The newest CD from Karen Savoca & The Mind's Eye is actually not new at all: Walkin' the Bridge (Alcove Records) is a CD reissue of Savoca's debut album, which has been available for 10 years on audiocassette.
For many a Monday night in the late 1980s, the Mind's Eye ruled the Orange Grove on Westcott Street with the funky folk-rock sounds that some called "motion music." That timeless sound--anchored by Savoca's world-class songs and singing voice--is captured on this CD.
The disc features not only Savoca's extraordinary guitarist and partner Pete Heitzman, but also the talented bandmates with whom they played as the Mind's Eye: Jimmy Johns on drums, Chris Colabello on bass and John Kane on soprano sax, along with studio guests including bassist Tommy Brigandi on two cuts and rhythm guitarist Sylvester Hagan on the spunky "Fine Line."
Mastered for disc by Pete Moshay at A-Pawling Sound, the songs on Bridge sparkle with a crispness that only hinted at on the cassette version (simply called The Mind's Eye). Savoca's voice, always a treasure, shines on each track, from the sensuousness of "The One I Dream" to the more thoughtful and familial "There's a Perfect Place." A sense of longing pervades the mid-tempo "Savannah," while a spacey kind of funk dominates the more expansive "Give It Back."
In the catalog of superior releases recorded in Central New York, this first project from Karen Savoca and Mind's Eye stands out as one of the very best. Whether you own the cassette or not, you'll want to check out Walkin' the Bridge on CD.
Karen Savoca, who performs in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., this week, can be contacted at Alcove Records, P.O. Box 335, Oneida 13421, or via her Web site, http://karensavoca.com.
| --Larry Hoyt |