Album Notes

In the summer of '96, Woody Russell led his trio at the time (James Burkman, bass - Dan Frank, drums) into a cozy Seattle studio to record what would become a landmark debut for a genuinely gifted artist. The resulting album was "... as simple as that". With reviewers referring to the sound of the album as being "ethereal Americana" and later, "Thinking Man's Americana", Russell adopted this description of his work and is known as the "sole purveyor" of the style today.

"I don't take it too seriously," Woody elaborates, "but I guess the label suits me rather well. It sort of suggests a bit of sophistication and the general atmosphere, or mood, which I try to bring into my music. It says something 'bout the underpinnings of my sound, too; the Americana thing. What's been written in reviews about my style, in this case, is more or less accurate enough to adopt the name as a working ideal."

"...As simple as that" was a definite departure from his previous work with experimental rock/jam bands, various arrangements of jazz and blues, "soundtrack" explorations and a successful, if limited, instrumental acoustic release. By the spring of 1996 Russell had settled into a songwriter's voice that balanced itself between a then emerging genre known as "Americana" and the narrative song styles of a more folk-infused sound.

"... As simple as that" quickly became an indicator of what was/is to come from singer-songwriter and guitarist, Woody Russell. It garnered excellent reviews, radio support and even a serious look from a new label at the time known as Dreamworks.

From the dark narrative of the opening track, "One Too Many, One Too Far" to the stinging twang of "Done Deal" and on to the epic title cut, "...as simple as that" is a must listen. A fine introduction to Russell's style, it holds it's own alongside the works of a younger Van Morrison, James Taylor and James McMurtry, deserving at least as many listens.