Initial CD by Charlie Crow
A new CD of songs written and sung by Charlie Crow, singer/songwriter from Little Rock, AR, has just been released. The CD targets fans of the Americana music genre. Its sixteen songs range in styles influenced by country, folk and rockabilly to blues and gospel.
The songs in "Charlie Crow--Songs of Life and Living" reflect his personal experiences and astute observations of events in life--as they actually occurred, or as they could have. Noted songwriting coach and author John Braheny writes: "I really like these songs...Charlie Crow has written a delightful set of well crafted songs that will appeal to a wide swath of lovers of old-timey, country swing and AAA blues-influenced trad(itional) country tunes. Exceptional for a first effort is his surprisingly artful and natural vocal delivery. Beautiful phrasing and melodies and clever lyrics true to the best delivery in their respective styles...impressive!"
The CD's title song, "Angela's Asleep," blends two short poems about a young girl in a coffin, published by Charlie Crow's father, Wendell H. Crow, in 1949; the tune is performed in a Celtic style. Other titles include the frequently-requested "The Curse of Cursive Writing," "Odometer Blues" and "Too Much Information," as well as "Luvyabye" and "Coulda Been You." The CD was recorded at Lake Paradise Studio, Cherokee Village, AR., for Fading Sunset Music. It was co-produced by Doug Deforest and Charlie Crow. Charlie is backed in this recording by top-caliber professional musicians Tim Crouch, Robbie Springfield, Kenny Loggains, Gary Gazaway and Doug Deforest, all who choose to live in the Ozark foothills of Arkansas over Nashville, Los Angeles or elsewhere.
In this album, Charlie Crow has developed his ear for converting an amusing situation or interesting phrase into a memorable lyric and singable tune. Some of these songs would (and should) play in a Texas dance hall; some are humorous observations of life as we often encounter it; and some are simply good old-fashioned tear-jerkers. Each song places the listener where the song's emotional energy resides, staying faithful to the song's premise to the end.
Charlie Crow's songs reflect a lifelong love for music of all flavors and genres. His other musical interests encompass four decades of choral singing, including as a member of the Arkansas Chamber Singers, and church choirs in Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee. He prefers to write a song's lyrics first, allowing the flow of the words to suggest the musical direction for the tune. He loves bluegrass, Dixieland jazz, rockabilly and R&B oldies, the music of Gabriel Faure, and anything written by Jerome Kern or Fred Knobloch. He plays a digital keyboard, from which he records his own demos, and is hoping to broaden his songwriting skills as he masters a recently-acquired acoustic guitar.
This CD is the first professional recording of his own music, but Crow has been a songwriter and poet for over 30 years and was active in the songwriter community in Nashville, TN for 15 years returning to Little Rock to be closer to family. He has appeared on numerous professional recordings as a background choral singer. Crow serves as regional coordinator of the Central Arkansas Songwriters Workshop, which he started in 2005 as an affiliate of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).
Crow received a B.A. from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and a Master of Arts from The University of Texas at Austin. Crow recently retired after a career in government, industry, investment banking and nonprofit management.
Copies of the CD may be obtained from www.cdbaby.com/cd/charliecrow or directly by writing to: chas.t.crow@gmail.com. For further information contact: Charlie Crow at (501) 554-1602.