the vision of the fool ii

the vision of the fool ii

Editorial Reviews
<"b00000i5xc5004"> Anchorage Daily News/Michaela Brangan, Nov. 27, 1998
"don't you just love indie folk? nothing really compares to the emotion-saturated lyrics and mournful guitar melodies that distinguish the genre. on this ep, j r exlores the aforementioned with a measure of maturity and an almost bluesy quality that sets her apart from many similar artists. consistent, occasionally tribal beats (provided by mike dillon) accommodate her passionate "gitter" tunes, and brad houser's grave bass lines partner with her fathomless voice. the songs themselves are portraits outlined in pencil, but are made colorful by the depth of meaning and wild dips and crescendos. j r reveals her soul without lambasting anyone or being obnoxious. she writes stories of what many would like to avoid, gently woven into melody and poem. do not be fooled - it's not just pretty folk music."

<"b00000i5xc5003"> The Stranger/Trey Hatch, April, 1998
"it may not be long before j r becomes a much more familiar figure than she is now, in seattle and beyond. something about her voice, her music, and her delivery seems to hint at future FM radio material, especially on this record. on this debut disc, the soulful gal plays guitar and sings her own slightly funky, ambient blues songs, backed by three members of critters buggin and guitarist leif totusek. critters bassist brad houser and percussionist matt chamberlain did manage to visit... read more

<"b00000i5xc4999"> Album Description
the independently successful cd, 'the vision of the fool ii' (1998) is the debut release of singer/songwriter/guitarist and Lilith Fair talent search winner j r (say "jay - arr") introducing her flavor of music she's named in one word, 'moodblues' and describes as "an ambient blues-based folk. because the blues aren't just blue. we can use wherever we are or have been to transform our lives, ourselves." teaming up with producer brad houser whose bass lines have seasoned the recordings of edie brickell & new bohemians, critters buggin and more, this recording was made with two basic ingredients: home & friends. the vision of the fool ii was recorded at houser's home studio with the support of a generous and talented family of friends offering their time and additional music equipment. with brad houser's soulfully melodic bass, mike dillon's (MC 900 ft. Jesus, critters buggin), trippy percussive tricks, matt chamberlain's (tori amos, critters buggin) groovin drums, and leif totusek's (freestyle candela) ambient guitar, j r expresses her exploration of personal truths through her distinct guitar picking style and uniquely soulful vocals.