CD Review: "Journey Home" by Jones and Leva
 By Larry Carlin, San
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Label: Rounder Records, CD-0457. One, Camp Street, Cambridge, MA 02140 Songs: She Could Have Loved Him / Nothin' for Nothin’ / Drunkard's Lantern / Log Book Of Love / Satan, I Won't Be Your Servant No More / A Sweet Goodbye / Up On Camp / Loving On Borrowed Time / Bullet In Your Breast / Why Can't You Love Me / Truest Love / Where Did You Go / Hosanna. Personnel: Carol Elizabeth Jones (vocals, rhythm guitar) James Leva (vocals, lead guitar, fiddle, banjo); Dave Grant (bass); T.J.Johnson (mandolin); Barry Sless (pedal steel); Spencer Lathrop (drums); Will Lee (banjo); Rose Sinclair (accordion).
Back in the early days of country and bluegrass the brother duo was an integral part of the music scene. The Delmore Brothers played in the 30s and 40s, the Bollick Brothers performed as The Blue Sky Boys, the Louvin Brothers were big in the 50s, and the Everly Brothers finished off the decade and began the 60s. There is something magical about the brother harmony sound, and there are some wonderful duos around now at the turn of the century -- such as Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin -- that are resurrecting that sound. Another act is a husband and wife duo called Jones and Leva, and they have taken the brother sound to new dimensions on their new CD titled Journey Home. Not only are Carol Elizabeth Jones and James Leva talented players and singers, they also are wonderful writers who wrote all 13 songs -- either alone or together -- on Journey Home. Carolvoice is one of the sweetest to come along in awhile, and she can also be heard on the new trio recording Heart Of A Singer, along with Hazel Dickens and Ginny Hawker. (You won't hear about this CD like you will the new Harris / Ronstadt / Parton recording)(but buy it first!) When Carol and James sing together the harmony sound is heavenly. Besides picking some tasteful guitar James also saws some fine fiddle. And the simple arrangements with the tasteful backup players let the songs and the voices shine through. Basic old-time country themes are mined on Journey Home -- love songs about heartbreak and longing, as well as a touch of gospel music. The recording begins with She Could Have Loved Him, and it is the most powerful song on the CD -- a sad tale about good love gone bad. Nothin’ For Nothin’ is an uptempo tune followed by a Cajun waltz called Drunkard’s Lantern, about a guy who drinks to forget the mistakes he made with his family. The Log Book Of Love is a clever country song that lays out the rules of romance. It is a song that could and would be played on country music stations if the Hat Guys didn't dominate them. Satan I Won’t Be Your Servant No More is a bluesy-gospel song that tells the devil that his services will no longer be needed, followed by A Sweet Goodbye, which is a sweet, sad song wondering if the lover is really gone for good. On Camp is the only instrumental song on the recording and it shows off James' hot fiddling, and Carol’s Loving On Borrowed Time is a happy-sounding song that says to the guy, “ Hey man, I’m right here. Let me in!” The haunting Bullet In Your Breast has an old-timey feel to it, and Why Can’t You Love Me is the one song on the CD sung as a duet throughout, and it has the two former lovers wondering if they can't try all over again. Truest Love is a shuffle with a great country grove that unfortunately won't be played on Hat Guy radio either. James does some really nice fingerpickin' on the wistful Where Did You Go, and the last song is a gospel tune with some nice fiddling and accordion playing called Hosanna. The traditional bluegrass sound features lots of hot pickin', a four or five-piece band, and three or four part harmonies. Yet when you can pare the sound down to just two voices, some great writing, and radiant arrangements like Jones and Leva have done here, you can't go wrong. Carol and James both have the "heart of a singer", and riding along on their Journey Home is one enjoyable trip.
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