Malcolm Holcombe - Press/Reviews

Published on: Friday, June 4, 2004

Section: WEEKEND

Edition: BRADENTON

Page: 21E

Byline: Wade Tatangelo, Herald Staff Writer

Not that he's bitter or anything, but Malcolm Holcombe has been waiting three decades for Bradenton to welcome him back.

"It's taken about 25 or 30 years, but I am glad to hear there's finally a good room to play," Holcombe said during a phone interview from his home near Asheville, N.C. Holcombe, 48, can't recall the exact year, but back in the 1970s the Asheville native "came into some money." So he and a couple fellow Tar Heels took a pilgrimage. They traversed the Deep South and ended up renting a place on Prescott Street in Sarasota. Why Sarasota? Holcombe's not exactly sure. He muttered something about it being close to the beach.

Holcombe recalls gigging regularly at now defunct Bradenton Beach bars such as The Wreck and Chicken Coop. But his music fell on deaf ears. And he soured on Manasota after several months.

"We were playing (Bob) Dylan and original folk music and the people (of Bradenton) weren't ready," Holcombe said, good-natured. "They were digging on other stuff. Our stuff made them think too much."

Holcombe, an accomplished singer/songwriter and guitarist, speaks with the same bourbon-soaked coarseness (think Tom Waits) with which he intones on record. A natural storyteller, Holcombe's speech is peppered with metaphors and allegories. Like his song lyrics, his oblique ramblings often are difficult to figure --- but it's entertaining to hear. Especially when he starts leaning on vowels for emphasis. Or punctuating his thoughts with pauses that cause the listener to wonder if he's still there before firing back with a description of record company bluster as "flap jaw in your ear;" likening marriage to "adding another dimension in spirituality;" dubbing his 5-year-old stepson a "fireball in every direction;" or equating the Nashville scene to a barber shop where "your bound to cut a few hairs." Huh?

Holcombe was born in Asheville and raised in the nearby hills of Weaverville. Gospel and traditional ballads permeated the clean, pastoral air. During his formative years, the rich, Appalachian song heritage of his homeland was being brought to the world's attention by pickers such as Doc Watson. Holcombe, who got his first guitar at age 11, continued in the troubadour vein, playing "every corner store, bar and grille in Asheville."

In 1990, Holcombe relocated to Nashville. He washed dishes and wrote songs. He made a name for himself performing at Music City's famed Bluebird Cafe. He was tutored by the likes of famed songwriter Tony Arata (author of Garth Brooks' mega-hit "The Dance," among others). Naive and strapped for cash, though, Holcombe sold 100 percent of his publishing rights to various publishing houses.

"I was a . . ." Holcombe said, likening his fast cash song sales to prostitution.

The publishing rights were not the only thing Holcombe got burned on during his "green period." His debut for Geffen, "A Hundred Lies," is a bittersweet tale of a beloved minor masterpiece that refuses to die.

Recorded in 1996, Geffen never released it. So Holcombe returned to Weaverville. Universal swallowed Geffen and the album vanished. But Holcombe had high-profile admirers that called for its release. In an interview with Rolling Stone, alt-country queen Lucinda Williams called Holcombe a "modern day blues poet" and said, "If I had a record label, I'd sign him."

In 1999, "A Hundred Lies" finally saw the light of day on HIP-O, a subsidiary of Universal Records. A compilation and catalogue division, HIP-O did very little to support the album. No money was given to Holcombe for touring and despite a 4-star review in Rolling Stone and a glowing write-up in USA Today, the disc failed to find an audience.

Now Holcombe promotes the disc through extensive touring and his own management. He's taken control of his career, which he navigates from his quiet home in Swanona, outside of Asheville.

Holcombe takes responsibility for previous bad decisions and selling out in Nashville for the quick buck.

"No, no you don't," Holcomb said. "You can hold your head up. That's what I'm doing now."

Wade Tatangelo, features writer/music critic, can be reached at 745-7051 or wtatangelo@bradentonherald.com.

There are ways to dance around it, but why not get to the point? If you

love music, then you need to see Malcolm Holcombe tonight at Down Home.

Comparisons are weak. They are always once removed from the original, but writers rely on them because it's a way to connect the unknown to the

familiar. That is why Holcombe's gravelly voice most-often is compared to

Tom Waits'. He also brings to mind the genius of Townes Van Zandt, and

yet, once you've seen Holcombe, you realize the limitations of language.

And once you've heard his songs, you realize in Holcombe's grasp language

has no limits.

In "Captured by Paradise" from his new CD, "Another Wisdom," he writes: "A maiden voyage of dreamin' on has stowed away my youth/ Sailin' to my

destiny on one drop of truth."

In a telephone interview, Holcombe described his songwriting style as

"stream of consciousness."

"I try to listen to people, draw from memories and experience. Bring some

words together and try to make some sense about it," he said. "You just

draw from your surroundings, people, the earth and the good Lord gives you

a gift."

Many of his songs deal with early memories of growing up in the country -

in a much different town than Weaverville, N.C., is now.

"It was pretty country. We cut tobacco, rode the bus to the grocery

store," he said. "It was just a little old town back in those days - like

everywheres else."

An early musical influence was his uncle, who preached on the radio and

played guitar. "He told me you had to learn to play the lead in D, and I

never did," Holcombe said.

He talks like he writes, touching on disparate subjects such as Desi

Arnaz's rise to fame, his broken water heater, the dog days "barking and

growling at the door" and the recent nearness of the planet Mars.

"About another 60,000 years, we can take another look at it. Put that on

your calendar," he laughed.

Holcombe, who now lives in Swannanoa, N.C., did a stint in Nashville in

the early '90s. During his stay there, he attracted a lot of attention.

Rolling Stone gave his CD "A Hundred Lies" a four-star rating, he signed

for a time with Geffen Records, and he became and remains a regular at

Nashville's Bluebird Cafe.

"A lot of folks were encouraging, helpful, inspiring, Tony Arata being

one," he said. Holcombe names Arata, who wrote Garth Brooks' hit single

"The Dance," as his "favorite" mentor. "It warms my heart to think about

him," he said.

On "Another Wisdom," Holcombe is joined by Stuart Duncan, Darrell Scott

and Sam Broussard.

Tonight, Scotty Melton will open for him, and he said he hoped to get Ed

Snodderly to join him on stage. "People like Ed and those folks in Nashville, they 'play clean as country water,' as the song says. I'm very grateful for working with good pickers."

Tickets are $10 at the door and the show starts at 9 p.m. For more

information, call 929-9822.

For more stories, please visit http://www.johnsoncitypress.com.

Current Reviews... Malcolm Holcombe, a singer-songwriter-artist from North Carolina, takes basic human emotions and weds them with a host of guitar styles to produce a wildly refreshing brand of acoustic music. As much as his mannerisms, finger-picking and appearance bespeak rural simplicity, his lyrics are indicators of an ace storyteller with a clear comprehension of the human condition. Judging from his hourlong perf, the reasons Geffen Records signed him are as obvious as those that caused him to get lost in the Universal Music shakeup a year ago.

A Singer-Songwriter Debut with a Timeless Appeal

Spinitloud.com
December 7, 2010
-by Larry May

The Lefsetz Letter

November 20, 2010

-by Bob Lefsetz

The Daily Sentinel
November 17, 2010
- by Kendal Rogers

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The Mountain Times - 12.09.10
The Mountain Times December 9, 2010 -by Lauren K. Ohnesorge Malcolm Holcombe plays at 641 rpm "I'm just another sad sack beating on a guitar, man, hooting and hollering, making up tunes as we go along you know," he said. But, as his fans will tell you, he's anything but a "sack." The Asheville-based folksinger's Appalachian voice and raw folk acoustics have taken him around the world, to acclaim at home and abroad, and Friday marks his return to Boone. "I'm just glad to be working, honey," he said. Despite successes like "A Far Cry from Here" and "Gamblin' House," he's not one to gloat, and shies away from comparisons between himself and icons like Townes Van Zandt. "It just scares the s*** out of me," he said. "He's, in my opinion, a poet and a songwriter that reaches deep into the human condition, and so I strive to call a spade a spade. That's something." It's that human condition that Holcombe busts wide open with a dirty raw grit that's all his own. It's a talent born of observation, he said. "Just hanging around the barbershop," Holcombe said. "You hang around the barbershop for a long time, you get a haircut." A combination of his mother's French harp, music shows and a pocket transistor radio served as the barbershop. The drive came from Holcombe himself, as he hit the road with a band called Redwing, eventually moving to Nashville, Tenn., and recording his debut in 1996. Featured everywhere from Rolling Stone to Billboard Magazine and working with people like Grammy Award-winning producer Ray Kennedy, Holcombe continues to find success with his rugged picking and Appalachian spirit. But he never had that defining moment, the moment where a musician knows he's "made it." That, after all, isn't the point. "It's very elusive," Holcombe said. "It's such an ego-driven money conscience business that I really find it very uncomfortable to pat myself on the back as being anything other than just a chef, cook, bottle washer, and I just try to be of service." Notable places he's played lately? "Paris, France, the Netherlands, Marshville, North Carolina," he said. His favorite locale? "Anywhere where there's an opportunity to sling the hash and be of service," he said. A pet peeve? Commercialism. Take a recent trek to Gambina, Italy, a place he calls "beautiful." "But you see where Anne Frank was buried and next to it is a damn Starbucks," Holcombe said. "There's always room for some idiot who wants to scream out a dollar." He's definitely not "the idiot." He's just grateful for the opportunity to play and says he'll continue to sing as long as there are folks to listen. That means a lot of traveling, but Holcombe has a secret to surviving life on the road. "Have an extra pack of cigarettes and a cup of coffee," he said, "and I try to stay in my own lane as much as I can. I'm just grateful to be working. Job security these days, people trying to keep body and soul together. I just count my blessings every mile." Back to Top
Spinitloud.com - 12.07.10
Spinitloud.com December 7, 2010 -by Larry May Most country and blues fans like their musicians to have experienced some heartache and to have tasted the harsh mouthfuls that karma tends to dish out. Somehow, a difficult life equates to being a better and more authentic artist. By God, Malcolm Holcombe has lived a bitch of a life, and if one is looking for the real deal, look no further. His song writing and performances scratch like sandpaper grit and offer no room for judgment on either earnestness or indelible honesty. The funny thing is that he doesn’t look at this experiences as rough or unfair, just a necessary part of his personal journey. Talking to a man about your perceptions of his life can be totally surprising in Malcolm’s case, oddly educational. There is no doubt that this man has it, whatever it is. He embodies the genuine artist, complete with gruff delivery and hard earned lyrics. But he is just so damn optimistic that one can’t be help but be filled with hope that salvation is not that far away. A wretched life can be saved, albeit on your knees, begging for help. The beauty of an artist like Malcolm is that not only will he shed new light on your idea of his life, he might offer a better look into yours. SIL. I’ve heard that you’ve been working on a new record. How close are you to finish ing it, and when is it coming out? MH. It will be available in January. SIL. Would you like to talk about the new album that’s coming out? MH. David Roe is back on stand up bass. Jared Tyler is back on dobro, he’s a virtuoso and also the producer on this effort. We’re trying to keep this as real and acoustic as we can. We want it as back woods as we can get it. There are a couple of boot scooters, and hopefully a couple of tunes that grind your blade real hard. SIL. Since we don’t have a new record as of yet, let’s talk about the last one, “For The Mission Baby”. Let’s start with “Hannah’s Trading Post”. MH. Boy, that was a long time ago. I think most people have an axe to grind, especially nowadays. It’s kind of the big dog eating the little dog. Trying to keep a job and fighting to keep the most basic human condition. Which is kindness to others and also dealing with greed. Trying to balance the two can get one a little off kilter. In its most basic element, you still have people putting sawdust in another man’s transmission. SIL. It comes down to basically how we view and treat each other over money. If I get mugged for $200, it’s a crime. If someone gets ripped off for $200,000, that’s just doing business. As individuals in the music business, we’ve all been ripped off a lot lately. MH. It’s one thing to get a good deal…But I don’t like to point fingers, because there are always four pointing back at me. I try to walk a fine line, and at the end of the day, I’m just trying to be of service to someone. SIL. Let’s move on from songs and talk about the motivation to create. Do you find it hard to write? Do you force yourself to sit down and do it? MH. If you like to eat corn, you’ve got to get out there with a hoe. You enjoy what you do, but you’ve got mouths to feed, don’t you? SIL. I have a wife and a six year old. MH. A six year old, my goodness. You’ve got to find your way to work and hit the light switch everyday. The light switch in your head and a window to look out of, and a chair and that hoe, man. But I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be working. Sometimes things just pop into your head, and you’ve got to do something with them. I love a good tomato, so I’ve got to tend it and take care of it. SIL. Did you get a good response from the Lefsetz letter? MH. I don’t know anything about that, man. I heard about it, but I don’t understand it. SIL. So you don’t do much on the Internet? MH. I don’t read that stuff, that’s distracting to me. I don’t need to concede my age, I just don’t need it. It’s an ego driven business, and it makes me nervous. I don’t mind doing an interview, but it’s a really self serving albatross of ego. It gives me the creeps. SIL. The albatross of ego? What a great phrase. You really do have a way with words. Did you really enjoy English studies as a kid? MH. I squeaked through. SIL. Do you feel like the situation our country is in lends itself to great songwriting? MH. I don’t know about great, but it does have a place for the dissatisfied. I think people that write poetry and prose see both sides of the coin and are great at revealing sides of the coin that haven’t been seen. Like Mark Twain said, “If I tell the truth, I only have to remember it once”. SIL. Have you ever considered doing any Christmas songs? I think your voice and style would be great for that style. MH. There are a couple that I remember from my youth when I was in church. I’d like to do that, but have no plans to do it right now. Do you pick or sing? SIL. I have no talent at all. But my son loves to play and is learning to play piano. He really loves music. Growing up in a record store has given him a great foundation, and he loves most genres. His favorite right now is Justin Townes Earle. He came by the store in September and my son had a blast. MH. Justin’s a good ‘un. He’s a tall drink of water. SIL. We’d love to have you come by and play. MH. I’ll pass that on to my wife. She’s in charge of all that. She’s the one that makes me get up off the couch. SIL. If you could envision yourself at your happiest, what would that be? MH. I guess getting closer to God’s will. SIL. What question have you never been asked that you thought needed answering? MH. Where’s that twenty bucks you owe me? SIL. My version of your life, as described by your lyrics, seems to be a very rough one. Would that be a fair depiction? MH. You make your own bed, you gotta lay in it. SIL. How do you plan to close out 2010? MH. On my knees. SIL. Perfect. Back to Top
The Lefsetz Letter - 11.20.10
The Lefsetz Letter November 20, 2010 -by Bob Lefsetz Whoa! I'm sitting here trying to catch up on e-mail before I hit the rain-soaked freeway and the tonality of the following e-mail, the humble quality, the fact that this guy said he was just about to give up in light of the brilliance of the linked performer made me click through. ________ Bob, Not sure if you have ever caught this guy before, but he is amazing. I damn near threw in the towel with the music I was playing, 'cause when I heard him - he was doing what I had in my head. This may not be the best clip, but it shows the energy he puts into his music. I always try and catch him when he comes through Austin. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvHUjraEmXY Take it easy, but take it! Aaron Franz ________ And I'm not watching, I'm in my mail program as the clip is unspooling in the background. But this dude is rambling to the point of incomprehensibility and Aaron said this wasn't the best clip so I click through to Safari to turn it off and...THE GUY STARTS TO WAIL! You know it when you see it. It's something you feel. Deep down inside. It's like there's a tiny flame and suddenly a breeze comes in and turns it into a fire and ultimately a conflagration. And it happens most when you least expect it. And you hope and pray you're not let down, that the performer can sustain your interest, that there's not a lame chorus, that he doesn't disappoint you. And you're hanging in there, like walking on ice from your front door to your automobile, hoping to make it without falling. But if you slip you'll just have another disappointment in this endless series of moments we call life. Whereas the performer has probably lost your interest forever and will fade away and not radiate. But when it's right... Music is something you hear. It's not something you see. And when you hear it, it makes you feel human. This is completely different from what they're selling on Top Forty radio. That's not humanity. That's artifice. There's a market for that. But less of one than ever in these troubled times. For all the lemmings following the antics of these twits desirous of getting rich there's a plethora of people who've rejected music, because it just doesn't touch them. But if you're not touched by Malcolm Holcombe, you're not alive. And it isn't about blowing him up, parading him in "Parade", it's the cumulative effect of multiple Holcombes that creates a scene that makes people pay attention to music, become enraptured, talk about it, devour tracks like they're food. How does this barely coherent guy manage to knock it out of the park? But isn't that the way it is. The best artists are troubled. They can't show up on time. All they can do is this. Lay down their story in song. Corporations hate these people. They want performers who will show up in the early a.m. for "Today", who won't cuss and get drunk at inopportune moments. Cursory research tells me Malcolm Holcombe once had a deal with Geffen Records. That's not important to me. It's not about history, it's about performance. Watching this clip makes me want to see him live. Sure, I might like a record. But the sound he gets in this room, that's the one I want. The undiluted, unfiltered honesty. I can't do what Malcolm Holcombe does. That's one of the things that draws me to him. Just listen. This is what we're looking for. This is our roots. This is the underpinning. And without a basis, without music that can be summed up on one guitar in an empty room, we've got nothing. Hearing this makes you a fan. Not only of Holcombe, but music. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress Back to Top
The Daily Sentinel - 11.17.10
The Daily Sentinel November 17, 2010 - by Kendal Rogers Acclaimed singer/songwriter Malcolm Holcombe will bring his unique blend of Appalachian mountain music, blues and folk to the Pineknot Music Co-op Saturday night. The North Carolina-based musician, who's well known for his gruff, weathered voice and intense live performances, has become one of Americana's most prolific and well-respected songwriter. His recent albums, "Gambling House" and "For the Mission Baby," have garnered him growing acclaim from critics and peers alike. The Pineknot Co-op begins at 8 p.m. Saturday at Millard's Crossing. The Old Town Gospel Project, made up of Cele Knight, John Hall, Robbie LaComb Roach and John Hazlewood, open. Holcombe performs at 9. Holcombe recently answered a few questions in a phone interview with The Daily Sentinel. --- I understand you have a new album in the works. Can you give us an update on that? Well, we're going to hurry up and wait. It ain't out yet. We cut it the end of September, just went to picking and singing, so we'll just wait and see. I don't know when it's going to be out. It's called "To Drink the Rain." David Roe on upright bass, Jared Tyler is the producer. We cut it at Cedar Creek Studios there in Austin. Luke Bulla's playing fiddle. I'm beating on the guitar and hollering . . . We had a lot of fun. So, we'll just wait and see from there. We'll just keep our ear to the railroad track and try to save a nail. And you're on a new label now, right? Yeah, Music Road Records. I'm glad to be amongst some mighty good pickers and singers and writers. Kevin Welch and Jimmy LaFave, Sam Baker, Slaid Cleaves. All them folks are awful nice to let me hang around the hen house. Your last album had a bit of a political tinge to it. What about this new one? What are some of the stories you're telling now? I guess it'll be up to the people listening to it, and they can decide for themselves which way the wind blows in their interpretation of the songs. What were some of your formative experiences with music? How did you become a performer? You hang around a barbershop long enough, you're going to end up getting a haircut. I remember one time my daddy brought me home from the barbershop and I had a crew cut, and boy it made mom mad as a hornet. Sometimes we get scalped and sometimes we get a trim. When you get your ears lowered, you just try to understand who's holding the scissors and how fast they're whacking. It's kinda like, bob and roll. Yeah, I listened to a lot of Flatt and Scruggs as a kid growing up . . . some old records, the Nutcracker Suite, the soundtrack to Doctor Zhivago. In the neighborhood, boys had amplifiers, I didn't have none of that stuff for awhile. We'd just sit around there and pick some, bluegrass, Doc Watson. A lot of influences in the hills. You hang around the kitchen, you're going to nibble. Sometimes it's bologna sandwiches, sometimes it's fried chicken. You know how that goes. What about these days? Who's catching your ear now? I like David Olney. He's good. And Steve Earle. And of course I still like listening, when people give me records. It might take me awhile, but I listen to everything everybody gives me. I like that Tim Hardin, Tom Paxton. And Tony Arata, that's another fella I look up to and listen to. When you're listening to other musicians, what is it that you connect with? What hits you the most? Desperation. This tiptoe-through-the-tulips, lollipop love stuff doesn't really, well, it chaps my a**. Yeah, man, there's so much bubblegum out there, it makes my jaws hurt. That brings up another question. What do you feel is the responsibility of a musician? Do you feel like you're a storyteller, more like an entertainer, or are you trying to get people to think... Lie like hell. Lie like a cheap . . . rug (laughs). We've got a responsibility to ourselves, you know, and we've got a responsibility to God to try to do the next right thing and hopefully something that's worth repeating. I forget that Greek philosopher's name who said "The first casualty of war is the truth." That happens a lot, in politics, in the music business, show business. It's something we all have to battle every day, honesty. We try to let the honesty in our lives rise to the top, amongst all the lying sharks. Hopefully honesty will rise to the top, and sprout wings and fly around a find a good nest in somebody's heart. I know it's been awhile back, but you had a pretty dark period in your history, with industry troubles and substance abuse. When you were going through that, what was driving you at that time? Greed. And selfishness. How'd you get through it? I voted for Obama. (Laughs). Getting back to honesty, and spirituality, something we all battle with is art versus commerce. Another one of my favorite writers is Mark Germino. He worked with a very dear friend who's left this world, Tim Krekel. Mark, I always respected him greatly, still do. He's retaining his integrity as a songwriter and a writer, versus the albatross of the coin. I think we're all trying to live in our own skin and use money as a tool instead of a hat with flowers to strut up and down Main Street. In your line of work, you spend a lot of time traveling. I'm sure that has its good sides and bad sides... If everyone would just stay in their . . . lane. If you can make it through Houston, that's in the plus column. I hear you. Yeah, folks in Texas been awful good to us. Them boys out there, they've been awful good. Guy Clark and Robert Earle, they've been awful good to this hillbilly. You've got a little fraternity of songwriters, huh? Well, you try to keep good company, but living with yourself is something we strive to do. I think all of us have to try to love ourselves and give our love to everybody else. And them Texas women and that lipstick, it just makes me feel fuzzy inside. Do you do any writing on the road or do you save that for when you get home? You know, it could be any old time or any old where. There ain't no formula. If you like to eat corn, you get your hoe out of the barn and get out there and start whacking the ground. If you like to eat corn, you got to plant. Hoe, plant and water. Kendal Rogers can be reached at kroger@dailysentinel.com. Back to Top
Newport Mercury - 11.06.10
Newport Mercury 11/6/2010 -by Bob Eckstrom Click here for the PDF article. Back to Top
Press and Sun Bulletin - 11.03.10
Press and Sun Bulletin 11/3/2010 -by Chris Kocher Holcombe's country blues offers intense look into his soul By Chris Kocher •ckocher@gannett.com • November 3, 2010, 5:35 pm Talent isn't always enough to pay the bills, so Malcolm Holcombe knows what it's like to live a hardscrabble existence when food is scare and liquor offers only fleeting solace. The North Carolina native has settled down a bit from those lean and wild years. Now married to a good woman and raising a young stepson, he's cultivated a devoted fanbase throughout the United States and Europe with his raw and rattlin' country blues. " I'm just very grateful — it's very miraculous to travel around and see some nice country and some friends up and down the road, and to get to bang on that old guitar," he said last month from his home in Swannanoa, N.C. You can hear echoes of those hand-to-mouth memories in nearly every sandpaper lyric of his intense mountain-man poetry. At shows, he prowls the stage like a caged tiger, howls into a too-short microphone or rocks back and forth on a stool — all without missing a lick. Sometimes his staring gaze seems to see the demons he's fighting, as if he's casting them out one by one. Holcombe recently signed with Austin's Music Road Records and recorded his eighth CD, "To Drink The Rain," set for release early next year. When asked if he'd play any of those new songs Friday at Cyber Café West in Binghamton, he replied: "No, sir. Don't put the cart before the horse." A wise aphorism. Question: You've been putting out albums every year for the past few years. Do you consider yourself a prolific songwriter? Answer: If you sling enough baloney against the wall, some of it will stick. I'll keep slingin'. Something I need to remember — a feller told me the other day, "God gave us two ears and one mouth." I need to listen twice as much as I flap jaw. Q: So when you write your songs, what's the process like for you? A: If you want to interview, you've got to pick up the phone and call somebody, or you've got to pick up the phone when it rings, or you've got to be available. So I work in the garden, work around the house, wash dishes. If you're gonna write about dishpan hands, you've got to get your hands in the dirty water! Q: Your songs seem to do a lot of thinking about the past. Do you think you're a nostalgic guy? A: We've heard all our lives — from our parents and grandparents, the adults — that as time goes on, we reach back for early memories. ... Time goes by lickity-split. Q: You seem like a low-key guy when you're offstage, but when you're onstage, there's a lot of intensity. A: Well, it's like Lonesome George Gobel said on "The Ed Sullivan Show": "When I come to a part I know, I play the hell out of it!" ... When you get behind a mule or you get behind a tractor, or you get behind the wheel, or you get behind a faucet when you're slopping the hogs, when it comes time to take care of business, you try to give it your best and give it your all. That's an ongoing challenge for everyone in every walk of life, competing with yourself. But when you're in the service industry — which I feel like I am — you need to deliver the goods the best that you can. (To read the full interview, check out this link: http://bit.ly/aCHICI) Back to Top
Artvoice - 11.01.10
Artvoice, Buffalo, NY 11/1/2010 -by Buck Quigley The Americana music landscape is crowded with performers self-consciously proclaiming their authentic Appalachian roots to an audience hungry for a raw, unvarnished sound that has the unmistakable ring of truth to it. In a gallery full of colorfully polished acts, Malcolm Holcombe stands out as stark as a black and white photograph by Walker Evans (or, in this case, Bill Emory). Holcombe, a real native of the North Carolina hills, has been releasing records for years, and even had a brush with big-time exposure thanks to a deal with Geffen in 1996 that ultimately fell through. Depressed and struggling with substance abuse, he left Nashville for North Carolina, sobered up, and released some great stuff independently. Now, his reputation for penning stories that map the back roads of the human heart—delivered with a voice that is somewhere between Kris Kristofferson and Tom Waits—is winning him growing acclaim. His 2009 release For the Mission Baby (Echo Mountain), was recorded and mixed by Americana star producer Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris), and successfully captures his rough-hewn appeal. However, Holcombe’s live performances are where the real guts of his art shine through, and folks thirsting for a genuine dose of high-test country blues should make it a point to hit the Sportsmen’s Tavern this Thursday (11/4), at 7pm. I’m honored to be playing the opening slot, accompanied by the stomp box I built in the garage last fall out of some license plates, a metal salad bowl, some parts from an old Fender amp, scrap wood, and a doormat. Back to Top
Creative Loafing - 7.31.10
Creative Loafing July 31st, 2010 - by Samir Shukla MALCOLM HOLCOMBE North Carolina music staple Holcombe, with the joyously gruff voice, a life drenched in the blues and folk, simply sits on a stool, acoustic guitar in hand, head shaking, while howling out bruising numbers. His latest CD, For the Mission Baby, is about as potent as it can get — gutsy, rootsy, bluesy, Americana where Holcombe’s lyrics mark him a wordsmith of legend proportions, comfortably perched on the upper rungs. Back to Top
Paris, France Review - February 2010
Paris-Move Malcolm Holcombe en concert en France Concerts de Malcolm Holcombe en France Dates : les 25 et 26 février 2010 (à Domont et ‘Aux Petits Joueurs’, Paris) Reportage : Dominique Boulay Photos : © Frankie Bluesy Pfeiffer (Loose English Translation Following) Je ne parlerai pas des trente cinq concerts et quelques que ‘notre ami américain’ vient de donner de par l’Europe, car je n’étais pas présent à toutes ces dates, mais des échos venus d’Internet et d’ailleurs laissent à penser que cette tournée a été formidable. Ce dont nous ne douterons pas à la lumière des deux prestations auxquelles nous avons eu le bonheur d’assister. Organisés en partenariat par le cinéma Jean Vigo de Gennevilliers, Paris-Move et Blues Magazine, ces deux concerts parisiens ont été de vrais succès. La première de ces deux apparitions de Malcolm Holcombe a eu lieu jeudi 25 février, au Domont Tennis Club (Domont, 95), dans le cadre d’un concert privé auquel plus de soixante dix personnes étaient présentes. Et ce qu’il y a eu de particulièrement fabuleux, lors de cette soirée, c’est que le public présent n’était absolument pas préparé à un tel événement! En effet, les invités du jour étaient majoritairement des membres de l’association sportive qui avaient répondu ‘présent’ pour voir se dérouler dans ce lieu habituellement réservé au repos et à la détente des sportifs, quelque chose qui n’avait rien à voir avec les us et coutumes en vigueur. Tous savaient, certes, qu’il s’agissait de musique, et de musique située quelque part entre folk et blues, mais peu s’attendait à un tel choc. Ce concert accueillait en effet l’un des plus brillants songwriter américains du moment. Et comme il ne suffit pas à cet artiste de simplement composer des morceaux avec des mélodies et des lyrics particulièrement chargés d’émotion, la manière dont il les interprète a de quoi en pétrifier plus d’un! Nous avions prévenu l’auditoire que ce musicien incarne à lui seul la souffrance exprimée par bon nombre de bluesmen, qu’il vit presque le blues à lui tout seul, à défaut de ne pas toujours l’exprimer avec la gamme pentatonique, que sa vie toute entière a été marquée par une quantité de blessures et de désillusions sans nombre et que sa sensibilité est celle d’un écorché vif. Mais le voir en chair et en os, possédé par sa musique, martyriser sa guitare de main de maître et hurler ses mots comme il le fit ce premier soir, en a cloué plus d’un sur sa chaise. Malcolm Holcombe est totalement habité par ce qu’il a composé et ce qu’il interprète. Il ne chante pas, il ne joue pas le blues, il le vit. Et plus que tout, il veut faire partager tout ce qu’il a en lui. Ce qui l’habite et ce qui le hante, Macolm Holcombe nous l’offre dans une manifestation quasi-sacrificielle. Il a naturellement interprété bon nombre des morceaux de son dernier album, For The Mission Baby (2009), sans toutefois oublier de jouer de nombreuses chansons de ses disques précédents, Gamblin’ House (2007) et Not Forgotten (2006), pour ne citer que les plus récents. Car ce génial musicien en a plusieurs autres à son actif, et vous citer quelques autres titres d’albums doit être perçu comme une invitation à ce que chacun d’entre vous se hâte de découvrir ou de réécouter l’intégralité de son œuvre qui comprend I never heard You Knockin’ (2005), Another Wisdom (2003) ou A Hundred Lies (1991). En plus de son immense talent et de sa incroyable générosité, nous rajouterons, pour conclure sur cette première apparition française en 2010, son extrême modestie et sa grande simplicité. Alors qu’il avait terminé son concert sur deux rappels et qu’il fumait une cigarette à l’extérieur de la salle, il a été totalement surpris lorsque je suis allé le chercher pour lui demander, au nom de tous les spectateurs, de nous interpréter encore un ou deux morceaux supplémentaires. Ce furent alors deux magnifiques chansons, Baby Doll et Sparrows and Sparrows qui ont achevé la soirée, magnifique, elle aussi. Le lendemain, vendredi 26 février, c’est dans le Restaurant ‘Aux Petits Joueurs’, tenu par le très sympathique Olivier David et situé 59 rue Mouzaïa, dans le 19ème arrondissement de Paris, que l’artiste donnait son second récital. Et si j’emploie maintenant ce terme de récital, c’est précisément parce que l’ambiance entre les deux concerts a été très différente. Le premier soir, à huis clos, c’est dans une atmosphère très intimiste que l’artiste nous avait charmés, alors qu’en ce qui concerne le second passage parisien du songwriter, l’atmosphère était nettement différente. Avec un public davantage brassé, tout d’abord: il y avait des habitués, ceux venus apprécier l’excellente carte gastronomique proposée par Olivier, d’autres qui voulaient profiter d’une fin de semaine bien méritée en combinant dîner et concert, et d’autres, enfin, venus en priorité pour l’artiste...et qui ont découvert l’endroit et sa carte. Ce véritable mélange des publics fut vécu par Malcolm Holcombe comme un ‘choc’. En écorché vif, ressentant de manière exacerbée les différences entre les gens présents, le chanteur-musicien se lança dans un premier set d’une intensité émotionnelle très forte. Durant le second set, tout aussi intense que le premier, si ce n’est plus encore, la relation entre l’artiste et le public se mua en communion. A preuve, ces personnes entrain de dîner, que je vis scotchées sur place, couverts en l’air, ébahies et stupéfaites par la charge affective et émotionnelle qui transparaissait chez l’artiste. Ils furent nombreux, ensuite, à la fin du concert, à se précipiter sur les albums, regrettant même pour certains que l’artiste n’avait apporté avec lui que les deux ou trois CD les plus récents. Le troisième passage de Malcolm Holcombe dans notre pays se déroula samedi 27 février, à La Chèze, dans les Côtes d’Armor, achevant une tournée européenne de deux mois et quelques quarante concerts et ne faisant qu’aviver le regret que d’autres salles n’ouvrent pas en grand leurs portes à ce génial songwriter qu’est Malcolm Holcombe. ************************** French to English translation Show romanization I will not speak of thirty-five concerts and a few that 'our American friend' has given all over Europe, because I was not at all those dates, but the echoes from the Internet and elsewhere to suggest think that this tour was great. What we do not doubt in light of the two benefits that we have been fortunate enough to attend. Organised in partnership by the cinema of Jean Vigo Gennevilliers, Paris-Move and Blues Magazine, the two Paris concerts have been real success. The first two appearances of Malcolm Holcombe was held Thursday, February 25, at Domont Tennis Club (Domont, 95), as part of a private concert in which more than seventy people attended. And there have been particularly fabulous at this evening is that the audience was totally unprepared for such an event! Indeed, today's guests were mostly members of the sports association who said 'this' to see unfold in the place usually reserved for rest and relaxation of sports, something that had nothing to do with the habits and customs in force. Everyone knew, of course, it was music, and music located somewhere between folk and blues, but few expected such a shock. This concert hosted indeed one of the most brilliant American songwriter of the moment. And since it is not enough to simply call this artist songs with melodies and lyrics specially charged with emotion, how he interprets what has petrified into more than one! We warned the audience that this musician single-handedly embodies the suffering expressed by many bluesmen, he saw the blues almost single-handedly, if not always express it with the pentatonic scale, its whole life was marked by a number of injuries and countless disappointments and his sensibility is that of a tormented soul. But to see in flesh and blood possessed by his music, torturing his guitar skillfully and shout his words as he did on that first night, has nailed more than one in his chair. Malcolm Holcombe is totally inhabited by what he wrote and what he plays. He does not sing, he does not play the blues, he lives. And more than anything, he wants to share everything he has in him. What's lives and what haunts him, Malcolm Holcombe we offer in a demonstration near-sacrificial. He naturally interpreted many songs from his latest album, Mission For The Baby (2009), but forget to play many songs from his previous discs, Gamblin 'House (2007) and Not Forgotten (2006), to name that the most recent. For this brilliant musician has many more to his credit, and give you some other album titles should be seen as an invitation to what each of you will wait to see or listen to the entirety of his work which includes I Never Heard You Knockin '(2005), Another Wisdom (2003) and A Hundred Lies (1991). In addition to his immense talent and his incredible generosity, we will add, in conclusion on this first appearance in French in 2010, his extreme modesty and simplicity. Then he finished his concert on two points and he smoked a cigarette outside the room, he was totally surprised when I went to look for asking, on behalf of all the spectators, we interpret one or two more songs. It was then two beautiful songs, Baby Doll and Sparrows and Sparrows who have completed the evening, beautiful, too. The next day, Friday, Feb. 26, is in the Restaurant 'For Little Players' held by the very friendly Olivier David, located 59 rue Mouzaia, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris that the artist gave his second recital. And now if I use the term recital, it is precisely because the atmosphere between the two concerts was very different. The first night, behind closed doors is a very intimate atmosphere that the artist was delighted when, in regard to the second passage Parisian songwriter, the atmosphere was markedly different. With an audience more stirred, first of all: there were regulars, people came to enjoy the excellent gourmet menu proposed by Oliver and others who wanted to enjoy a well deserved weekend combining dinner and concert, and others, finally, came primarily for the artist ... and discovered the place and its map. This mixture of true public was experienced by Malcolm Holcombe as a 'shock'. In skinned alive, feeling so exacerbated the differences between those present, the singer-musician embarked on a first set of a strongly emotional intensity. During the second set, just as intense as the first, if not more so, the relationship between the artist and the audience was transformed into communion. As proof, they drive to dinner, I saw taped there, covered in the air, amazed and stunned by the emotional and emotional that was reflected in the artist. Many of them, then at the end of the concert, to rush the album, regretting even certain that the artist had brought with him two or three most recent CD. The third run of Malcolm Holcombe in our country took place Saturday, February 27, The Chèze in the Cotes d'Armor, completing a European tour two months and some forty concerts and regret not doing quicken and other rooms do not open their doors in this great songwriter Malcolm Holcombe what. 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Big Takeover Magazine - Spring 2010
Big Takeover Magazine Spring 2010 Issue #66 CD Review Malcolm Holcombe For the Mission Baby (Echo Mountain) Holcombe suffered a brief sojourn on a major label (resulting in an LP released long after he was dropped), but it’s amazing that any trendspotters got anywhere near him. The guitarist/songwriter is a hardscrabble troubadour in the tradition of Townes Van Zandt, Dock Boggs, and Mississippi John Hurt, a roots-soaked storyteller for whom tradition is a living entity, rather than an heirloom to be taken out and polished. Adorned with acoustic instruments and a voice as grizzled as a lumberjack shaving with a steak knife, “Doncha Miss the Water,” “Hannah’s Tradin’ Post,” and the title track are soulful reminders of what Americana really means. Mission Baby gets back to the roots by cutting down to the bone. (echomountainrecords.com) Back to Top
Folk and Roots UK - February 2010
Folk and Roots UK February 2010 - by David Kidman Malcolm Holcombe – For The Mission Baby (Echo Mountain Records) Malcolm’s personal sound-world is that of the primordial backwoods – but there’s more to him that that. Hailing from North Carolina, with a growly voice shot through with gravel, gargle and grit that’s fierce competition for Tom Waits, he won’t be everyone’s cup of molasses, but his potent brand of songwriting has much to say. Think a cross between John Prine, Guy Clark, Seasick Steve, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Woody Guthrie perhaps: but musically mixing raw homegrown mountain country, bluegrass and footstomping blues. Not easy to reference, but richly compelling in its own sweet way. Malcolm’s eighth solo album presents a dozen songs that generally seem to be straight neighbourhood philosophy and storytelling from the realms of dusty Americana yet in the end can leave you unsure of what they’re actually about. There seems to be a bit if a preoccupation with death (on songs like Another One Gone and Someone’s Left Behind), but it’s not a specially morbid one, in fact Malcolm seems rather sanguine about the prospect, but you can’t be entirely sure I guess, and there’s also considerable sympathy in his portraits of fellow-travellers along life’s road to death. Similarly with the music: just where you feel you’ve got a handle on Malcolm he wanders off into another realm. Bigtime Blues and Leonard’s Pigpen both have a swampy Cooder/Beefheart/Rebennack feel, while the plaintive Straight And Tall takes the form of a melancholy prayer; Hannah’s Trading Post is a telling, tough vignette, and For The Mission Baby is a delicate shuffle that complements Whenever I Pray’s optimism. The paradox is that while Malcolm’s music sounds totally raw and authentic with a wellspring deep in rustic tradition it’s also pretty much unique and personal, with a born-songwriter’s lyricism that’s somehow illogical in this context but hey, it’s a hell of a combination. The excellently clear-sighted production of the disc by Ray Kennedy really does Malcolm proud, and gives us maximum chance of latching onto his vision. Malcolm and his trademark 1950 Gibson J-45 get some brilliant “less is more” instrumental support from Tim O’Brien, Jared Tyler, David Roe and Lynn Williams, while Mary Gauthier and Siobhan Maher help out with vocal harmonies here and there. It’s a stylish disc, and one which should raise Malcolm’s profile a notch or two in the UK – I’ve heard he’s been championed by Bob Harris and even appeared at Celtic Connections this year, which has gotta be a good sign. Back to Top
The Herald - 2.05.10
The Herald Friday, February 05, 2010 Intimate and inspirational at the B Bar AMERICANA Night, which happens every six weeks or so at the B Bar in the Barbican Theatre, has to be one of the Plymouth music scene's best-kept secrets. Here, courtesy of Americana promoter John Jones, we get to see some of the real deal artists, perhaps not well-known names, but very much on a par. John says he was fed up with having to travel the length and breadth of the country to witness these musicians, so he has started bringing them here to his home town. And what an absolute joy is in store at future Americana nights, if last Friday's is anything to go by. Malcolm Holcome not only appeared like a bedraggled cross between Neil Young and Tom Waites, he sounds like them, with a touch of JJ Cale, thrown in for good measure. Hailing all the way from North Carolina, via many years in Nashville, he looked like he had walked every step of the way, wearing his life experiences in the lines of his face. Songs were delivered in an almost whispered, nicotine-stained gravelly voice, a voice that sits perfectly juxtaposed against his masterful and magical guitar picking. Bit of blues, bit of country, folk and ragtime, all are there in the melting pot of Malcolm's wonderfully melodic compositions many of which would sit happily on a hit album by the likes of Young or Cale. Particular favourites at the B Bar were the title track of the new album For The Mission Baby, plus the sublime understated Doncha Miss That Water, with its driving beat, melancholy yet uplifting vibe and melody to die for. Seldom have I ever witnessed a performance of such intensity – Malcolm would rock, eyes closed, back and forth at times, shake his head violently, or else simply stare into the crowd with a rather scary faraway look. Completely under his spell, the B Bar crowd hung on his every note in reverential silence and strained to hear each whispered, random anecdote, bursting into rapturous applause at the end of each song. We came away feeling privileged to have witnessed such an inspirational performance in such an intimate venue. Hopefully next time Malcolm returns to Plymouth he'll bring his band with him. Back to Top
Americana Idol - 1.29.10
Americana Idol OH CAROLINA: Acoustic country blues star Malcolm Holcombe is set to appear at the Barbican B-Bar tonight as part of its Americana showcase The Plymouth Herald Friday, January 29, 2010 THE Americana showcase season continues at the B-Bar, in the Barbican Theatre, Castle Street tonight, with a set from a US singer/songwriter, who seems to incorporate each mile travelled, each experience gleaned and each cigarette smoked into his songs. Haunted acoustic country blues, folk and gospel fervour all converge in the rugged output of Malcolm Holcombe, whose visage, as one reviewer put it, "appears carved out of granite and whose voice is sculpted from tree bark and disregarded rail road lines". North Carolina-born and bred, he is, in short, the real deal. Holcombe devotee David Fricke of Rolling Stone Magazine once opined that: "He plays country-blues guitar with the orchestral punch of Richard Thompson, sings with the laconic poise of John Prine" and "has a gift for pith". Unsurprisingly, his stage performances are intense and unpredictable, reflecting a scarred soul, he's hell bent on healing. "The way I see it," he says in his deep, laid back Tom Waits-esque drawl, "is that we're all a work in progress. I believe all people have good inside but some get dirty and mashed. "I thank the Lord for the chance to go down a better pathway." Ask him about the content of this songs and he's rather vague, but confesses: "Politics is hard to get away from. There's a lot of poor people, a lot of suffering and a load of injustice. "I try to speak my mind from what I've experienced personally and what I've heard from family and friends and on my travels." His initial inspiration came from listening to his pocket transistor as a kid. "Late night I'd mess around with the dial, and pick up some strong signal playing Beatles or rock'n'roll, something you could wiggle your toes to. "I watched the 'pickers' on TV, anything that had music on it, had a little help from my uncle who was a Baptist preacher and practised when I wasn't out playing ball, anything to keep my hands busy – and show off a little. "Basically I was a butcher, hacking, flailing, hissing, howlin' and messing around. "My mom would tell me to stop singing through my nose!" Having evolved his own style he spent a while on the road with a band called Redwing, before eventually arriving in Nashville, the home of country, to be feted by the close knit music community. "They were good times, from what I can remember," he muses, and harbours no resentment about the deal with Geffen for his debut album falling through in the mid-Nineties. "Lots of musicians were dropped from the label around that time – it was all about big old back room deals, big business with men in zoot suits. I was just glad I wasn't one of 'em." He went on to release two independent albums and has now in total notched up eight solo offerings – the latest of which, For the Mission Baby, was released in the UK in October, to critical acclaim across the board. It's in support of the new album that he is currently part way through an extensive European tour, with just a handful of dates in the UK. So has he been to the West Country before? "Probably not, in my recollection, which is nil!" And being totally self-effacing, he says he's constantly surprised at the response he gets from playing live this side of the Atlantic. "The European tour from what I can tell is miraculous. People are very kind and forgiving and I really count my blessings in this day and age. "I'm just amazed that anyone shows up – including me!" Reserve your tickets by calling the B-Bar on 01752 242021. Back to Top
Jumpin Hot Club - Newcastle - 1.26.10
Malcolm Holcombe, Jumpin’ Hot Club@Live Theatre, Newcastle Tuesday 26th January 2010 IT was great to see North Carolina singer-songwriter Malcolm Holcombe not only back in the area but also with a new album, For The Mission Baby, and a great amount of new material to share. A unique and genuine performer, Holcombe combines folk and blues with a smattering of country music. On first impression he would have you believe his act wasn’t structured, but since he pounds and picks his acoustic guitar like his life depended upon it, you realise it is. He performed a never to be forgotten gig with lyrics to pierce the heart and a raspy, lived-in singing voice. With the likes of For The Mission Baby, Doncha Miss That Water and a Woody Guthrie-hinted Whenever I Pray, plus an interesting anecdote or two, his music bounced merrily along the rural back roads of small-town America. The entertaining Holcombe had some people take side bets on when was he going to slip off his chair as he rocked restlessly back and forth. But he didn’t. For an encore he delved into his back catalogue of treasures for the smartly picked Marvelene’s Kitchen to leave us on a high, and it was legal. The Minnikins, a brother and sister act comprising of Gabe and Ruth Minnikin, from Nova Scotia, Canada, opened the gig with an honest folk-based set in which Gabe’s standout true-life story Halifax Blues was a song worthy of special mention. -Maurice Hope Back to Top
Backroads - 1.21.10
Backroads UK Review: Malcolm Holcombe and Tom Russell, Celtic Connections, Glasgow January 21, 2010 Malcolm Holcombe wandered onto the stage like he’d just stepped off the streets, in a baggy, lived-in, brown leather jacket, a woolly hat and a scarf (he discarded only the hat before picking up his guitar), took a sip from a steaming cup of coffee and was making music before he’d even turned back towards the audience. “I’ve been doing push-ups every morning,” he told the laughing crowd. “I sometimes do two or three in a row.” On the surface, Holcombe is the epitome of the rough-and-ready, “real” country singer, with his gravelly voice, his untroubled performance and his down-home tales of rural North Carolina life as he rocked his chair back and forth in just the way forbidden by schoolteachers everywhere. But look a bit closer and there’s even more going on here. Holcombe might have been playing bent double, standing up but leaning over to sing into the microphone set up for use with the chair, but every note he played was spot-on. And the lyrics of his songs are far from the simple ballads of his Appalachian heritage. There’s also something unique and very moving about the way Holcombe talks incessantly about his wife, the unseen presence that seems to shape everything he does and everything he sings about. He calls her the light of his life in a way that would embarrass many men but touches every woman in the room. The insouciant, rumpled aura that Malcolm Holcombe gives off may well be the way he really is, but it’s not what he is. And everyone knows that, and it’s that contrast that makes his performances spellbinding. The double bill with Tom Russell – Celtic Connections’ frantically full programme pairs all sorts of artists who might otherwise never meet – could also have been a study in contrasts, but in the end it was far more similar than it was different. Russell’s is a studied performance, honed over more than three decades on stage, yet kept fresh by a deep measure of ad-libbed monologues and strong audience participation, not to mention a seemingly endless stream of new, strong, thought-provoking songs from a prolific songwriter, painter and observer of life. Russell is touring his new album, Blood and Candle Smoke, of which he is clearly immensely proud. He describes the music as “desert noir”, a tour through the underbelly of the U.S..-Mexico border, with regular side-trips to the darkest parts of Africa, Canada and the other haunts of this frighteningly well-travelled and well-read artist. Though many mourned when Russell and his sideman of 20 years Andrew Hardin went their own ways a few years ago, the application of new guitarists has added a certain freshness to Russell’s live performance. Thad Beckman wowed the audience with his renditions of Mississippi John Hurt, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Doc Watson as Russell brought out his much-performed but always different and entertaining monologue of life in the shadow of Dave Van Ronk. Beckman’s laid-back style (was he chewing gum?) is a good fit with Russell, who will always be the dominant personality on any stage. The format at Celtic Connections offers audiences a “two for the price of one” opportunity, and on this occasion that is very much what they got. Which only leaves the slight disappointment that both artists – especially Holcombe – could have done with more time. Holcombe and Russell each have one more gig at Celtic Connections, Russell tonight as part of Texas Songwriters in the Round and Holcombe tomorrow night in company with Johnny Dickinson. Both are also on wider UK tours. Check the Gig Guide for details. Back to Top
Flyin Shoes - 11.29.09
Flyin Shoes review November 29, 2009 - by John Davy Malcolm Holcombe: For The Mission Baby Much praised by Bob Harris, Malcolm Holcombe is a man you can't, or shouldn't, ignore. Fortunately for us in Scotland there are two appearances at Celtic Connections and, glory be, an intimate little gig at the Strathpeffer Coffeee Shop to look forward to in January. In truth, I've been struggling to get to grips with this album. It is not smooth and easy, all laid out on a plate for us to lap up. Malcolm's vocals alone are enough to make it rough at the edges; gruff and raw, he sounds like he sings for himself first and foremost, dragging out of himself as best he can the thoughts and emotions running through his mind. Sometimes, mid-song, he seems to like what he hears and makes an appreciative noise as if standing outside his own performance. Bigtime Blues, which opens the album, is as gruff and uncompromising a country blues number as you've probably ever heard and I feared I would find the whole album too much like hard work if there was more of the same. But then, Hannah's Trading Post eased me into more accessible territory; the mix of gruff attack and lyrical playing gives plenty to chew on and the more you listen, the more you realise this man's a pretty extraordinary guitar player, capable of making his instrument produce more than one mood at a time. His producer is Ray Kennedy, famed in particular for working with Steve Earle, and he is presumably responsible for bringing in players that add a sweetness to Malcolm's sound - in particular Jared Tyler on dobro and Tim O'Brien on all things stringed. At times this has a slightly schizophrenic effect - Malcolm's growling away like he's sitting in the gutter with a bottle in his hand, not giving a damn whilst the band is purring smoothly along sounding like Union Station. At other times the marriage is perfect: Tim O'Brien's fiddle playing on Straight and Tall is poignant and well-matched to Malcolm's vocal. Lyrically, Malcolm's on his own planet and tells it just as he sees it - which is a very individual perspective. His writing reminds me of an artist I know whose version of the world connects with ordinary mortals just enough that we're prepared to make the effort to try and connect with all the less obvious stuff. There are some lines that come through and strike me as extraordinarily poetic - "they made love one night, one breath to be" - is one particular line that sticks with me, but the whole of Leonard's Pigpen has passed me by several times without me getting any the wiser as to what it's about. If you only ever want to be comforted by music then I don't think Malcolm's your man - though Another One Gone, for one, is plenty sweet enough; if, on the other hand, you're prepared to engage with a profoundly individual view of the world, then make a bee-line for this man's gigs in January. Back to Top
Blurt Magazine - 12.11.09
Blurt Magazine CD review by Steven Rosen 12/11/2009 Malcolm Holcombe For the Mission Baby (Echo Mountain) www.echomountainrecords.com www.malcolmholcombe.com On For the Mission Baby, his sixth album, contemporary mountain music/blues player Malcolm Holcombe has solidified the breakthrough he made on his fifth, 2008's Gamblin' House, which showed he could apply that scrappy, scraping growl of a voice and impassionedly tough, deceptively virtuoso acoustic-guitar work to songs that had enough dynamics and structure to stand out from one another. He wasn't just doing authentic-sounding but sometimes-shapeless variations of blues riffs, in other words. Producer Ray Kennedy is back in charge of this one, like its predecessor, and Holcombe's voice - which unadorned sometimes can come at you like wind-driven leather pellets aimed at your face - is leavened by the fine session work of Tim O'Brien (banjo, mandola), Jared Tyler (dobro), David Roe (upright bass) and some on-the-mark harmony vocals. If Holcombe's songs themselves aren't a great leap forward from Gamblin' House, especially the searing intimacy of its "Blue Flame," at their best ("Hannah's Trading Post," "A Bigger Plan") they still evoke the visions and hard-earned values of life in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, Holcombe's home. Holcombe can have fun, conjuring the energy and legacy of loose-spirited jug-band music or country swing. But he can also capture the heartbreak of despair ("Another One Gone") in a way that is sorrowful but never maudlin or sentimental. He's not a youngster by any means - he's middle-aged and has had a lot of career false starts and personal-life struggles. But good things do happen to those who maintain their musical integrity... and keep trying to get better. And it's happening to Holcombe, finally. Standout Tracks: "Another One Gone," "A Bigger Plan" Back to Top
AllGood Cafe - 12.03.09
Gig Alert: Malcolm Holcombe and Andrew Hardin at AllGood Café Dallas Observer By Darryl Smyers in Gig Alert Dec. 3, 2009 Malcolm Holcombe Last year, I had the opportunity to talk with singer/songwriter/guitarist Malcolm Holcombe--and his rags to rags story was one of the most interesting things I've heard in some time. And, tonight, Holcombe brings his beautifully ragged brand of folk to the intimate confines of AllGood Café. Hailing from North Carolina, he gives new meaning to the words honesty and intensity. Besides being a renowned guitarist, Holcombe's songs feature narratives that never sugar-coat his struggles with substance abuse and depression. Holcombe's 2008 release, Gamblin' House, was an eerie collection of Appalachian folk that brought the singer his best reviews to date and has allowed him to tour more consistently. And Holcombe's just-released new effort, For The Mission Baby, just might be his best yet. Catching this guy in the intimacy of AllGood Café is icing on the proverbial cake. Even more frosting comes in the folk of the opening act, Andrew Hardin. Another guitarist of some note, Hardin adds a flamenco flair to his pretty ballads and folksy takes on the blues. It's been a while since Hardin has released a record, but those curious should seek out 2005's Blue Acoustic. You're not likely to find a better pairing of singer/songwriters than Holcombe and Hardin--on any night of the week or in any city you can think of. Back to Top
Flyin Shoes Review- 11.29.09
Malcolm Holcombe: For The Mission Baby (media) Flyin Shoes Review -by John Davy 11/29/09 Much praised by Bob Harris, Malcolm Holcombe is a man you can't, or shouldn't, ignore. Fortunately for us in Scotland there are two appearances at Celtic Connections and, glory be, an intimate little gig at the Strathpeffer Coffeee Shop to look forward to in January. In truth, I've been struggling to get to grips with this album. It is not smooth and easy, all laid out on a plate for us to lap up. Malcolm's vocals alone are enough to make it rough at the edges; gruff and raw, he sounds like he sings for himself first and foremost, dragging out of himself as best he can the thoughts and emotions running through his mind. Sometimes, mid-song, he seems to like what he hears and makes an appreciative noise as if standing outside his own performance. Bigtime Blues, which opens the album, is as gruff and uncompromising a country blues number as you've probably ever heard and I feared I would find the whole album too much like hard work if there was more of the same. But then, Hannah's Trading Post eased me into more accessible territory; the mix of gruff attack and lyrical playing gives plenty to chew on and the more you listen, the more you realise this man's a pretty extraordinary guitar player, capable of making his instrument produce more than one mood at a time. His producer is Ray Kennedy, famed in particular for working with Steve Earle, and he is presumably responsible for bringing in players that add a sweetness to Malcolm's sound - in particular Jared Tyler on dobro and Tim O'Brien on all things stringed. At times this has a slightly schizophrenic effect - Malcolm's growling away like he's sitting in the gutter with a bottle in his hand, not giving a damn whilst the band is purring smoothly along sounding like Union Station. At other times the marriage is perfect: Tim O'Brien's fiddle playing on Straight and Tall is poignant and well-matched to Malcolm's vocal. Lyrically, Malcolm's on his own planet and tells it just as he sees it - which is a very individual perspective. His writing reminds me of an artist I know whose version of the world connects with ordinary mortals just enough that we're prepared to make the effort to try and connect with all the less obvious stuff. There are some lines that come through and strike me as extraordinarily poetic - "they made love one night, one breath to be" - is one particular line that sticks with me, but the whole of Leonard's Pigpen has passed me by several times without me getting any the wiser as to what it's about. If you only ever want to be comforted by music then I don't think Malcolm's your man - though Another One Gone, for one, is plenty sweet enough; if, on the other hand, you're prepared to engage with a profoundly individual view of the world, then make a bee-line for this man's gigs in January. Back to Top
Arkansas Times - 12.01.09

Spinitloud.com December 7, 2010 -by Larry May

The Lefsetz Letter

November 20, 2010

-by Bob Lefsetz

The Daily Sentinel November 17, 2010 - by Kendal Rogers

Spinitloud.com
December 7, 2010
-by Larry May

The Daily Sentinel
November 17, 2010
- by Kendal Rogers