Lee Simpson

Summertime in California Vina Loam Records 2009
Lee Simpson and John McGaraghan

However you choose to describe it these are very rare and fiercely honest artists that we have the opportunity to share with you in a intimate setting
This latest record titled Summertime in California is the elegant and spontaneous capture of songwriting and playing between two lifelong friends
Both world class musicians and writers alone you will find that together they are greater than the sum of their parts
Lee Simpson and John McGaraghan while on vacation in Northern California captured these gems quite accidentally
What began as a friendly week long session between friends to just sit and play yielded an unintentional masterwork
The result is a freedom and ease rarely captured in the studio
Those of us who know how rare this is will appreciate that it has a vibe most often reserved for live performances
Most songs are first takes and all are live duets with only backing vocals as overdubs if at all
This produced brilliant and simple songs written often just hours or minutes before they hit tape
The ease in how this record came about is a testament to the talent available here Making it clear that alone or together what we have a deep resource or a Golden Goose capable of fitting into many different opportunities and flexible to really any live production or record production environment
In a world of heavy production with copy and paste software there is something to be said for just getting that good
We are excited at the chance to share this with the listener When given the chance we offered to release this without hesitation
We provide it to you unspoiled in its original form without alteration other than the mastering
Summertime in California is a departure from the Roots Rock Full Tilt Americana Country Sound on the previous albums from this partnership As an example Lee Simpson has a self titled prior solo work that uses both electric and acoustic production which is arguably more dynamic but in the writers opinion it has less of a cohesive album like feel
This record simply titled LS and Released Vina Loam Records 2006 is also a brilliant record that holds up however not nearly as raw in its production
You can tell that Lee was restrained by the production techniques being so involved and can tell that he really lets it all rip and fly
One can hold it up to the outstanding quality of the Jayhawks The Sound of Lies or Wilco and their AM record
It is subjective but my taste lends itself to recordings such as Lenny Kravitz and Let love Rule which is so raw and emotional it literally jumps right out of the speakers at you
There are infinite number of great artists and albums out there but it is an intangible thing that causes everything to line up just exactly right This I am confident in saying is a record that takes these artists up to the next level The vibe of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers album Wildflowers or the Son Volt Debut record Trace are similar albums that come to mind
With the release of the release of the movie Oh brother where art thou we have seen artists like Gillian Welch or Dan Tyminski reach Grammy winning acclaim and platinum record sales
This landmark movie and soundtrack proved that the American public not only wanted but will pay for artists steeped in the tradition of the earliest American Country Music
This was no small task as the world of Pop Country and the music that people play in the country has grown farther apart than ever
the record Summertime in California is a record that has the ease of listening like a new release from The Eagles while at the same time it hearkens back to an older time
These guys are world class players and writers with enough miles clocked on the odometer of life to write songs any of us can relate to This is a record stirred by the hauntingly simple
It is stark brilliant and devastatingly delivered
It rings of integrity and yet is completely viable in its marketability
What else can be said when these guys are playing live they silence any room and are a serious threat to any any headliner
That said the old school country manners they exude and dedication to being part of a team whether on a record label or working for a live concert promoter they never are concerned with themselves but rather understand that the audience is everything and if it is going to work it is because of how they feel about the experience
Never pushovers and clearly professionals that know they deserve to earn a living I have seen them develop relationship after relationship with people who are in it for the long haul
They rarely make the phone calls but the phone rings constantly while they just focus on the music and never over promising but always over performing for whomever they are involved with
The new record Summertime in California as a recorded can be summed up like this

It is undeniably infectious and the true Tree of Ameri