LINE UP
Martin Elliott - Double bass
Brendan Power - Harmonica
Jim Leverton - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Piano, Organ
Geoffrey Richardson - Vocals, Hedgeclippers, Eggs, Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitars, Bass, Cuatro, Kalimba, Flute, Claves, Backing Vocals, Drum Programming
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REVIEWS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES
What a beautiful album by Geoff Richardson and Jim Leverton, both of who can be found in the current line up of one of the great progressive bands 'Caravan'. Geoff Richardson has been an essential member of the band since way back in 1972; he has spent time playing with the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, as well as doing session and live work for various artists including Murray Head and Bob Geldof.
Jim Leverton's musical career started out in the early 1960's he has played with many artists including Frankie Miller, Savoy Brown and Joe Brown. A very successful long term partnership begun in 1978 with Steve Marriott, of the Small Faces and Humble Pie fame, a partnership which was brought to an abrupt end by Marriott's tragic death in 1991. It was soon after this that Jim first met up with Geoff Richardson and the two began working together and then, having joined Caravan in 1995 as a result of a proposal from Richardson, the two produced their first album, 'Follow Your Heart', in 1996. Then came Poor Man's Rich Man in 2000.
This album, out on Eclectic label, I think is the best from the duo yet. It has a wide array of instruments again, but this time mostly played with a much sparser, tighter, vibrant sound.
Jim provides main bluesy rock vocals as well as playing acoustic,and bass guitars and some keyboards, while Geoff supplies backing vocals, violin, viola, cello, guitar (acoustic and electric),penny whistle, kalimba, flute, egg, bongos and hedgeclippers. Geoff has main vocals on one of the songs he wrote, some are instrumentals.
As well as their own writing, they have featured ballads by some favourite writers, like Murray Head and Jimmy McCarthy for example, bringing something new and bright to these songs.
Certainly again there are some references to the Canterbury sound to be found within, but essentially Richardson and Leverton have combined their talents to produce an extremely colourful album that is rich in melody in the very best of singer / song writer traditions. They are fantastic live too, if you are lucky enough to see them, as their warmth, humour and love for the music is much apparent in their performance.
daisy 5/5 07.12.2006 (AMAZON)
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