Independent Music CD Review

Adam Hill
Four Shades of Green
Genre: Country
Style: Americana / Progressive Folk

Four Shades of Green CD Cover If Dolly Parton and Eddie Vedder ever had a kid, he might be Adam Hill.

I know what you're thinking. How in the heck can you take Tennessee bluegrass and combine it with a Seattle grunge flavor? Adam Hill does it, and does it well. The combination is intoxicating. It's a perfect album for those times when you just want to unwind from modern complexities and return to a slower, simpler, life.

According to his biography, "In the late '90s Adam Hill was bedridden for several weeks with a terrible illness. Deranged and delusional, he arose in his pajamas, loaded a backpack and "El Presidente" (his puke green upright bass) in his rusty Nissan and began driving across the country. He ended up in Knoxville, Tennessee. Though he had spent many an hour in his childhood listening to old vinyl records of Doc Watson, Dave Van Ronk, Mississippi John Hurt, and the Stanley Brothers, this was closest he had ever been to the infamous Blue Ridge Mountains. Something in those violent Southern summer thunderstorms must have sparked a creative circuit in him because it was in Tennessee that Adam began writing songs for the first time."

Later, Adam headed back to the west coast, finally settling in Portland, Oregon. There he made a name for himself as a bassist, touring with various bands. He's also performed with members of the David Grisman Quintet, the Gerry Mulligan Big Band (one of my personal favorites), and Prairie Home Companion.

Adam Hill's latest album is called Four Shades of Green. When I first heard the squeaky, out of tune, violin on the opening track, sawing out the old time spiritual, "Down to the River to Pray," I wondered what I'd gotten myself into. Adam lists it as "Down in the Valley," but I've always connected that title to a different song. In any case, this rendition sounds like an old, scratchy 78 rpm record. Once Adam's guitar kicked in on track two, "Empty Rows," I started to smile. Here is a truly creative songwriter and composer, as well-versed in traditional bluegrass as in the avante garde.

It was with "Empty Rows," in fact, that I first started understanding Adam's unique sound. This is traditional mountain music - as personal and poignant as it gets, and played with traditional instruments - brought kicking and screaming into the present by a modern, West Coast, sensibility.

"Next Stop Winona" follows, one of my favorites on the CD. With a familiar humor, I couldn't help thinking that this song is as much about avoiding a run down old girlfriend as it is avoiding a run down old town.

Track four is called "Maybe Crazy Baby." I love the sliding harmonies of the melody, and very fun banjo work. Except for the modern melody, it takes me right back to listening to my Grandfather, picking and singing songs to me on the front porch of his country home.

Track five provides us with another version of "Down to the River", providing a wonderful connecting point to the beginning of the album.

The traditional "Beulahland" is next, providing us with a new version of this classic spiritual, complete with choir.

"Clap and Sing" comes in on track 7. The melody seems to have more to do with modern songwriting than traditional folk, but the themes are classic folk. The lyrics take us on a poetic contemplation of eventual death, and love in the world beyond our own.

Track eight brings us "Cup of Dawn," slowing things down and bringing back Adam's skills on the violin, and as a string arranger. It's a poetic and melancholy ballad, with a full mixture of strings - sounding like a "fiddle," but arranged like a classical string section. While I like this piece, it seemed like it was missing something indefinable, like it wasn't quite finished before he released it. Then again, maybe that was the point.

Adam Hill with instruments Lightening up the mood, Adam brings back his banjo and treats us to "Portland Winter Blues." The light and familiar humor (complete with Dixieland brass instruments) gives us a bright reprieve from the melancholy of "Cup of Dawn."

In track ten we find another version of "Down to the River," followed by "The Banks of the Ohio." This is a haunting piece, providing and interesting variation on "Goodnight Irene," complete with the original chorus.

Track 12 picks up the pace with "Charcoal Crumbles." This is a wonderful homage to the back roads, and backwoods, of America.

"Down to the River" returns, with the choir from "Beulahland" providing a haunting, humming rendition that acts as a wonderful capstone to this slice of modern Americana.

The sad part of it all, to me, is that it ends too soon. The nice part, is that it when it did end, it gives a contented sigh.

Adam Hill's music can be heard and purchased at Adam's MySpace site, and at CD Baby.