Album Notes

Greg Klyma is the Rust Belt vagabond - a home-cooked meal and a Vaudeville show in a fast food, karaoke world. As Sarah Craig (manager, Caffe Lena) says, "The stories blend seamlessly into songs, evoking a flavor of Mark Twain, Woody Guthrie and David Sedaris." A prolific songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and seasoned performer, Klyma brings to every stage a catalog of songs that assume audiences are both smart and able to laugh. On his 7th cd release, Klyma puts down his trusty Taylor 510 dreadnaught guitar, turning to the piano and the mandolin for inspiration.

pianomandonation comes out of the gate with a jaunty trip to the "Kale Store" - a piano-driven Polka beat about everyone's favorite green leafy vegetable and the culture of eco-consciousness... "you could buy tofu or Kombucha, a bag of Goji berries... whatever suits ya. But as for me, I'm goin' green. I'm goin' to the Kale Store"

"Good Work" is a good groove with a catchy melody of lyrics speaking to the state of things in the American job market, while "Tongue" and "Unspoken" cover the territory of the important things we don't say to one another in our most important relationships.

"Limb," "Easy Target" and "Minor Key" are lyrically-related on the topic of heartbreak, delivering the message on vastly varied canvases: the music of "Limb" feels like I might have come out of The Fiddler on the Roof, but with lyrics by Cole Porter; "Easy Target" is an undeniable pop song that you will listen to on repeat; "Minor Key" brings the angst to light with a mandolin hook and a piano-driven groove that hints at the music of Carol King.

There's something for your every mood on this recording. "Reaching Out" is contemplative and "I'm Proud" is absolute joy - a song to celebrate friends and family. "Dziadek i Babcia" - Polish words for grandpa and grandma - is sung in Polish and translates to "my grandfather was Polish, my grandmother was Polish. And therefore, so am I." Roots run deep through Greg Klyma's lyrics and music and none more deeply than the importance of family and legacy.