I bet you thought I’d write about David Olney on his birthday, didn’t you?
“I ran out of excuses on the twenty third of March”
I thought I would too. We got the cd the night before and figured we’d have a ceremonial first listening on his birthday. But that was the day Ernie had his cataract surgery (went great by the way….side note: if you run into friends when you’re getting cataract surgery and they are having cataract surgery….might be you aren’t a spring chicken anymore) and he was tired and the timing just wasn’t right.
Yesterday, however, after a busy and productive day working, I deemed it time. Daisy curled up on the couch with Ernie and I sat in a chair so I could look out the window and watch the darkening sky and see the spot where David used to sing at our house. We sipped some wine and we listened.
Stunning. The songs feel as though they are already embedded in you. Gorgeous production, Anana’s shimmering voice and playing, Irakli’s guitar, and well, David.
I only cried once, during the last song.
There’s such a core of vulnerability and beauty in the songs. And course a couple of rockers for me as well. The album feels cohesive and whole. And I love that someone as legendary and established as David could fall in love with the excitement of working with two people new to him…that he could say, ‘yeah, let’s write together and you sing half the songs on the album.’
I miss him so but what a gift he left us.
If you haven’t, go buy it. Musicians need us, folks. And God knows, we need them.
Thank you, David.