JAMES TALLEY
Woody Guthrie and Songs of My Oklahoma Home (Cimarron Records)
Reviewed by David J. Klug

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I'd never heard of James Talley, so what a huge surprise this record was upon first listen - and continues to be. Talley was a fine arts graduate at the University of New Mexico in the late '60s and there had the opportunity to meet Pete Seeger, who provided much encouragement and direction about writing and interpreting folk songs. That inspiration eventually led to Talley's release of at least nine solo records, as well as his exploration of Guthrie's songs and music. Unlike the much critically acclaimed recent output from Billy Bragg and Wilco of previously unrecorded Guthrie songs, this double-length CD contains 21 songs all by Guthrie or adapted from traditional sources by him (with the exception of one, "Red Wing," that was the melody to which Guthrie wrote his song "Union Maid.").

Songs of My Oklahoma Home is an entirely "unplugged" affair of the heart recorded in 1994 at Stepbridge Studios in Sante Fe, New Mexico and just released late last year. It was recorded and mixed by Tim Stroh, and the players include Talley (lead vocals and acoustic guitar), John Griffin (acoustic bass), Richard Hardy (mandolin, mandola, mandocello, and vocals), John Portykus (dobro, guitar, steel guitar, and vocals), Gregg Thomas (drums and vocals) and Thomas Blues Uhde (harmonica). This record serves not only to introduce and celebrate the music of Woody Guthrie, but also to discover singer/songwriter James Talley as interpreter. It's a charming record. Superb liner notes and annotation are provided by Talley and two foreign journalists, Jane Weber from Radio Slovenia and Marco Denti from Lodi, Italy. www.cimarronrecords.com

© 2000 - David J. Klug