The silver lining in the storm clouds that were Katrina and Rita: Blue Merlot’s debut CD, Blue Merlot
Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita, over a year later. It's another FEMA Christmas along the Gulf
Coast. It takes a long time to recover from disasters like the storms
of 2005, and the states along the Gulf of Mexico continue their
struggles to rebuild. Life on the surface has a semblance of normalcy,
but many things have changed forever, not the least of which is the
insurability of our homes and the stability of our coastline. You can
cry, or you can laugh, but you usually do a lot of one and some of the
other.
Music, and laughter, are
healing, and in the wake of the storms the south Louisiana band Blue
Merlot has crafted a fun and funky debut CD that rises from the carnage
of Katrina and the wreckage of Rita.
The CD, entitled Blue Merlot,
brings together key personnel affected by both storms. Songwriter/lead
vocalist Brenda DeKeyzer Lowry is one of many, many residents with
memories of Rita’s water rising too quickly (and too high) in her yard.
She and producer/arranger/piano-guitarist Joshua “Bubba” Murrell,
drummer Louis “Buddy” Romero, and bassist Gerald Romero, Sr. all are
natives and residents of Iberia Parish. The CD was recorded at Steve
and Cezanne Nails’ Dockside Studio, which was a refuge for many
musicians during the Katrina evacuation. Engineer Steve Reynolds, one
of the owners of Ultrasonic Studio in New Orleans, evacuated twice -
once for Katrina (in which Ultrasonic was destroyed). He was staying at
Dockside and had to evacuate again -- three weeks later-- for Rita.
Reynolds has worked with artists such as Dr. John, Irma Thomas, Smokey
Robinson /Queen Latifah duet, Dukes of Dixieland, Amanda Shaw, Corey
Harris, Buckwheat Zydeco, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and the Neville
Brothers. Recently, he (along with Ultrasonic partner David Farrell)
engineered Irma Thomas’ Grammy-nominated After the Rain.
It’s only fitting that
another Gulf Coast resident would master the final product. Respected
mastering pioneer and multiple Grammy winner Roger Nichols, who lived
in Lake Charles at one time, offered to lend a hand with mastering
after meeting Murrell and Lowry at the summer NAMM show in 2006. “He
and Bubba started talking in that mysterious ‘engineer-speak’ and found
they shared a lot of common philosophies and ideas in recording and
mastering” says Lowry. “The next thing you know, he was asking what
project we had in the works.” Some have a hard time believing that a
mastering engineer of Nichols' calibre would become involved in a
regional project. "Divine intervention and luck - which are pretty much
the same thing" says Lowry. Nichols’ clients include a huge variety of
artists, including Steely Dan, Joe Cocker, John Denver, Bobby "Blue"
Bland, Cher, Crosby Stills & Nash, Gloria Estefan, Emmylou Harris,
Bela Fleck, Frank Sinatra and Frank Zappa.
The disk carries a warning:
“This CD contains FULL DYNAMIC RANGE and explicit audio clarity!”
Inside, the explanation: “...the trend in audio production has been to
diminish the dynamic range...in order to boost the apparent
volume....This CD has been mastered so as to retain more of the
recorded dynamic range. You may find it a bit quieter at first than
most currently released CDs...so crank it up...” The result sounds like
a very tight live band, with a refreshing clarity and three-dimensional
sound. Audiophiles, take note!
Following the storms, the
project that had been originally planned took a turn. Some songs were
shelved in order to make room for others inspired by the storms. Rita
Katrina Jones is an acoustic blues style song, with a rhythm described
by drummer Buddy Romero as "Lawtell Swing." Lawtell is a rural
community in Acadiana. Romero recalls this particular beat as being
very unique to that specific region. Floatin’ Round New Orleans, a duet
recorded with Lowry and Zydeco Artist Terrance Simien [LINK], is
written from the point of view of a possible future. What might happen
if Louisiana doesn't take care of her levees and coastline? The
Mississippi could, indeed, change its course. Blue Tarp City is a
somewhat sarcastic look at the sudden rash of home improvements in the
region, and Wall of Water (which was originally written in 2002
following Hurricane Lili) utilizes guitar harmonics to replicate the
sound of a hurricane. A close look at the CD cover reveals that the
blue background is, indeed, a blue tarp.
In addition to the
storm-related songs are other originals, such as Delete Me (from your
Virtual Memory), Big Ovaries, The AA Cup Blues, and No Deposit No
Return showcase the band's sound. The CD is rounded out with several of
the band’s unique stylings of classics such as House of the Rising Sun
(listed on the CD as Furry Lisa’s Stairway Bells). The final product
has a strong Louisiana groove, outstanding musicianship, crystal clear
vocals, and funny tongue-in-cheek songwriting.
From the carnage of Katrina
and the wreckage of Rita comes some musical fun that’s healing as well.
Guest appearances from friends round out Blue Merlot’s distinctive
style: Zydeco artists Terrance Simien and Danny Williams, Swamp Pop
saxmeister Willie Tee Trahan,, vocalists Andy Smith and Sammy
Holbrook.and guitarist Gary Granger In addition to guest musicians,
Blue Merlot also features specialized instruments and modifications,
including a custom tube guitar amp manufactured by Robert “Bob”
Mineville at The Airtight Garage in New Iberia, a custom guitar
handcrafted by Harold Romero, Sr. (deceased) of Romero’s Music in New
Iberia, a carbon fiber guitar and bass, and other special electronics
made or modified especially for the recording.
The CD packaging is rich in
liner notes and lyrics. A statement from the band on the final page
sums up their experience of the project: "There is so much we are
thankful for...the support of our loved ones, good health, good music,
each other, and God's blessing on this project and our lives. The
storms of 2005 - Katrina and Rita -- affected us and our neighboring
states and presented challenges that will be dealt with again and again
over many years. We hope that, in some small way, this music can be a
healing for others as it is for us."
Have a listen. The music
you hear will make you smile and think that maybe, just maybe, one good
thing came out of the summer of 2005.
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