Dave Easley - Ballads (2023)

Ballads embodies a sense of true connection in its sensitive instrumental interplay and generosity of spirit. Easley is the primary lead voice here, but this is very much a record made by a band. Guitarist Jeff Parker’s shimmering, inquisitive tone is a perfect match for Easley’s, and the ace rhythm section of bassist David Tranchina and drummer Jay Bellerose flow together intuitively while still honoring the time-honored structures of these sturdy compositions.

The void, then, is acknowledged but not succumbed to on Ballads. The darkness implicit in the songs uplifts instead of dragging down the listener. What we’re left with isn’t emptiness, but its opposite. Just listen to the gorgeous version of Sonny Sharrock’s “Who Does She Hope To Be?” included here enough times and it may start to feel like a necessary counterargument to the silent despair of Ornette’s nameless lonely woman. Like the wide-open sound of Dave Easley’s pedal steel, the possibilities are endless. - Tyler Wilcox, Longmont, Colorado

Tracklist:
1.01 - Dave Easley - Lonely Woman (8:49)
1.02 - Dave Easley - Fleurette Africaine (4:13)
1.03 - Dave Easley - Who Does She Hope To Be? (5:32)
1.04 - Dave Easley - Stardust (1:52)
1.05 - Dave Easley - Lush Life (8:37)
1.06 - Dave Easley - East of the Sun (and West of the Moon) (7:21)
1.07 - Dave Easley - Nightingales (3:35)