Planet Country Review

Google Translation The last five years, Karen Jonas, country singer, custodian of a vibrant and dynamic sound, passed them 'on the road' in the company of faithful guitarist Tim Bray, bringing with him the songs of his three solo records. Excerpts that have matured and acquired in depth and warmth so as to convince the artist from Fredericksburg, Virginia to put them back in 'circulation' by recording them again for his "Lucky, Revisited" in which nine of them take advantage of this decidedly winning creative process . Karen shared the stage with the likes of Dale Watson, Robert Earl Keen, Alabama, Lone Bellow and Amanda Shires and the experiences of this last shine have certainly made her more confident and convinced, with the lively and enthralling "Ophelia", placed at the top of the selection, to witness all this. "Oklahoma Lottery", the jazzy and soft "Lucky" and "Butter", "Country Songs" with beautifully honky tonk tones and with a Tim Bray inspired by the electric, River Song "still sounding authentic country and the heartfelt and intimate" Gospel Of The Road In the vocal approach, they recall the 'alternative' attitude and the freshness of the best Michelle Shocked, the Texan singer-songwriter who revisited country, folk, swing and blues styles with personality in the eighties and early nineties. To add flavor to the dish, Karen Jonas has added two covers, both interpreted with respect and attention: "Lovesick Blues", a country classic from the forties taken up with style and "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, Takes A Train To Cry" by Bob Dylan in a cover artfully slowed down and returned in a very original way. This "Lucky, Revisited ”inspired and valid, highly recommended both to those who do not yet know the musicality of Karen Jonas and to those who have appreciated it in the past.


July 20, 2019


KAREN JONAS “Lucky, Revisited”

Gli ultimi cinque anni Karen Jonas, country singer depositaria di un suono vibrante e dinamico, li ha passati ‘on the road’ in compagnia del fido chitarrista Tim Bray, portando con se le canzoni dei suoi tre dischi solisti. Brani che sono maturati e hanno acquistato in profondità e calore tanto da convincere l’artista di Fredericksburg, Virginia a rimetterle ‘in circolo’ registrandole nuovamente per il suo “Lucky, Revisited” in cui nove di esse si giovano di questo processo creativo decisamente vincente. Karen ha condiviso il palco con gente del calibro di Dale Watson, Robert Earl Keen, Alabama, Lone Bellow ed Amanda Shires e le esperienze di questo ultimo lustro l’hanno resa certamente più sicura e convinta, con la vivace e trascinante “Ophelia”, posta in cima alla selezione, a testimoniare tutto ciò. “Oklahoma Lottery”, le jazzate e morbide “Lucky” e “Butter”, “Country Songs” dalle tonalità splendidamente honky tonk e con un Tim Bray ispiratissimo all’elettrica, River Song” dal suono ancora autenticamente country e l’accorata e intima “Gospel Of The Road” ricordano, nell’approccio vocale soprattutto, l’attitudine ‘alternativa’ e la freschezza della migliore Michelle Shocked, la cantautrice texana che tra gli anni ottanta e i primi novanta rivisitò con personalità gli stilemi country, folk, swing e blues. Ad insaporire il piatto Karen Jonas ha aggiunto due cover, entrambe interpretate con rispetto e attenzione: “Lovesick Blues”, classico country degli anni quaranta ripreso con stile e “It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry” di Bob Dylan in una cover rallentata ad arte e riconsegnata in modo molto originale. Un disco questo “Lucky, Revisited” ispirato e valido, consigliato caldamente sia a chi non conosce ancora la musicalità di Karen Jonas sia a coloro che l’hanno apprezzata in passato. (Remo Ricaldone)



De Krenten Uit de Pop Review

Google Translation (dicey at best but it helps)

Karen Jonas - Lucky, Revisited
Karen Jonas reinvents some of the songs from her first three albums and does this in a grand way
The reinvention of old songs is usually a weakness, but in the case of Karen Jonas this kite is certainly not true. The songs on Lucky, Revisited sound nicer, but are also better musically and vocally than the originals. Musically, guitarist Tim Bray in particular shines, while Karen Jonas impresses with supple and passionate vocals that impress even more easily than those on her first three solo albums. It is nine well-known songs and two striking covers for a long time enjoying a singer-songwriter who has continued to grow the original songs from her albums on stage and now lets them come out of the speakers in a glowing way. Not a snack, but the best Karen Jonas album so far.

My first encounter with Karen Jonas dates from the first weeks of 2012, when the American singer-songwriter showed up on the phenomenal debut and unfortunately also the swan song of The Parlor Soldiers. That there is life after the duo that she formed together with Alex Culbreth, Karen Jonas proved already on the three excellent solo albums she released in recent years and that album is now being continued. After the release of Butter, just over a year ago, Karen Jonas was mainly on stage and apparently did not have much time to write new songs. On Lucky, Revisited we therefore mainly hear songs from the previous albums by the singer-songwriter from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and two covers.

I don't normally like new edits of old songs, for the simple reason that the new versions are almost always less good than the originals or sound forced or uncomfortable. Karen Jonas can tell that it can be done differently on Lucky, Revisited. The album opens with the honky tonk stunner Ophelia from the Country Songs album. The new version does not even differ that much from the original, but the band does sound a bit stronger and what is striking is that Karen Jonas started singing better and more confidently. You can also hear the latter in the first cover on the album, a driven version of Lovesick Blues by Hank Williams.

The title track of the debut album by Karen Jonas, Oklahoma Lottery, then gets a more modest, but also more intense version. Also in the new version of the title song of her debut you can hear that Karen Jonas has started to sing better, but also musically the new version appeals to me more, if only because of the beautiful guitar work of the regular guitarist of Karen Jonas, Tim Bray. The great thing about Lucky, Revisited is that Karen Jonas did not try to make totally different versions of her songs. The differences between the original versions and the new versions are often subtle and often sound more like freshened up versions than like new versions, although Karen Jonas definitely adds a new dimension to many of the songs.

Freshening up the old songs works fantastic. In all songs, Karen Jonas catches the throat with passionate vocals, while in the often slightly more sober instrumentation the details come into their own better and guitarist Tim Bray plays a shining role almost continuously. The rhythm section on the album also deserves a big compliment and the same goes for the clear production, which ensures that the songs radiate much more urgency and also just sound better.

After a wonderful jazzy performance of Lucky, also from the debut of Karen Jonas, follows a delicious version of Bob Dylan's It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry, which is transformed into an intense and sultry Karen Jonas song. For me it is one of the highlights of the album, if only because this track is also full of beautiful guitar work by Tim Bray. Butter, who was very richly orchestrated last year, appears to be more powerful in a subtle and jazzy version and so every song on Lucky, Revisited convinces me a little more than the originals, which incidentally come from albums that reached my year list or were close. No easy task to surpass the originals.

Releasing an album with new arrangements of old songs seems like a weakness, especially for a singer-songwriter who doesn't last that long, but Lucky, Revisited is certainly not a superfluous snack. On the contrary. As far as I am concerned, it is Karen Jonas' most convincing album so far and that is a very impressive achievement in recent years due to the towering level of the three albums that the singer-songwriter from Fredericksburg, Virginia has released. Erwin Zijleman

Lucky, Revisited is available via the Karen Jonas bandcamp page: https://karenjonasmusic.bandcamp.com .


https://dekrentenuitdepop.blogspot.com/2019/07/karen-jonas-lucky-revisited.html


ZATERDAG 20 JULI 2019

Karen Jonas - Lucky, Revisited

Karen Jonas vindt een aantal van de songs van haar eerste drie albums opnieuw uit en doet dit op grootse wijze
Het opnieuw uitvinden van oude songs is meestal een zwaktebod, maar in het geval van Karen Jonas gaat deze vlieger zeker niet op. De songs op Lucky, Revisited klinken mooier, maar zijn ook in muzikaal en vocaal opzicht beter dan de originelen. In muzikaal opzicht schittert met name gitarist Tim Bray, terwijl Karen Jonas indruk maakt met soepele en gepassioneerde vocalen, die nog makkelijker indruk maken dan die op haar eerste drie soloalbums. Het is negen bekende songs en twee opvallende covers lang genieten van een singer-songwriter die de originele songs van haar albums op het podium verder heeft laten groeien en ze nu op gloedvolle wijze uit de speakers laat komen. Geen tussendoortje dus, maar het beste Karen Jonas album tot dusver.


Mijn eerste kennismaking met Karen Jonas dateert uit de eerste weken van 2012, toen de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter opdook op het fenomenale debuut en helaas direct ook de zwanenzang van The Parlor Soldiers.

Dat er leven is na het duo dat ze samen vormde met Alex Culbreth bewees Karen Jonas al op de drie uitstekende soloalbums die ze de afgelopen jaren uitbracht en dat album krijgt nu een vervolg.

Karen Jonas stond na de release van Butter, iets meer dan een jaar geleden, vooral op het podium en had kennelijk niet veel tijd voor het schrijven van nieuwe songs. Op Lucky, Revisited horen we daarom vooral songs van de vorige albums van de singer-songwriter uit Fredericksburg, Virginia, en twee covers.

Ik ben normaal gesproken niet zo gek op nieuwe bewerkingen van oude songs, om de simpele reden dat de nieuwe versies bijna altijd minder goed zijn dan de originelen of geforceerd of ongemakkelijk klinken. Dat het ook anders kan laat Karen Jonas horen op Lucky, Revisited.

Het album opent met de honky tonk knaller Ophelia van het album Country Songs. De nieuwe versie wijkt niet eens zo veel af van het origineel, maar de band klinkt wel wat hechter en wat vooral opvalt is dat Karen Jonas beter en zelfverzekerder is gaan zingen. Dat laatste hoor je ook in de eerste cover op het album, een gedreven versie van Lovesick Blues van Hank Williams.

De titeltrack van het debuutalbum van Karen Jonas, Oklahoma Lottery, krijgt vervolgens een wat meer ingetogen, maar ook intensere versie. Ook in de nieuwe versie van de titelsong van haar debuut hoor je dat Karen Jonas beter is gaan zingen, maar ook in muzikaal opzicht spreekt de nieuwe versie me meer aan, al is het maar vanwege het prachtige gitaarwerk van de vaste gitarist van Karen Jonas, Tim Bray.

Het mooie van Lucky, Revisited is dat Karen Jonas niet heeft geprobeerd om totaal andere versies van haar songs te maken. De verschillen tussen de originele versies en de nieuwe versies zijn vaak subtiel en klinken vaak meer als opgefriste versies dan als nieuwe versies, al voegt Karen Jonas absoluut een nieuwe dimensie toe aan veel van de songs.

Het opfrissen van de oude songs werkt fantastisch. Karen Jonas grijpt in alle songs bij de strot met gepassioneerde zang, terwijl in de vaak net wat soberdere instrumentatie de details beter tot hun recht komen en er vrijwel continu een glansrol is weggelegd voor gitarist Tim Bray. Ook de ritmesectie op het album verdient overigens een groot compliment en hetzelfde geldt voor de heldere productie, die ervoor zorgt dat de songs veel meer urgentie uitstralen en ook gewoon beter klinken.

Na een heerlijk jazzy uitvoering van Lucky, ook van het debuut van Karen Jonas, volgt een heerlijke versie van Bob Dylan’s It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry, dat wordt omgetoverd tot een intense en broeierige Karen Jonas song. Het is voor mij een van de hoogtepunten van het album, al is het maar omdat ook deze track overloopt van prachtig gitaarwerk van Tim Bray.

Het vorig jaar zeer rijk georkestreerde Butter blijkt krachtiger in een subtiele en jazzy versie en zo overtuigt iedere song op Lucky, Revisited me net wat meer dan de originelen, die overigens afkomstig zijn van albums die mijn jaarlijstje haalden of dicht naderden. Geen eenvoudige opgave dus om de originelen te overtreffen.

Het uitbrengen van een album met nieuwe bewerkingen van oude songs lijkt een zwaktebod, zeker voor een singer-songwriter die nog niet zo heel lang meegaat, maar Lucky, Revisited is zeker geen overbodig tussendoortje. Integendeel. Het is wat mij betreft het meest overtuigende album van Karen Jonas tot dusver en dat is vanwege het torenhoge niveau van de drie albums die de singer-songwriter uit Fredericksburg, Virginia, de afgelopen jaren uitbracht een zeer indrukwekkende prestatie. Erwin Zijleman

Lucky, Revisited is verkrijgbaar via de bandcamp pagina van Karen Jonas: https://karenjonasmusic.bandcamp.com.

Off Center Album Review

Karen Jonas, Lucky Revisited

Every now and then you run across a recording that's so audacious that all you can do is applaud its chutzpa. Such a work is the 4th release from Karen Jonas. This album is sass, poise, and one helluva voice. Jonas gives us stripped down versions of songs from her back pages, some new material, and an unapologetic turn-back-the-calendar approach to country music before it became slick and safe. Her new version of "Lucky" is honed to a dangerous edge. Jonas sings it as if it's part of the soundtrack of a gritty film noir film set in a dusty Texas town filled with desperate people. She positively eviscerates the Golden Fifties myth in "Butter." She frames her video with an old-style TV screen and melts the song in suggestive nastiness whose sugary sprinkles are like a diaphanous dress waiting to be unzipped. Hers is a feminist country music, even when it evokes the past. It doesn't get any more throwback stylistically than "Ophelia" but then again, few past country stars could have gotten away with a lyric such as when a man calls you a whore, go on and the find the closest door…walk out. Want an old-time weepy? "Country Songs" is about a girl who hated country music until she came of age and had her heart broken: So thank you for teaching me to sing country songs/For making me so sad I want to sing along. She completes her stroll through yesteryear with two excellent covers–one of Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry," and Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues." ★★★★

Don and Cheryl's Blues Blog

KAREN JONAS

LUCKY, REVISITED

OPHELIA–LOVESICK BLUES–OKLAHOMA LOTTERY–LUCKY–IT TAKES A LOT TO LAUGH, IT TAKES A TRAIN TO CRY–BUTTER–COUNTRY SONGS–WASTING TIME–RIVER SONG–MONEY–GOSPEL OF THE ROAD

The last time we heard from Virginia-based Americana songstress Karen Jonas, it was early summer of 2018 with her release of “Butter.”  That project found her successfully, albeit with her share of difficulties, jugging the challenges of young motherhood and a career in the music business.  For the last five years, she’s been constantly touring, along with guitarist and musical partner Tim Bray.  During the course of numerous live shows, they discovered that many of the songs from her previous albums had taken on new meanings when performed in front of a crowd.  That set the stage for these new versions of some old friends that comprise “Lucky, Revisited.”  Herein, the guitar parts are more diverse and become an even more of an integral part of the arrangements, and Karen’s vocals are allowed to soar.

We had a slew of favorites.  Oh yeah, our slightly-naughty little Siren still “cooks with Butter,” and she still “drinks straight whiskey,” too!  Our lovelorn heroine laments just “Wasting Time” in a relationship, pondering whether to stay or punt the whole thing.  That no-good lover did leave her with one redeeming quality, tho–the ability to appreciate those good ole “Country Songs,” so she can “dance all over my broken heart!”  This one showcases Tim’s guitar in a cool, two-steppin’ arrangement.  I’m jumpin’ right up to show my age here, but Karen really captures that “feelin’ called the blues, since my baby said goodbye,” on a flawlessly-lovely read of Hank’s iconic “Lovesick Blues,” made all the more unique by the use of clippity-clop percussion throughout!

The re-imagining of these songs only adds to the growing legacy of Karen Jonas’ and Tim Bray’s contributions to the American genre.’   Sit back, relax, and allow her beautiful voice to go from sultry to powerful as you bask in the grooves of “Lucky, Revisited.”  Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues And Roots Alliance.

Concert Review - Karen Jonas @ Pearl Street Warehouse

A DC Journey

Concert Review: Karen Jonas @ Pearl Street Warehouse (3/31/2019)

Karen Jonas with Tim Bray (Photo Credit: Jim Williams Photography)

Karen Jonas, with her guitar and winning voice, along with her 4-piece band gave the Pearl Street Warehouse crowd a fun night of ‘learning to like country music’, as she opened for Nashville singer-songwriter Lilly Hiatt. Tim Bray also joins Karen for her sets, emoting and jamming and generally appearing to have a splendid time playing the guitar.

Karen is from Fredericksburg, Virginia and as a local musician was also up for two Wammie Music Awards (Fun fact: the ceremony happened right as she performed!), where she won the 2019 Wammie for Best Country/Americana Artist. The Wammies, re-started after a few years off, is aimed at recognizing DC area artists and musicians for their artistic works. See a list of all the 2019 winners.

Karen and co. kicked off the evening with “Yellow Brick Road”, from her third album titled Butter. The song is about appreciating what you’ve earned through hard work and determination, and not simply following the shiny road that would take you away.

They played a sampling of all three of her albums, nine songs in total, including two from Butter (the album was also nominated for the Best Country/Americana Album Wammie, but lost to Eli Lev/Way Out West by Eli Lev and the Fortunes Found).

Next came “Oklahoma Lottery”, from her first album of the same name, and tells the story of ‘divorce and the dust bowl’, wrapped in a jazzy melody.

In between songs, Karen told a few stories, like when she started as a musician she was not prepared for the label of country music. She didn’t even really listen to country as an influence or for pleasure at the time, she simply wanted to release a record in order to book gigs. Once the classification stuck, however, she turned more intently to the genre and wrote songs about it, like “Country Songs”, which is a twangy ode to country themes of heartbreak and honky-tonks and Dwight Yoakam in tight jeans. The song serves as a way to give in to the desire ‘to learn to like country music’. Now that she’s embraced it, it’s especially fitting (or ironic?) that her win at the Wammies was as a country artist. Kudos for not trying to do something, and then turning around and doing it superbly.

Next came the sad yet winsome “Wasting Time”, which she assured us was her ‘one allowed heart breaker of the set’ and her favorite kind of song. I have to agree, this was my favorite song on the evening, especially the chill-inducing chorus, “I’m holding out for love.”

Near the end came the single “Butter”, about cooking for her four children that eat a lot, with love of course.

They ended with a rocking cover of Bob Dylan’s “Meet Me in the Mornin’” before handing off the reins to Lilly Hiatt to work more magic on the good-sized Pearl Street Warehouse crowd.

Butter is ready (and Karen’s other two albums) for you to pick up and have a good listen. Find out all the superb reasons it was nominated.

Setlist
Yellow Brick Road
Oklahoma Lottery
Money
Country Songs
Wasting Time
Ophelia
Lucky
Butter
Meet Me in the Morning (Bob Dylan cover)

Operation Every Band - SXSW Review

Karen Jonas – “Butter” 

SXSW 2019 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With… Dolly Parton, Nora Jones, Iris Dement


Karen Jonas’ voice on her new album “Butter,” sounds like, well, like … . .  No, no, no. I won’t go there, although to be fully honest, I had initially planned, to paraphrase Johnny Carson, to take a good metaphor and beat it to death. But it turns out that every single review of this album has already gone there, done that. So, it suffices to say that Jonas’ voice is rich, sultry, and occasionally playful, without dipping into country, saccharine sweet.  “Butter” is her third album and while still rooted in country music, she liberally borrows from other genres – Americana, barroom soul, and the blues – providing much needed variety. For example, “Mama’s First Rodeo” and the softer “My Sweet Arsonist” use gentle humor and lots of pedal steel channeling Dolly Parton. “Gospel of the Road” is organ-backed barroom soul, and the title track opens with a blast of horns but lands in a jazzy torch song groove. The lyrics reflect her wit and thoughtfulness, and fully embrace her life as a full-time mother of four who strives to find a balance between her music career and her family.  The title track, about a hardworking (and cooking) mother who still drinks whisky captures her music and her life well.  So does the video for the song which alternatives between party glam shots and kitchen cameos with her kids, cooking with, well  … flour, sugar, and some other ingredient. (DZ)