Artist: Lizanne Knott, Jesse Terry, Michael Logen
Album: Sunset Avenue Sessions
Label: Transoceanic Records
Release Date: 11.30.18
The other beautiful blue sky day, I got to watching three hawks, gracefully circling one of the fields on our family compound in northern Florida for a good 15 or 20 minutes. Their lack of wing movement, was mesmerizing, as they continuously sailed around effortlessly. Imagine my reaction a short time later, when the postman brought me this CD Sunset Avenue Sessions, by a group of young artists I knew nothing about. The first thing I heard was their version of Tom Petty’s “Learning To Fly.”
By my second full circle around the CD, I was drawn to the opinion that these three folks, Liz, Jesse and Michael (who are not really a group, but solo performers who are good friends) are doing quite well at the crafts of listening to each other, playing acoustic instruments, arranging (I think the hip term is now reimagining), song writing, music production and fine vocals, be they lead or harmony.
Their arrangements of two cover tunes from The Heartbreakers, as well as those of Johnny Cash, Pink, and Buffalo Springfield (with more necessary urgency than the original on “For What It’s Worth” ) are fresh. However I thought they should have spread them out more amongst their own songs, which are quite strong. On Jesse Terry’s “Dance In Old Shoes” and “Stargazer” you will hear McCartney’s fingerprints. Michael Logen’s “Ocean Floor”, floored me.
On Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” I kept on waiting to hear a traditional bluegrass string bass two-note part enter and help drive it along the highway and off their exit ramp. It never came, but all in all, I would say they seem to have a firm hand on the wheel no matter which one is driving.
—Ken Spooner
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