Written by: Dave Cantrell
So, there’s this oft-stated truism that in any of its several iterations amounts to “Life’s funny,” and while yours truly could probably produce a near book-length collection of examples I’m not sure any such personal instances would rival the backstory to today’s SEM premiere of “Sky High” from singer-songwriter Gary Marks and, naturally, as is so often the case said backstory involves the passage of time and the somewhat peculiar circumstances that rush in to fill that gap. To wit…
A songwriter that has been honing and shaping his work since the mid-70s – releasing three albums over the span of 4+ years – Gathering (1974), Upon Oanda’s Wing (1976) and Thoughts of Why (1978) and then none until last year’s Crossroads – featuring such renowned contributors such as John Scofield, Art Lande, Mark Isham, Paul McCandless (among a half-dozen others of similar renown in that same modern jazz sphere which serves as a reminder of how rich that time was) – before a long pause involving the usual pressing needs of early adult life not least of which was raising kids though even during that lengthy hiatus Marks scotched any suggestion of going idle by recording eight – eight! – unreleased albums which included the aforementioned Crossroads¹.While admirable just in terms of productivity itself the ouevre becomes all the more notable when one factors in not just the ever-present aesthetic strength of the work but as well the driving motivations behind it that, as is self-evident throughout, encompasses a spectrum that folds together themes of democracy, environmental responsibility, the fracturing of our culture nearly everywhere one turns, and, most poignantly, our potential connection to love in its highest forms. Those are this artist’s essential watermarks and all are clearly evident in the work we’ve heard from this latest full-length, not least in today’s feature premiere.
Jangling with an unmistakeable artistic presence, seeming to be both off-the-cuff while simultaneously arising from the purest depths of the heart (surely one of the most inarguable signs of an artist at work), the singer’s voice both plaintive and at peace with an assurance that comes with some five decades of honing his craft with an almost ineffable devotion, we here at SEM cannot help but both marvel at the artistry inherent and simply let ourselves be drawn in to its intrinsic humanity no matter how many times we keep hitting ‘play’ which at last count was somewhere north of twenty, and, if you’ll pardon this writer, I’m going to go do that again and let this gem fall upon our dear readers, knowing that wherever you are in your day – here in the office we’re just beginning to stir as it’s barely eight in the morning – this track will arrive like a psalm delivered in just about the most casual if devoted/naturalistic way imaginable. In short? Good stuff, well well worth your discovery.
1 – as per the the artists website (link below), Crossroads contains “14 songs spanning five decades, including nine previously unreleased recordings.”
[released April 18th – Record Store Day – on Lantern Heights Records, you can purchase the LP here]
