"To riff off a riff; to update Ginsberg's holy HOWL; to stand this naked; to wrestle an attention deficit world into a moment's shivering standstill, just for a spiked breath of reflection: Wow. Joseph Arthur writes, builds, paints, draws, and creates because he has no choice. It is our luck that he does so."Michael Stipe of REM
In a critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated career that has spanned nine full-length albums and 11 EPs, Joseph Arthur has stretched his musical muscles on albums that rock, croon, burn slow and burn fast. Amid this abundance of riches, the Brooklyn-by way of Ohio-native began molding Lou, a tribute to his friend Lou Reed. Releasing on May 13 on Vanguard, this album features 12 interpretations of Lou Reed songs. Following the rule "no drums, no electricity," the album starts with a fulsome piano version of Walk on the Wild Side, creating a poignant sense of nostalgia for Reed's younger, wilder years. Arthur, who self-produced the album, kept the process as simple as possible, not trying to out-do the originals ("Impossible," he notes), but just discovering something new within them.
Location
Caffe Lena (View)
47 Phila Street
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
United States
