Big Blue Spruce is a trio from Philly P.A. consisting of Paul Miller on guitar and vocals, Dan Park on drums and vocals, and Will Morieschi on bass and vocals, pleasantly surprised me with a sampler of their music. I call it a sampler because it only consisted of three songs.
I didn’t realize this when I first inserted the CD into the CD player in my car on Saturday when I was on my way to Fredericksburg to watch some high school basketball. I only mention this because, as it turns out this was some really amazing “road” music. Then all of a sudden the fourth tune on the record played and I thought to myself; this seems familiar.
The fourth track was, in reality, the first song repeating itself. This is how I realized there were only three songs on the record. Oh well.
However, the good news for Big Blue Spruce is I wanted to hear more. They achieved a goal that should be the goal of every recording artist. That goal is leaving the listener hungry for more. Mission accomplished. Now go forth and record more music!
The first song on this little sampler is a very mellow tune called “All Away”. It begins with a very cool jazzy intro that is sonically pleasing to the ear and is sure to get your foot tapping and your head nodding. The song pulls you in immediately and captivates you with they three part harmony. There is most definitely chemistry within this trio and when you listen to them it becomes quite obvious they were meant to sing and play music together. The arrangement itself is really quite simple but they manage to make it sound more complicated than it truly is. Will Moreschi wows us as with a very nice bass solo about half way through the tune.
Next on the record is “Show Your Face”. This tune is more about the vocals than anything else. “Oh my God/Show your face/take control of this faith/Sorry It’s not what you wanted/I don’t know what you believe/Your trust is the door that you open for me/maybe I should believe/Oh my God/Show your face”. Again a very simple song in arrangements but they accomplish making it seem more complex, driving the song with some very strong vocals.
Lastly, and my favorite song on the record is “When It Dies”. You have the rhythm guitar leading the way then all three chime in with their three part harmony that goes so well with the song. They slow it down a bit on this track which enables them to create a jamming little tune I liked a lot. Of the three songs showcased here, this one is driven primarily by the bands ability to harmonize and please the sense of hearing with their arrangement of the vocals. The first thought I had when I heard this trio harmonize together was POCO or maybe Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. They really are that good. Those references can not be ignored. Finally Mr. Miller ties it all together with a fine guitar solo that really shines a spotlight on his talent as a guitar player.
Mr. Miller on guitar and Mr. Moreschi on the bass guitar do a fine job and have moments where they showcase their talents on their respected instruments. Mr. Park binds them all together on drums. As mentioned previously when I talked about the vocals they reminded me of some great vocally driven bands but sonically I was reminded of the Atlanta Rhythm Section. They have that mellow, kind of laid back rock ‘n roll sound to them. Only it’s all updated to their very own era with their very own touch.
This sampler seems to be expertly showcased in its production values produced by Dan Park. All it needs is more; as in more material. Perhaps they have it, but if they do, they need to throw down some more tracks. In my opinion, this neat little trio needs to get busy writing more songs for us to enjoy. They’re certainly off to a good start.
Reviewed By Rod Ames
