Circo de Teatro
Jude Davison
© Copyright-Jude Davison
(621365125629)
Record Label: Pigeon Moods Music
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Circo de Teatro is the latest CD release by Jude Davison – the 18th CD of his diverse career. After pursuing many different creative musical directions over the past several years – most notably, a Broadway-style soul musical called Cybersoul, a trilogy of poetry/music CDs (the Terminal City Trilogy), three acoustic albums (Uncertain Heaven, Ordinary Dream, & Bread and Bones), and two screenplay/musical projects (Drop Dead Scene, & Slow Resurrection – the life & times of Leland Frank), Circo de Teatro sees Jude return, once again, to a full-blown artist album.
Circo de Teatro is difficult to pigeon hole as it is a truly unique sounding album that borrows and combines sounds from Americana, roots, R&B, and Mexican mariachi music, and forges this with the story and theme of a traveling circus. In a Tom Waitsesque manner the music brings to life the sights and sounds of the circus as well as many of its characters – the misfits, the freaks, the performers, who make their life working on a traveling show.
Usually preferring to play most of the instruments himself, Circo de Teatro is, however, the first Jude album in a long while to feature the performances of outside musicians. The wonderful horn section and solo works of Keith Todd (trombone & tuba), Rick Lingard (saxophones), Tim Bullen (trumpet), the theatrical vocals of Sydney Galbraith, the accordion of Bessie Wapp, and the banjo artistry of Craig Korth all add a depth and new dimension to the sound of the album. A recent addition to the Jude musical arsenal – the lap-steel guitar, also adds a haunting sound to many of the albums tracks. “I always like to buy a new instrument or two to inspire me on recordings – this time I bought lots of percussion instruments and also managed to learn the lap-steel guitar, which, as it turned out was exactly what the music needed.”
Another unique aspect of the album is the inclusion of two instrumentals as well as the invented language for the song, Con Volai Amore. “I wanted to challenge myself to try to create the experience of the landscape of the circus without using words – something that would be more cinematic sounding. The opening song, Caranval Burlesco sets the musical tone and scene for the entire album while the song Mitad del Camino is intended to conjure up the sights and sounds of the midway of a carnival. I have always been intrigued by the way the Cocteau Twins would make-up songs without regard for proper lyrics. So for one particular song I was writing I wanted something that would sound Spanish, but I didn’t necessarily want to be hampered with trying to translate lyrics. I just wanted to work with the sound of the melody, so I went ahead and made-up my own language for the song. Kind of a bastardized Italian and Spanish I expect. It was quite liberating, but I had to write it out phonetically for Sydney to learn.”
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European reviews
author: Various
"Circo de Teatro is a very brave and very successful foray into the world of freaks and sideshows, performed with passion and warmth that only an 18th album could be . . .what say Tom Waits does a cover of 'Amphetamine Sam' for his next album, it would work a treat"
- AllgigsUK (UK)
* * * * * (5 stars)
"The sounds and tunes on this album are truly wonderful . . .I simply can't get enough"
- Billybop Magazine (Belgium)
* * * * (4 stars)
"Jude sings superbly . . .he has an amazing country voice"
- Maverick Magazine (UK)
* * * (4 Stars)
“Jude gets a thumbs up on all accounts . . .a brilliant CD”
- AltCountry (Netherlands)
“A bold musical statement by an honest, progressive musician not afraid to venture off the beaten path in search of a creative muse”
- AmericanaUK
“Circo de Teatro is certainly adventurous in it’s scale . . . the storytelling is right up there”
- The Beat Surrender (UK)
"A sonically ambitious CD . . .peopled with colourful characters . . .sounds like a swordfishtrombones-era B side, but Tom Waits would probably appreciate the hommage"
- The Georgia Straight (Vancouver, Canada)
"Circo de Teatro is an exceptionally good album . . the various musical styles are cohesively united and seemlessly played"
- Musik an Sich (Germany)
"It’s fair to say that much of the material here is infinitely more accessible than anything Tom Waits has produced for some years"
- Leister Bangs (UK)
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Circo de Teatro
author: Billybob Magazine (Belgium)
Did you ever wonder what Calexico, Tom Waits and Los Lobos have in common ?? ? probably not much except that Jude Davison is heavily influenced by all of them! He’s not hiding these influences, as a matter of fact Jude is proudly showing them in his newest effort “Circo de Teatro.”
Circo de Teatro has an air that is reminiscent to a carnival, a burlesque show and a sideshow all in one! Leading track Caranaval Burlequo gives it away immediately! The sound of Calexico was one of the main influences for this tune! Jude creates an atmosphere first and then build a song around it. Banjo Picking can be found in Madame O an incredible strong anthem that keeps you haunting for a couple of hours after each spin! Together with some pleasant slide guitar and enigmatic vocals the tune is amongst the best of the album.
Amphetamine Sam is another track that borrows from our collective memory and fill the gaps with tricks learned from Mr Waits. But just when you think things can’t get better Jude Davison throws in a little salsa and some “Sideshow Souvenirs”. It’s only a couple of tracks away from the Cuban flavours to the Mexican sounds of the Mariachi. The instrumental ”Mitad Del Camino” is full of energy in contradiction to “Con Voloi Amore” a Spanish sung Bolero! “Devil’s Road” brings us back to the roots rock of the seventies with a sound that sounds as fat as those bands years ago! “Rag and Bone” takes us deeper in the south, something that is reprised on “Monkey See”. Closing down the alum is the rather mellow song “Further On.”
Combining Americana, R&B, mariachi, Dixieland, and junkyard carnival into the story of a travelling Mexican circus, Circo de Teatro is a true concept album (hell yeah some people do remember them)!
The sounds and tunes you get on this album are truly wonderful and for the time being I simply can’t get enough from it! Hope that you check it out as well but beware the album is very addictive!
Mr Blue Boogie
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