show- so many appealing CDs that choosing which to ignore for a while and which to listen to is almost painful.

But when the new Mabus CD hit the "In" Box yesterday, it went straight into the CD player.

It's nearly impossible to praise Joel's contributions to folk music too highly. A master of a number of instruments who communicates the nuances of each, an artful, profound and often funny songwriter whose songs will far outlive him, a masterly performer, and overall one of the true champions of traditonal folk music.

This new CD is going to win over people who have up to this point failed to enjoy the banjo, and is going to thrill people who enjoy Joel's stories. I'm particularly glad that those stories are accompanied by tasteful banjo backup, allowing me to program it on-air more than I would if they were straight spoken pieces.

I could go on, but need to get back to reviewing CDs!

Mel DeYoung 
PS I have no affiliation with Joel, just an admiration for his talent and the use to which he has devoted it.

Mel DeYoung, folk music programmer at WPSU, Penn State U.
posting to FOLKDJ-L

--------------------------------------------------

No doubt you have heard of "The Vagina Monologues". If that introduction has grabbed your attention then your attention should be grabbed by a most brilliant CD that has come down the old pike. A CD by a true virtuoso of many instruments. Happily we have something that could now also be on the stage---"The Banjo Monologues".

Joel Mabus has come up with a most brilliant piece of work. This CD consists of 18 tracks of traditional music and some truly colorful and insightful intros to many of the tracks. Tales of family, of music, and just some great philosophical thoughts. One insight has to do with how a teacher can also be a student. One of the most moving tracks on the CD. It is about as close as you are going to get to seeing Joel Mabus in concert.

If you have ever wondered what was the precursor to Grand Ole Opry you will find out here. If you ever wondered what instrument is his favorite---and why--you will find out. Also which one he would want on a desert island---hint: forget bad banjo jokes.

If you ever wanted to hear some great family tales with traditional songs as background it is on this CD. In addition there are great traditional pieces, including, Wondrous Love, John Henry's Hammer, and so many more.

You really have to travel far and wide to find a more intriguing artist who can play the many instruments he does. Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo and never forget one of his greatest instruments of all----his voice. Deep, resonant, and his persona engulfs the audience. Be it a live one or one on a CD that will make you think you are at a Joel Mabus concert.

Bill Hahn - Program Notes (Traditions, WFDU)
from Bill Hahn's blog

Parlor Guitar Reviews           

Lansing State Journal November 24, 2005

Joel Mabus delivers a light, 
lyrical disc with 'Parlor Guitar'

Review By Chris Rietz | For the Lansing State Journal

As Joel Mabus himself points out, the title of his new CD, "Parlor Guitar" - the 16th on his own Fossil label - has two meanings. The first refers to the small- bodied steel-string guitars used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, whose intimate voice and balanced tone made them ideal for fingerstyle playing.

The other is that the album itself was recorded in a Victorian-era parlor - the one that houses Arcadia Recording in Kalamazoo . This is no re-creation, though; it's more that these tunes, with their simplicity, durability and emotional heft, presented in this unaffected way, are a perfect match for the eminently musical Mabus.  

As a result, "Parlor Guitar" is lyrical, light on its feet, captivating and in the end thoroughly listenable, in a way that precious few fingerstyle guitar albums ever are. As listeners will quickly note, Mabus's rep as a top-flight picker is well-deserved, but his depth of understanding, his willingness to let great songs sing in their own voice, is much more rare.  

With one surprise exception, the CD is all instrumental, but it is very much an album of songs. A serious songwriter himself, Mabus is drawn to the Tin Pan Alley craftsmen of a century or so ago, whose target audience was vaudeville, the Broadway stage - or the living room.  

Dixieland-ed to death for decades, "After You've Gone" seems rejuvenated in Mabus's wistful treatment. A medley of four early hymns is an album highlight, while ragtime - in full roar in those days - tips in with "Tiger Rag."  

Joel's playing is informed by a traditional singer's sensibility - meaning that he has a nose for where these familiar melodies came from and how they've come to belong to everyone. It's more than just having done his homework, although the sleeve notes are a delight to read - as much as anything, "Parlor Guitar" is a showcase for how that adds depth to one's grasp of the tunes, what they mean and how they should be played.

 

Sing Out!Vol 50 #1 Spring 2006 p 120

Joel Mabus is an extraordinary musician. He is a fine flat-picking guitarist, clawhammer banjoist and songwriter. With Parlor Guitar he demonstrates his abilities as an arranger for finger-style solo guitar.

The title is twofold. Parlor music was in its heyday in the early 20th Century when vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley ruled popular music. More specifically, the parlor guitar is a small bodied instrument most suited for intimate performances in the home. Joel uses just such an instrument on this CD, which gives it an authentic warmth and immediacy not achievable by a modern dreadnaught or jumbo sized instrument.

As you listen to Parlor Guitar casually you are treated to a great collection of tunes, many of which are rather well known from parents' or grandparents' piano benches. Most of the selections are standards, including "You Made Me Love You" from James V. Monaco, "I'm Just Wild About Harry" by Eubie Blake and "Avalon" by Vincent Rose with AI Jolson and Giacomo Puccini (yes, that Puccini!). Only with closer inspection does Joel's immense talent become apparent. He has taken and rearranged tunes that were never intended for the guitar and made them each a tour de force of guitar virtuosity. A lesser player would be justly proud to have any of these arrangements in his repertoire but Joel has over 20!  

A good example of this level of virtuosity is Nick La Roca's "Tiger Rag”  from 1917.Originally recorded by Nick and his Original New Orleans Jass Band in 1918, it has about six different parts until the listener is treated to the "Hold That Tiger" motif. The entire recording is like that, just amazing. Do yourself a favor (and maybe your parents as well) and enjoy the amazing guitaristics of Joel Mabus's Parlor Guitar. -TD

 

Golden Willow Tree Reviews

SING OUT Vol. 48 #3 Fall 2004 p 142.

Joel Mabus Golden Willow Tree Fossil 1504

Very quietly and under way too many people's radar, Joel Mabus has spent the past 25 years building one of the most impressive bodies of work spanning both traditional and contemporary folk music. He's a fine singer, has a virtuoso's command of the guitar and banjo (and fiddle, which he doesn't play on this particular album), has a deep repertoire of traditional ballads, old-time music and blues, and is a superb songwriter whose compositions are well-informed by the traditions and traditional songs he's mastered. 

Like many of his past recordings, Golden Willow Tree seamlessly mixes traditional songs with Joel's original material. The title song, a variant of the more familiar "Golden Vanity," is a long a cappella ballad that Joel performs magnificently, letting the story unfold almost cinematically as the verses go by. His version of "Study War No More," which incorporates the familiar "Down By The Riverside" with "Walk In Jerusalem" seems particularly relevant at this point in contemporary history, as does his rewrite of the traditional "Ruben" into a contemporary allegory about politics and class struggle in the Bush era. 

Not all of Joel's songs deal with weighty subjects. "Spoon River and You" is a very pretty, summertime love song, while in "The Bird's Alphabet," he cleverly finds a bird for each of the 26 letters. Other great songs include "Ride Away Easy," which captures the scene of a cowboy ready to ride into the sunset and "Noe's Dove," whose subtext reflects a search for inner peace and spiritual fulfillment. 

Joel's three instrumentals, on both guitar and banjo, are also a delight. This is a solo recording with no sidemen and no overdubs. None are at all necessary. 

Mike Regenstreif

 

Bluegrass Unlimited [September 2004 Issue]

JOEL MABUS - GOLDEN WILLOW TREE Fossil Records 1504

Joel Mabus is a talented singer, guitarist, songwriter, clawhammer banjoist, and also fiddler, though he does not fiddle on this recording. He mixes traditional tunes, such as the medley "Sally Goodin In The Alley With Sugar In The Gourd," "Speed The Plow," the title cut, and "Study War No More," with his fine original songs and tunes, "The Last Of June," "Papa Caught A Catfish," "Spoon River And You," "Banjo Ala Turk," "The Bird's Alphabet," "Noe's Dove," "Ride Away Easy," and "Crossing The Ohio." But the high point for this reviewer is Joel's banjo treatment of the traditional "Ruben," for which he writes new and very apt lyrics, which turn Ruben into a ruthless corporate manipulator.

The CD opens with a clawhammer instrumental, "The Last Of June." Mabus's playing is clear, crisp, and precise with a warm round tone. "Papa Caught A Catfish" is fingerpicked blues. The "Sally..." medley is more tasteful clawhammer with vocals. "Spoon River" is a nostalgic ballad. "Speed The Plow" is fingerpicked. "Golden Willow Tree" is sung a capella in Mabus's gravelly but wistful voice. Bird lovers and children will love "The Bird's Alphabet," another a capella song with a bird and a line for each letter. "Ride Away Easy" is a modern cowboy song. "Crossing The Ohio" is an exquisite guitar tribute to Stephen Foster with appropriate melodic references.

Joel Mabus is one of the most creative musicians rooted in traditional music. You never know what kind of arrangement he will use, and he continues to both surprise and delight on this recording. If you are not already a fan of his music, this CD will make you one. 

SAG

 

Lansing State Journal  Published May 13, 2004 

"Golden Willow Tree," Joel Mabus

By Chris Rietz For the Lansing State Journal

Joel Mabus' new CD, "Golden Willow Tree," has such a classic, timeless feel that one is surprised to discover all but a few tracks are originals. But this CD, perhaps more than any of his many recordings, exemplifies Mabus' grasp of traditional music as a living thing - it's always been impossible to distinguish the proverbial roots from the new fruit.

It's only the man's voice, his finger-picked guitar and clawhammer banjo, and while Mabus is a world-class instrumentalist - and his depth and mastery of style have made him a fine, effective singer - "Tree" has higher ambitions than to overwhelm.

His treatment of traditional songs here is revealing. Both the title track and "Ruben" are widely known but often obscure in meaning; Mabus instinctively finds the heart in both songs, sharply focusing each tale with the directness of the best storytellers. Nor does he shy from underscoring the old stories' relevance to today's headlines.

But the original stuff rules the album. "Ride Away Easy" is a poignant rewrite of "Old Paint," with an original verse left intact. The gorgeous "Noe's Dove," with its hymn-book phrasing and pentatonic banjo melody, could easily pass for 200 years old. Conversely, the wildly original "Banjo Ala Turk," which sounds like an Egyptian version of "Old Joe Clark," should suffice to confound the traditionalists while delighting everyone else.

Of special note is the sound quality of this self-produced project, which is nothing less than luscious. The intimacy of Joel's voice, and the richness and subtlety of the instruments - and the hands playing them - have much to do with the deceptively low-key power of "Golden Willow Tree."

Mabus will launch the CD locally at a benefit concert for Habitat for Humanity Lansing. It's at 8 p.m. Saturday in Lansing Community College's Dart Auditorium, 500 N. Capitol Ave., downtown.

Chris Rietz works at Elderly Instruments in Lansing. His reviews appear every other week in What's On. Contact him at crietz@lansing.gannett.com

 

Thumb Thump Reviews

BLUES REVUE April/May 2003 p.99

Soloist Joel Mabus works an acoustic beat far from any highway. His new collection of standards (“Frankie and Albert,” “Big Rock Candy Mountain”) and originals (“Shake Them Hard Luck Blues,” “Struttin’ to Tootsie’s”) hits the mark –Instrumentals “Red Dog Rag” and “The Creeper” are packed with mind-blowing runs and rythms; even the vocal tracks have there share of incredible instrumental flourishes. And Mabus’ weathered voice is a great folk-blues instrument. Just the move from free time to a steady meter leading into “East St. Louis” is a thing of beauty.  Named for its fingerpicking style, the exquisitely recorded Thumb Thump (Fossil 1402) is irresistible in a Mississippi John Hurt way – unless your blues have to be all low-down, all the time, you should love it.

 

Bluegrass Unlimited  January 2003, pp88, 89

There is nothing like the sound of a guitar. Not only is it extremely versatile, but it’s the perfect instrument to accompany the human voice.  Then again sometimes all you want to hear is ten elegant fingers bouncing melodically and rhythmically over six steel strings.

“Thumb Thump” is just what the doctor ordered. Joel Mabus has put together a solo album that takes listeners on a tour of mostly familiar blues and ragtime standards, plus four originals that sound as beautifully aged and timeworn as the standards, so well does he know his genres.  There are no studio musicians, no harmony singers, just Mabus’s rich, deep, classy, fingerpicked guitar as it lays down a syncopated, winding path for his vibrant, earthy voice, perfect for delivering the wrong-side-of-town stories that have made the blues and ragtime such solid cornerstones of American Music.

Four of the thirteen tracks are Mabus originals, blending seamlessly with the likes of “Frankie And Albert,” “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It,” and “What Kind Of Pants Does A Gambler Wear.”  Instrumentals are delightful – “The Creeper” slinks in and tiptoes around, while “Stuttin’ To Tootsie’s” is a peacock-proud parade down the boulevard.  Liner notes are a wealth of information about the songs, Mabus, and the river country of his youth.

Warning: Listening to “Thumb Thump” may transcendentally transport you into a speak-easy, or maybe a dark corner of your neighborhood bar. There’s a guy and his guitar, playing for his own enjoyment in the dim light, but you get caught up in the melodies, the tough lyrics, and somehow it makes you feel a bit better. You watch as his fingers pick out intricate melodies, his thumb thumping out the rhythm. You listen to his roughened voice as it floats above the din … and you smile. 

JK

 

Dirty Linen Feb/March ’03 #104 p61

Making the most of his right thumb, as well as his other nine fingers, the always-affable singer/guitarist Joel Mabus has recorded a delightful kick-off-your-shoes-and-sit-back collection of rhythmic old-time country blues and ragtime. 

With his easy going, slightly gruff voice and smooth fingerpicking, Mabus blends his recollections of the St. Louis street singers he heard as a child with a stylistic nod to old bluesmen like Mississippi John Hurt and country pickers like Doc Watson. He mixes his honest arrangements of standards like "Frankie and Albert" and "East St Louis" with some breezy original ragtime instrumentals like "Red Dog Rag" and "Struttin' to Tootsie's" along with the traditional blues spiritual "Paul and Silas" and the hobo's yarn "Big Rock Candy Mountain." 

All are played with affection and skill. The live-in-studio production adds to the friendly, informal feel. (TN)

Sing Out! Vol. 46 #3 Fall 2002 pp132-133
Click here to go to the SINGOUT website.

How does he do it? Recording after recording, Joel Mabus manages to produce fresh and delightful material combining traditional songs and his own firm grasp of song craftsmanship. He does it with little or no musical support outside of his own mastery of guitar, fiddle, mandolin and banjo.

On Thumb Thump, Joel turns his talents to ragtime and blues and sticks with acoustic guitar and voice. The title refers to the steady rhythm and right hand guitar technique required to create these styles and Joel's obvious delight and control of these genres comes through on every track.

There are four original compositions on Thumb Thump, but the bulk of the recording draws from folk and blues traditions. Prepare yourself, however, for some well-researched and creative interpretations of songs you thought you knew. Joel's healthy philosophy of respecting and adding to the tradition is what makes Thumb Thump so unique. His versions of "Brady," "Frankie and Albert," " Paul and Silas," and especially "What Kind of Pants Does a Gambler Wear" are great examples of this.

No fancy production here; just a superb musician and connoisseur of old time music sharing his joy with anyone lucky enough to listen.

Matt Watroba 

Six Of One Reviews

From ALL MUSIC GUIDE:

Six of One, the old saying goes, a half-dozen of the other. In this instance, that means six originals by multi-instrumentalist Joel Mabus and six traditional pieces. Switching between contemporary pieces and timeworn ones, like "Old Smokey" and "Careless Love," provides a fun mix that keeps the listener listening. 

There's a deeply moving version of "Old Baggum," a mysterious piece filled with elliptical lyrics carried along by a string of minor-key banjo notes. Old Baggum, with his sword and pistol by his side, hunts for a wild boar that kills men and drinks their blood. Mabus controls the drama like a master storyteller, and when he follows his tale with the instrumental "Toss the Feathers," he provides a breathing space that allows the story time to settle deep into the listener's consciousness. Perhaps the oddest though most enjoyable song on the album is "Little Baby Lindberg." This darkly humorous piece begins with, "Little baby Lindberg, never saw it coming," then chronicles a number of historical disasters: John Jacob Astor boards the Titanic, Lincoln goes to the theater, and Elvis spends his last few minutes in the bathroom. Mabus suggests, in this most creative of putdown songs, that the person he's singing to, like these historical figures, will get theirs one day. 

Despite such dark moments, the album ends on a happy note with the upbeat "Back Porch of Glory" and a jaunty version of "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down." Six of One serves as a fine intro to Mabus and will be welcomed by his fans. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide

 

Bluegrass Unlimited Click here to go to the "BU" website
June 2001
Bob Allen, reviewer

Joel Mabus
Six Of One

The latest release from Joel Mabus, a popular figure on the national folk and grass roots music circuits who has often shared the bill with musical soul mates like John Prine and Greg Brown, is a real gem. "Six Of One" is full of masterful songwriting, homespun wit and wisdom, fine picking, and some amazingly fresh interpretations of old standards.

Above all else, Mabus, with his warm, contemplative baritone (which often seems to convey an underlying wink and grin) and his inventive songwriting, manages to probe the recesses of the human condition using familiar, down-home images in vivid originals like "School For Love" and "Virus On The Town."

These same musical gifts enable Mabus (who is accomplished on both guitar and banjo and is joined here by Peter Ruth on harmonica and Don Stiernberg on mandolin) to take timeworn, familiar classics like "Old Smokey," "The Cowboys' Barb'ry Allen," "Balm In Gilead," and the shuffly-bluesy "Careless Love" and subtlety recast them so you feel like you're hearing them for the very first time.

By the same token, Mabus's original compositions like "Little Baby Lindberg" and "Back Porch Of Glory" so perfectly meld contemporary wit and insight with traditional song stylings that it's easy to imagine they were written 50 or 100 years ago.

All these ingredients make it amply clear why Mabus's star continues to rise on the international touring circuit. (Fossil Records, P.O. Box 306, Portage, MI 49081, E-mail: <fossil@pobox.com>.) BA

 

SING OUT! Click here to go to the Singout website.
Summer 2001
Rich Warren, reviewer

JOEL MABUS
Six Of One
Fossil 1301

The unsaid half of the title, "half dozen of another" refers to the even split of this CD between original and traditional songs. Mabus follows each original song with a related or inspirational traditional song. Thus, he follows his "School For Love" with the traditional "Careless Love." The former laments the contemporary state of relationships, while the latter sings of the same problem in the past. 

Mabus' original songs all provoke thought. They're some of the darkest songs he's written, exploring the ugly underbelly of society. "Little Baby Lindberg" uses historical situations to illustrate that we cannot control our destinies, while "Virus On The Town" continues the theme, focusing on the plague of guns. Mabus follows "Virus" with the soothing traditional "Balm In Gilead," which appropriately contains the line "to make the wounded whole." He also includes "The Cowboy's Barb'ry Allen," the transposition of the Child ballad to the American Wild West. Art Thieme originally turned up this gem, but Thieme's version has been out-of-pressing for many years. 

More singer-songwriters should learn and perform from Mabus' perspective of mixing originals with traditional songs. Each compliments the other making for a more interesting and engaging recording. Mabus sings with a pleasing voice delightfully accompanied by Peter "Madcat" Ruth on harmonica and Don Stiernberg on mandolin. This simple but tasty accompaniment serves the songs well. Six Of One combines the best of both worlds, good songwriting with songs that have stood the test of time, performed with intelligence and honesty. 

I'd like to hear dozens more recordings like this one from other contemporary singer-songwriters.

- RWarr

Dirty Linen Click here to go to the Dirty Linen website
August/September '01 #95 page 86

Joel Mabus Six of One 
[Fossil 1301 (2001)] 
The title of Joel Mabus' latest collection refers to six self-penned originals and six classic folk songs. This all blends nicely together for two reasons: Originals like "Back Porch of Glory" sound like classic folk songs, and traditionals like "Old Baggum/ Toss the Feathers" are given fresh interpretations. One also shouldn't miss the more modern "Little Baby Lindberg," filled with biting black humor. Six of One has a great acoustic sound and should satisfy the soul of the traditional folk lover. 
(RDL)

Quarter Notes
Newsletter of the California Coast Music Camp
May 2001

Six of One Flies the Folk Flag High
By Jayme Kelly Curtis

Minimal instrumentation gives Joel Mabus's husky, fluid voice ample room to stretch out and luxuriate on his new CD, "Six of One" (Fossil Records).  "Six of One" features six Mabus originals interlaced with six traditional tunes like "Careless Love," "Balm In Gilead," and "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down."  It's a concept that is well thought out and well executed, all the way from song selection through the clean and professional package design.

In a nod to Mabus's well-known wry humor, all of the odd numbered tunes are originals.  Fans of Mabus's darkly comic songs will appreciate tunes like "Little Baby Lindberg," with quirky lyrics like "You're screwed. You're so screwed." This collection is a little more weighted toward serious topics, such as those expressed in "School for Love," and "Back Porch of Glory," which I initially mistook for one of the classic cuts. The idyllic  "Storybook Romance" grew out of a songwriting class taught by Mabus at CCMC 2000. According to Mabus, "The assignment was to use something that scared us as children as a starting point."  Mabus's juvenile terror of the flying monkeys and green-skinned witch of "The Wizard of Oz" is remarkably transformed here into a song that sounds like it could be as easily at home on a disc of Nat 'King' Cole classics.  My personal favorite of the Mabus originals is the Django-esque "My Ramona," with its snakey mandolin accompaniment and percussive guitar parts.

All of the tracks feature Mabus on one or two guitars or clawhammer banjo.  Six tracks feature Don Stiernberg on mandolin, known for his association with the late Jethro Burns. Five tracks feature Peter "Madcat" Ruth on harmonica.  I had the privilege of seeing Madcat play harmonica in the late 70s with Dave Brubeck and was amazed at his ability to hold several harps in his hand and flip them around to accommodate the key changes in Brubeck's music.  His contribution to "Six of One" is tasteful, spare and precisely what's needed to support Mabus's richly textured voice without competing with it. 

On the 'even' side of the disc, Mabus breathes new life into well-known traditional classics and gives airtime to less familiar works.  His selection of lesser-known versions of songs like "Barbary Allen," and the use of DADGAD tuning on "Old Smokey," are brilliant innovations that surprise and delight.  Mabus waits until the last couple of tracks to throw on some sweet vocal harmonies. More of this kind of harmony would have leant a little more texture at the opening tracks of the CD, a tiny criticism of a delightful album that flies the folk banner high.  You can buy this or any of Joel's other CDs by visiting his web site at www.joelmabus.com; or by writing PO Box 306, Portage, MI 49081.

How Like The Holly  reviews

How Like the Holly
Eric Freedman, Michigan Folk Notes Nov. 99

Versatile singer-songwriter Joel Mabus of Portage is back, just in time for the holidays with his first seasonal collection, the solo CD "How Like The Holly." It's quintessential Mabus, sometimes passionate, sometimes quietly moving, sometimes insightful, with a bit of humor and plenty of masterful banjo and acoustic guitar playing. The CD is a mix of 12 (one for each night of Christmas) original and traditional vocals and instrumentals, some with his own arrangements or new lyrics.

"When the nights are longest and days are coldest comes the time for telling stories," Mabus writes. "The time for fire against the chill, light against the dark, bread against the hunger - we huddle close and swab our fears with our finest and oldest comforts."

That's what we find here, comforts, stories and music against the chill. For example he wrote new words for the old English folk song "The Friendly Beasts," a simple tale about the sacrifices made by animals in the manger on Christmas Eve when, by legend, animals can speak. "Let's Do Christmas Right" is a heart-felt defense of simple Christmas traditions coupled with characteristic Mabus satire on the less seemly aspects of the season. "Now all the mistletoe is plastic/ Just as phony as Santa's beard/ And this lowfat eggnog substitute/ Is tasting just a little bit weird… So shut off the TV - unplug the phone/ Hey leave that internet connection alone! / For once let's have a silent night/ Let's do Christmas right."

The title cut, "How Like The Holly," centers on the symbols of winter long before there was a holiday called Christmas: "How like the frost on the evergreen tree,/ How like the deer running wild, running free,/ How like Orion, arising so bold,/ How like the story bound to be told,/ How like the winter that promises spring,/ How like the carol we sing."

Put this CD under the tree or in your stocking.

 

Dirty Linen
Dec. 99 (Susan Hartman)

On this warm and charming CD, a worthy addition to any Christmas collection, Mabus presents the listener with 12 melodies. Two were specially written for this collection: The flowing and poetic "How Like The Holly" is a celebration of the winter solstice, and the scathing & irreverent - or is it the height of reverence from which he writes? - "Let's Do Christmas Right" could easily be adopted as the theme song for the "Alternative Christmas" movement. His adaptations of three traditional carols ("Children Go Where I Send Thee," "The Cherry Tree Carol" and "The Friendly Beasts") make these mildly familiar pieces even more fresh. Add some fine pickin' and a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem and you've found the perfect blend of the old and the new, the relaxing and the stimulating. A delightful gift from a gifted performer.

 

Lansing State Journal
By Chris Rietz

"So shut off the TV; unplug the phone / hey - leave that internet connection alone! / For once let's have a silent night / Let's do Christmas right," sings Joel Mabus on his unique and beguiling holiday CD "How Like the Holly."

It's something of a quiet album, more powerful for its understatement. But more importantly, Mabus brings a clear-eyed sense of tradition, of connectedness to the past that rings just the right bell for the season in a way that few other Christmas recordings do.

As a singer, he has a deeply rooted grasp of traditional style and the ability to deliver a song directly and with conviction. His world-class skills on guitar and banjo are harnessed, as always, in service to the song.

Among the album highlights are the black hymn "Children Go Where I Send Thee," a ragtime guitar version of the 1857 song "One Horse Open Sleigh" (aka "Jingle Bells"), and an Appalachian-style rendering of "The Cherry Tree Carol," an apocryphal tale of Mary, Joseph and the unborn Jesus.

Particularly memorable is the musical setting of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Civil War-era "Christmas Bells," a poem of yearning for peace in dark times that's so powerful (and eerily timely), one wonders why it's not reprised more often.