If considered in a cumulative sense, Otis Read’s new record Turn A Page is the resultant product of a life immersed in music, but more accurately, the songs that compose this journeyman’s new album are the outpour of his first opportunity to sidebar all life’s diversions and focus wholly on his craft. Like many artists with greatness brewing inside, Otis removed himself from the routine day-to-day, escaping to a quaint farm in Umbria, Italy. During this sojourn, he wrote and composed feverishly, and several of the tracks, including the title track “Turn A Page” feel of the sort of tranquility only found in rural Mediterranean life. While many will learn of Otis from his new music, he’s already a very well established name in the industry from his work with New England Christmastide, his instrumental work with North Star Records, and as the general manager of the renowned NYC music venue The Wetlands Nightclub.
Otis Read’s years of experience certainly make for a broad array of musical influences, especially considering the diversity of acts he encountered at Wetlands, but above all his sound seems rooted in a somewhat predictable but still pleasing blend of classic rock, folk, and country sensibilities. While singing of love, life direction, and personal loss aren’t new concepts, Otis’s words carry a sense of thoughtfulness, spurring contemplation within the listener, as the best lyrically driven music often does. His gentle voice has a timeless quality and an emotionally evocative ability, as Read sings of finding his way home like John Denver sings of West Virginia. Fans of Gram Parson’s down-home flavor will find great comfort in Turn A Page, likewise for fans of artists like the New Riders, Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, and Rodney Crowell. Otis Read’s Turn A Page is only the first of four upcoming albums, and while he is a shoe-in as a favorite among adult contemporary crowds, he could also easily find a place among a younger contemporary folk audience.
Reviewed By Trevor Dye
