As chief steward of Chicago’s alt-country combo Dolly Varden, Steve Dawson’s status as an Americana original is unquestioned. Yet even though his tenure with the band has produced five albums over the course of a 15-year history, Dawson still has plenty to offer individually. This, his second solo album (third if one counts ‘Duets’, recorded with foil Diane Christiansen), stakes out new terrain by embedding soul, a hint of gospel and even some brass into his standard MO. The results can be surprising at times, with strong arrangements and a series of stunning vignettes like “Obsidian”, “Long Overdue,” “A Conversation With No One” and “Today She Found the Way (To Break My Heart)” adding up to one superb set.-M Music & Musicians magazine
Steve Dawson and his singer / guitarist wife Diane Christiansen have been mixing cutting-edge rock with country & western in their band Dolly Varden for years. ‘I Will Miss The Trumpets And The Drums’, Dawson’s first solo effort since ‘Sweet Is The Anchor’ in 2005, offers further proof that he’s a master of this musical hybrid, and shows him drawing from other genres as well. It’s a labor-intensive project that involves him playing several instruments, with occasional help from guest musicians. “Today She Found The Way (To Break My Heart)” evokes Van Morrison as Dawson’s soulful vocals exude heartache on lines line, “I never wanted to face this kind of loneliness, but I guess I’m gonna have to start / because today she found the way to break my heart.” “Goodbye,” which finds Dawson backed by a full band, is another R&B number, and he gets back to country rock on the title track, “Worry, Worry, Worry,” and “Obsidian.” On the short but gorgeous “I Wish That I Could Believe In You Again,” Dawson creates multiple layers of his vocals, while on “Long Overdue,” he opts for a more basic approach, as if he’s performing live in a small club-Illinois Entertainer
Steve Dawson has released a solo album that owes more to Crowded House and the Hollies than the normal influences that I would expect from someone with his background. ‘I Will The Trumpets And The Drums’ has a nice groove throughout and songs like “It’s Not What You Think,” “A Conversation With No One” and “Preaching To The Choir” all stand a chance of getting quality airplay on the radio. When I say ‘airplay’ I mean the sort of programme that plays album tracks, because that’s what this is – an album of songs, not just a collection of loosely thrown together tracks as is so common these days. The harmonies and phrasing definitely bring back memories of Crowded House and even Stevie Winwood’s recent solo work. The songs, playing and production are all of the very highest quality and Steve Dawson’s voice sounds superb now that it has been given free range to sing songs that only a post 30-year-old could write and sing. The final song, “It’s Not What You Think,” with its occasional pedal steel, cornet and vibraphone is one of the ‘nicest’ love songs that I’ve heard in a long time. Track it down – you won’t regret it. ‘I Will Miss The Trumpets And The Drums’ certainly deserves to introduce Steve Dawson to a much larger audience. -Maverick Magazine (UK)
Welcome to stevedawsonmusic.com. Thanks for stopping by. The new album is out and off to a great start. You can hear a few of the songs on the music player to the right. Have a look around – there’s upcoming shows, videos, lyrics and album notes on the music page (with guitar tabs coming soon), a tour dates archive, some live songs you can download and lots more. New stuff gets added all the time, so sign up for the mailing list and I’ll keep you up-to-date.
The concert celebrating the release of I Will Miss The Trumpets and the Drums will be Sunday, May 16th at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. I’ll be playing the whole album, along with songs from my previous solo album, Sweet Is The Anchor, accompanied by Gerald Dowd (drums), Jason Adasiewicz (vibes), Jason Roebke (bass), Ingrid Graudins, Steve Frisbie and Diane Christiansen (singing), Joel Paterson (pedal steel), Mark Balletto (electric guitar), Alton Smith (piano), Zack Kline and Tom Murray (strings), Keefe Jackson (clarinet) and Josh Berman (cornet). Ingrid will open the show at 7pm, doors open at 6:30. The rehearsals have been amazing. This will be a one-of-a-kind concert, I really hope you can make it! Call the Old Town School for tickets: 773-728-6000, or stop by the box office at 4544 N. Lincoln Ave
“Preaching To The Choir” from I Will Miss the Trumpets and the Drums
free mp3 download of “Preaching To The Choir” here
Reviews are coming in: “(An) eclectic humdinger of an album that tantalises the ears and calms the soul…I could rattle off a list of why each and every song on Dawson’s album is great, which they are…The best thing about ‘I Will Miss the Trumpets and the Drums’ is the musical journey, leaving a feeling you’ve just been taken somewhere special. Super duper”. Americana UK
“a gently sublime affair…Dawson is a master when it comes to crafting gently engaging melodies and supple musings”Blurt
“The more one tries to pin Dawson down, the slipperier his music gets. Whether with Dolly Varden or on his own, Steve Dawson doesn’t fit in any single genre. From alt-country to folk rock, from classic pop to Muscle Shoals soul, Dawson draws influences into the service of his impeccably formed melodies and his intriguing, bittersweet lyrics.” Steve Pick, KDHX-FM, St. Louis
Here is a video collaboration with Diane Christiansen for the song ‘Mastodons’ from the new album. In addition to being a great singer and songwriter, Diane is an artist. The animation is part of a larger installation piece called ‘Notes To Nonself’ currently up at the Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago.
It’s best viewed full screen, if possible…
Welcome to the new and improved stevedawsonmusic.com, thanks for stopping by! The new album, I Will Miss The Trumpets and the Drums, is available now exclusively as a pre-release CD from the Undertow store . It will be officially available everywhere for digital download and on disc February 23, 2010. The video for the album’s first single, ‘Obsidian’ is below. Three new songs, ‘Today She Found The Way To Break My Heart’, ‘Obsidian’ and ‘Waiting’, can be previewed on the music player to the right (along with 10 other songs from Sweet Is The Anchor, Duets & Dolly Varden).
“There was a time when popular radio was defined by the craftsmanship and raw talent of folks like Al Green, Paul McCartney and Carole King. Steve Dawson would have fit in just fine. As part of Chicago’s criminally under-known Dolly Varden he’s churned out nothing but quality for 15 years, but his second solo outing, I Will Miss The Trumpets and the Drums, carries the timeless inflection of vintage Roy Orbison and George Harrision. Personal, philosophical, and subtly orchestrated, Dawson’s tunes sway with whispers of pedal steel, finely placed echo, and a tasty acoustic / electric guitar combo, all underpinning one of the great pop-rock voices of our time, a set of pipes both instantly appealing and flecked with warm, individual character. Think Ace-era Paul Carrack mixed with Elliot Smith and Big Star’s Chris Bell. Put into service for compositions packed with melody, texture and winning wordplay and you have a classic artist hiding in plain sight.” Link: Jambase article here
