As most people will tell you, there’s an undeniable connection between versatility and variation. Suffice it to say that each depends on the other. In the case of Seattle-based Marley’s Ghost, that eclectic energy has resulted in a broad repertoire that has defied any ability to tag them to any one particular genre. Their dozen albums to date — like the output of The Band— survey a broad scope of Americana and acoustic music in general, refusing to confine them to any singular niche.
For their upcoming album, the aptly named Travelin’ Shoes, Marley’s Ghost veers towards a path that doesn’t detract from that overarched umbrella, but instead helps define it further. Due for release on February 8, the 12-song set offers an assured selection of traditional gospel tunes, each delivered with the rich, dynamic, vibrant instrumentation and tightly locked communal harmonies that have been integral elements in Marley’s Ghost’s m.o. for well over 30 years.
Produced by acclaimed virtuoso Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Levon Helm), who was previously behind the boards for their highly acclaimed 2016 album The Woodstock Sessions, Travelin’ Shoes is a joyous and surprisingly diverse set of songs, a celebratory salute to the finest traditions of American music. From the compelling, banjo-plucking, back porch delivery of the title track, the crisp, Caribbean flavor of “Run Come See Jerusalem,” and the festive sing-alongs “Hear Jerusalem Moan” and “So Happy I’ll Be,” to the goodtime feel of “Someday” and the upward gaze and chorus of clapping that informs “You Can’t Stand Alone,” it’s an album that will have even the most confirmed skeptics, cynics and agnostics sharing in the sentiment.
Today Glide is excited to premiere “Standing By The Bedside Of A Neighbor”, one of the standout tracks on the album. The classic song is originally a blues number, but the band reimagines it as a shuffling, upbeat old timey number. What makes this lively rendition extra fun is the way it is presented as a Western Swing tune, which is an inventive departure from the original song by the great Swan Silvertones. This was an intentional move by the band, who heard it that way and then “added a new melody to create a “B” part for an A/B structure, says band member Mike Phelan. He points out that the real magic happened when “Danny (Wheetman), (producer) Larry (Campbell) and I played triple fiddles and a star was born.”
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For more music and info visit marleysghost.com.
