THE GEYER STREET SHEIKS: Great Dream

The Geyer Street Sheiks

Great Dream

© 2003 Bjam Records Inc (634479174803)

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Acoustic Missouri Blues, Old & Evil.

notes

"Great Dream"

The Geyer Street Sheiks



... As fans of musicology and folklore will
be quick to acknowledge when choosing between
hard facts and myth the latter is always more
reliable-and also more fun.

So let's welcome the return of the long-remembered
and embellished traditional music that was
part and parcel of the union of National Steel
guitarist Tom Hall ( winner of last year's RFT
music poll as Best Solo Artist), multi-instrumentalist
Steve Mote and washboard rhythm giant David Gebben.
This time out, new and improved, thanks to the
presence of Alice Spencer, whose dynamic range,
soulful resonance and emotive depth belie her
twenty something youthfulness.

That Spencer was a minor deity on the local scene
(St. Louis / midwest) as part of the
Three Merry Widows, should not distract you
from the vision at the creative core of the
Sheiks. Hall, Mote and Gebben - with Marc
Rennard on fiddle, Charlie Pfeffer on mandolin
and Mike Prokopf on bass- make instrumental music
that bespeaks integrity, craftsmanship and technique.

Anybody who enjoys traditional folk and blues
would dig these guys play the memorable
"Missouri Mud." It's multigenerational music that
connects with lots of listeners.

However, Spencer's sultry evocative phrasing
and innate grasp and embodiment of the various
emotions at the heart of these time-honored tunes
are uniquely and thoroughly special. On the
opening "Sixteen Tons" and later on "Oh Daddy,"
"World of Trouble," "I've Got a Feelin' I'm Fallin'"
and Richard Thompson's "Dimming of the Day"
she sounds utterly believable and emotionally honest.

But the sum of Geyer Street's parts are greater
than the spectacular strength of this one, albeit significant,part. Hear Rennard's fiddle solo on
the closing "Sweet Sunny South," or the compelling harmony-driven fast shuffle of
"Dance Around in Your Bones," or Hall's guitar center
for "Payday," or the instrumental-and vocal
interplay of title track"Great Dream,""Cakewalk"
or "Who's Been Here?" and you'll know instinctively
that Great Dream only scratches the surface of the
talents and potential in Spencer and her new cohorts.
And given their proclivity for serving up and reshaping traditional gems, there's no lack for potential
"new material."

It leaves one with the rarest experiences:
wishing there was more after the 15 tracks that appear on Great Dream.

If this were indeed a dream I'd choose to sleep
as long as possible.

Brian Newcombe
The Riverfront Times - St. Louis MO




The Geyer Street Sheiks

Alice Spencer * vocals, piano, whistle,mouth trumpet

Steve Mote * guitar, ukulele, banjo, piano, vocals

Marc Rennard * fiddle

Tom Hall * National steel guitar, vocals

David Gebben * washboard, percussion, vocals

Michael Prokopf * bass

Charlie Pfeffer * mandolin, vocals


Produced by the Bjam Staff ***

Paul Boeger, C.D. Stelzer & Harry Stefanyszyn


Mastered at Ardent Studios Memphis, TN. by Larry Nix

reviews

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  • Love this Band
    author: Mike Janecek

    I used to watch them play every week in St. Louis. I had the CD but it mysteriously disappeared when a roommate moved out. I am so glad I was able to buy it again from CD Baby. Great sounds, great songs (especially "I've Got a Feelin' I'm Falling"). Alice's voice really shines on "Dimming of the Day". I recommend to everyone.

  • Great Dream
    author: Alice Buchanan

    Wonderful CD. I'm really enjoying it!

  • wow
    author: Robert Michael Gandel

    this album is amazing.... it is so much fun to sing along with.....these guys are fantastic!

  • Defies Categorization
    author: J. McKeever

    The album's collective tunes defy categorization, as do the Geyer Street Sheiks themselves. This album is bluesy/jazzy/traditional/old-timey/torchy and has a gem of an original a capella composition. Not only does it have a good beat and you can dance to it, you can shimmy, grind, swing and sing with it! However, I don't recommend the "singing with it" part. You'll want nothing to interfere with listening to Alice Spencer's rich and honeyed voice, except the fine accompaniment provided by her fellow Sheiks, all versatile and talented musicians. The instrumental representation includes: Tom Hall on National Steel Guitar; Steve Mote on ukulele, banjo, guitar, and piano; Mike Prokopf on bass; Charlie Pfeffer on mandolin; Marc Rennard on fiddle; and David Gebben playing washboard and percussion. Spencer is also credited with piano, mouth trumpet, and whistle. Hall, Pfeffer, Mote, and Gebben contribute to the vocals. Leads are strong; harmonies are tight. Melodies soar from vocalist to fiddle to mandolin to guitar and back again, with a percussive washboard tap-dance keeping a lively and steady rhythm.

  • It's Amazing
    author: Deborah C.

    I heard The Geyer Street Sheiks "Great Dream From Heaven" played at a funeral, at the very end, when everyone was walking out. It was amazing and I couldn't get it out of my head.

  • An Astounding Album.
    author: Marilane F.

    ...Everyone in my family owns this CD. I've worn mine out. The first song my niece ever sang (at about 8 months old) was the chorus to Great Dream. An astounding album.

  • Excellent CD many thanks to CD baby
    author: Al

    Excellent CD many thanks to CD baby for handling it. Wonderful renditions of Americana Music from Blues, to Folk, to Ragtime. It is an Awesome blend of fine instrumentals and vocal harmonies.

  • Thanks, cdbaby, for the great music!
    author: Wayne Willmore

    I know a couple of the artists in this group. They invited me to a reunion about a year ago. I only recently moved to St. Louis, so I had not heard of the group before. I was smitten. What great music! I had been looking fot this CD ever since without success. Then I learned about CDBaby, and that's where I finally found it. I never tire of this CD. Thanks CDBaby.

  • Just damn moving.
    author: JLesser

    Perhaps it's the nostalgia . . . remembering seeing them live back in the early 90s at Blueberry Hill and other places still brings a great big smile to my face. It's not the nostalgia. It's the music. It's a must have.

  • Geyer St. Sheiks, the best $5 CD from CD Baby
    author: Rob Krumm

    Alright step right up and get this CD now from CD Baby as this is one of their $5/CD deals. I lived in St. Louis when the Sheiks were together and will always remember how impressed I was when I saw them for the first time at Riddles in U. City. Alice Spencer is a vocal treasure. Her voice is powerful and she sings like her life depends on it. Together with Tom Hall, Marc Rennard, Charlie Pfeffer and others, they lay down a tasty combination of country blues, string band tunes, and other American roots music. The CD kicks off with a great version of the classic 16 Tons. Listen to Alice sing how she owes her soul to the company store and you'll believe it. Great Dream from Heaven features vocal harmonies that indeed sound like they are from heaven. This is a CD that I have played over & over again - it's perfect for that road trip through the Ozarks, Shawnee Hills or the hills where you might live. I'm so taken with this CD that I just picked up 2 more copies from CD Baby to give as gifts for serious musician friends. Pick up on it.

  • arrangements are true to their time and genre.
    author: charles storz

    when they preform theese songs they make you feel like you you were in that time listening live. a must buy

  • this is 16 tons of great music
    author: TIM

    a must for everyone who likes to be in tune with the st. louis music scene....past and present .

  • Great CD
    author: Claire Flowers

    I saw Alice Spencer in St. Louis and she sounded great. I bought her CD the very next day. I listen to the CD nearly everyday and it never gets old.

  • great harmonies
    author: mike, saint louis

    Harmonies were wonderful. Some tracks had a tendency to try convincing the listener that the artists had talent. Great dream track, however, was just marvelous. Sounded like an old hymn. Two of the blues tracks very good. I buy CD's for one track. This time got a nice bonus. Very good and interesting group. Look forward to their next rel.

  • "I loved it!..."
    author: Jennifer Duncan

    A friend shared his copy with me and I loved it! I decided I needed my own copy, plus one for my mother and one for my sister.

  • "They made quite an impression..."
    author: Scott Beil

    "I saw the Sheiks in St. Louis several years ago. They made quite an impression. I hope to see them live again, but until then the CD should do."

  • ...had to have it.
    author: Sallie Townsend

    Heard "Great Dream" on WUMB - had to have it.

  • I love Alice's voice...
    author: Christopher Tierney

    I read a review on Amazon.com on the Three Merry Widows as I love Alice's voice and wondered if she sang with anyone else. Sure enough there was a review on them and they gave info on other bands she sang with.

  • ...this is the recording she takes with her wherever she goes.
    author: Bianca DiRuocco

    WUMB (U-Mass Boston station) thanks to DJ Marilyn Rea-Beyer, who was kind enough to spell the name of the band for me as fast as she could, since I called the station while my car was at a red light... She also says that this is the recording she takes with her wherever she goes.

  • Saw them in concert- amazing group!!!
    author: Laura Kaplan

    Laura Kaplan Saw them in concert- amazing group!!!

  • author: Smoky Hill River Festival

    The Geyer Street Sheiks emerged from the swamps of the rich St. Louis underground music scene in the late 70s, bringing into the mix jug-band songs, old fiddle and banjo tunes, rural blues, early urban blues and jazz, and an otherwise eclectic array of roots music. Our Festival goers know a Sheik's performance to produce a chemistry and a certain "something" quite unlike anything you've seen or heard before - welcome back!

  • author: J. McKeever-Folkfire Magazine

    Leads are strong; harmonies are tight. Melodies soar from vocalist to fiddle to mandolin to guitar and back again, with a percussive washboard tap-dance keeping a lively and steady rhythm. J. McKeever-Folkfire Magazine

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