REVIEW BY DAVID G. SMITH

I’ve been listening to Texan Jim Stricklan, the artist, for years and years….and years.
His voice is ‘just folks’ and wears like a favorite tee shirt, cozy and comfortable.
Jim Stricklan the record label mogul started Front Room Music back in the day
when Jim Stricklan the radio dj guy spun actual records in the shadow of the majestic
Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Yea, he’s been around and has a few miles on….
and the wisdom of his music shows it. Then again, there is Jim Stricklan the songwriter.
We should all be thankful! Thankful that a cooler head knows how to prevail.
That visionaries like him still walk the earth…..and he’s willing to share.
Jim’s song-wisdom is plain spoken and to the point. Revelatory without being preachy.
Prescient, authentic music that speaks from the inside out….time after time.

Jim Stricklan has released his latest: ONE. This album is a masterpiece by a Master Craftsman Songwriter.
The tools he has used over the years are tried and proven: wood and string,
a couple chords here, a simple melody there, and at the heart of it, the truth.
The collection of songs he has pieced together this time is truly brilliant right down to the song order.
He calls on the respective spirits of Taj Mahal and Jimmie Rodgers and takes us
down a road of highways, heartbreaks and hotels, pointing out the sights worth experiencing…..
like the soothing voice of friendship, of individual change by fire and growth by redemption,
of the true power of a country’s indivisibility, the brushstroke of long time commitment over a lifetime of love ….
And gently drops us off at the doorstep of…. revelation. That would be enough to satisfy any participant listener.
The dedication alone speaks volumes. But wait! He’s not done yet. His final song is a
meditation that wraps you in its wordless cocoon, speaking volumes, telling you: Everything is going to be ok.

SAND IN THE WATER CD by JACK MATHES

Music videos by on YouTube:
RIDE THAT TRAIN
SAND IN THE WATER

This long-awited second album by Jack Mathes was released May 2021 on Kokobilly Records.
When Jack and Artyce visited Austin in 2017, we arranged a recording session at Parrot Tracks, south of Austin.
After an uplifting song circle the previous night, Jack sang and played his trusty Seagull,
laying down live vocal & guitar tracks of a dozen songs, mostly original.
Jim produced this album featuring musicians Charles Ditto, Greg Lowry, and George Coyne, among others.
Album cover art is a collaboration between Anna Robison-Mathes and Michelle Rahbar.

Buy now for $15 through Paypal For song samples, credits and more click here

C O L O R A D O CD

Music video on YouTube: COLORADO

Around 200 songs, that is about half of my catalogue, were penned during my Colorado years!
The splendor of the Rocky Mountains was the subject of many songs, the best of which are on this album.
I grew into my songwriter shoes while playing the Denver coffee houses during the 70's...
Sweet Loretta's, Cafe Nepenthes, Global Village and the Denver Folklore Center.
I hope that listening to these tunes, you'll not only hear the words and melodies,
but will feel the spirit that inspired them.

$12 with Paypal. For songs, credits and more click here!

JIM & JOEY - TALE OF TWO CD

Music video on YouTube: SUMMERTIME

Joey Colarusso was already an enormously talented young musician
when he first recorded with me in 1997.
Joey had overcome a serious health challenge in his boyhood,
rising to a superior level of musical skill that led to
doctoral status in music and becoming a beloved teacher,
whilst gigging with the best jazzers in ATX and beyond.
Today, Joey loves playing jazz and mariachi music with his students,
as well as with many renowned entertainers, jazz combos,
traditional Big Band ensembles, and touring rock-a-billy rebels.

In the studio, Joey is a consumate creative professional.
It's been an honor to showcase his instrumental artistry on my albums,
and a blessing to share true friendship with such a humble, caring person.
The JIM & JOEY CD project is a celebration of that musical friendship,
spanning two decades, with a curated collection of tracks
plus a pair of new recordings made this spring at
Parrot Tracks Studio in Manchaca, Texas--engineered by George Coyne.
It's my way to say THANKS to one of Texas' most gifted players, Joey Colarusso!

$10 with Paypal. For songs, credits and more, click here!

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