Phil Vassar Traveling Circus

Price: $29.95

I love Phil Vassar’s work, and have done since first seeing him in a showcase of new artists in Nashville back in the very early 1990s. I like his ability to concentrate an idea into a three minute song and not waver, the strength in his arrangements that drives the piano deep into country territory and not overshadow the message. He’s a strong artist, identifiable and enjoyable. Traveling Circus takes him to his second release for his new label and though his wry humour as displayed in ‘Bobbi With an I” may not earn him top ten spots anymore in conservative USA, it puts a smile on my dial with the bazaar concept, it’s impulsive delivery and catchy melody. He’s here this month of course, trudging the soggy tracks around the snow fields, so hopefully he’ll get enough taste of Downunder to bring his show back for a proper Australia wide tour sometime and we’ll all get to enjoy the entertainer that he truly in on stage.

1. Life, 2. Lemonade, 3. Everywhere I Go, 4. John Wayne, 5. Tequila Town, 6. Bobbi with an I, 7. She’s On Her Way, 8. A Year from Now, 9. Save Tonight for Me, 10. I Will Remember You, 11. Where Have All the Pianos Gone.