Most musical professionals seem to come to terms with their careers and creativity around the early fifties, ending with some sort of final "Best Of..." compilation. Not John Batdorf! At 59, and a defiant refusal to except this, Batdorf has proven, once again, that when it comes to age and music, it can be ever as exhilarating and wonderful as an aged glass of fine wine and some complimentary French pastry. Age beckons beauty in this case, without question. With the release of his newest CD, One Last Wish, retirement seems to be a distant afterthought for this talented musician, who has already encapsulated over 4-decades of a vast compendium of musical songwriting and melodic tunes. Batdorf's angelic, compassionate, yet at times-- fiercely edgy vocals, coupled with his heartfelt songwriting skills (aided by long-time songwriting partner, Michael McLean) shines forth in this self-revealing, storytelling of a man's personal life, struggles, and awareness's...coming full circle to closure on many of those complexities. Batdorf does so, not by playing it safe, or taking the path of least resistance. He accomplishes this through succinct, honest evaluations and revelations, extracted from deep within the abyss of the soul, interwoven with fine threads of virtuoso musicianship from all the participating instrumentalists, textured throughout the entire CD. 
Batdorf's endless versatility, boundless energy and limitless creative story lines evoke a sense of broadened artistic maturity that will resonate well with any age demographic. The warmth of songs like "Don't Give Up On Dreams", "Heaven Help Me" and "I Feel Loved" compliment the intensity of tunes such as "Forgotten", "Can You Hear Me" and "Revolution". ("Can You Hear Me", in my mind, is absolutely the most engaging, commercialized hit on the entire CD. This song will retain its vividness and chromatic purity for generations to come.) 
Skillfully Produced and enriched with the finest of Mastering, One Last Wish is the essence of accepting the realizations of life throughout the years, growing older, raising a family, while being forced across the vast deserted business of the musical industry--all for the love of the music! Compelling, concrete in every sense of the word, One Last Wish, by John Batdorf, is my "one last request"... on a short list of gifts for under my Christmas tree this year! 
M.Hays 12-11
                            Read more...
                        

                            
With "One Last Wish," John Batdorf comes back to us with his own friendly, warm brand of singing stories. And he once again succeeds in sharing his life with us through this moving series of songs. At times confessional, other times full of love and joy, John straddles the emotions we all feel as life continues to move forward, throwing us home run balls and nasty curves alike. Among the highlights of this generally strong set are Don't Give Up on Dreams, Real Life, Can You Hear Me and One Last Wish. A couple of notable things: this CD is really much more "acoustic" then some of his more recent recordings. While there are some rockin' tunes on his previous works, this CD is more laid back and pensive. Having said that, this may his best-produced record ever. The music and instrumentation are pristine, harmonies lush, and his voice clear and strong. Lyrics are deeply personal and reflective. And as you catch up with John, through his health challenges and family celebrations & concerns, one can understand how this may be his most personal work in a long career. Which gets me to another point in this relationship we all have with John Batdorf... from his days as a teen phenom with partner Mark Rodney, to his band work, songwriting and soundtrack credits, and on to his solo career, John Batdorf has been making truly great music under the radar since the early 1970's. His numerous recordings can now be classified as a "catalog" or "library," and he has so much engaging music to pull from as he hits the road for his occasional concert appearances, a fact I shared with him during his recent appearance in Granville, Ohio. From "Oh My Surprise," and "Home Again" long ago to this release, it's so great to have John on the CD player to listen to and sing along with. "One Last Wish" adds to his growing musical storybook and will delight John Batdorf fans and lovers of great acoustic music everywhere.
                            Read more...