Ten Blue Songs

Description

Tenth album for Jason McNiff, Ten Blue Songs has a melancholic title but mainly reflects the journey accomplished by the British songwriter since Off The Rails in 2000. Recorded with Trevor Moss at the Bexpop studio in Bexhill-on-Sea, the album favors live takes, to which clarinet, double bass, piano, and violin add color and depth without overshadowing the guitar and voice. This economy of means accompanies writing enriched by literature: "Nightshift Blues" is inspired by a short story by Italo Calvino, while "Whoever I Am" draws from the narrative simplicity of Raymond Carver and Ernest Hemingway. Among nine original compositions, a cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" recalls McNiff's deep folk and country roots.