Carla Olson had been already been receiving deserved kudos for her work with the Textones by the time she met ex-Byrd Gene Clark and began a collaboration that would subsequently (and substantially) elevate her profile. Her enterprising spirit thus bolstered, the Texas-bred, Los Angeles-based embarked upon a variety of projects, including 2013’s Have Harmony, Will Travel, to which this namesake LP is an honorable sequel.
If some of the names she recruited for 2 seem odd choices—Herman’s Hermits’ Peter Noone on “Goodbye My Love”–rest assured the woman’s taste is nigh-on impeccable. As is Olson’s choice of material, so credits for musicians such as former Rolling Stone guitarist Mick Taylor function as more than mere selling points: on “Honest As Daylight,” his slide work frames Carla’s fulsome singing next to that of soulman Percy Sledge. Otherwise, the prevailing style here is quintessential folk-rock, as introduced via the mix of acoustic guitars and electric twelve-string counterparts on “Timber, I’m Falling In Love.” Indicative of Carla’s eclectic approach, however, this is a cover of modern country songstress Patty Loveless’.
The Long Ryders’ Stephen McCarthy almost takes precedence over Olson’s on that 1988 c&w hit. But this redoubtable woman long ago proved herself the essence of humility, so it only makes sense her presence in this project becomes progressively more prominent as the eleven tracks unfold. For instance, Richie Furay’s “A Child’s Claim to Fame ” features her alongside not only the author’s one-time Poco bandmate, stalwart multi-instrumentalist Rusty Young, but another former member of that latter country-rock band, current Eagle Timothy B. Schmit.
This arrangement of Stephen Stills’ latter-day Buffalo Springfield number“Uno Mundo” (from that iconic group’s final record Last Time Around) allows Olson to provide a stylish introduction to multi-lingual vocalist Ana Gazzola. Similarly, the appearance of I See Hawks in L.A. finds the roots-rock band imprinting “Bossier City” with their boisterous collective brand. Meanwhile, Jim Muske’s performance on “Haunting Me” may be the most emotive of all: his vocal take echoes the resolute yet vulnerable timbre of veteran British musician Terry Reid on “Scarlet Ribbons.”
And both compare favorably to the distinctive voice of the aforementioned founding member of the Byrds (Clark) on “Del Gato. ” A choice cull from the late musician’s sole studio effort with Carla Olson, So Rebellious a Lover, it is one of the three archive pieces here that, juxtaposed with seven 2019 recordings, is emblematic of the remarkable continuity producer Carla Olson forged out of the many contributions to Have Harmony Will Travel 2.
