To start making music, you first have to find yourself a good teacher. And if you find a teacher that gives you the right type of help and direction, you can end up having what it takes to make a name for yourself. Musician Stephen Luke had already been a guitarist but needed to regain his form after surgery made him put music aside until he healed. When the time was right, Stephen took that first step to becoming that musician he had once been and found himself a teacher by the name of Kelly Richey. Richey is a blues-rocker that has been making music in her own right for the last decade. That experience was the right thing that Stephen Luke needed to relearn the guitar. And Richey helped give Luke the training necessary to regain his musical form.
After finding out that there was something more to this musician than just a person who wanted to learn guitar, Kelly Richey became a writing partner with Stephen Luke and the two musicians created an album of music. That album, No Man’s Land, was just released by Stephen Luke on Sweet Lucy Records, the same label that released material from Kelly Richey. No Man’s Land by Stephen Luke has only been out for a little while, as the release date for the album was February 14, 2009.
Staying true to Kelly Richey’s musical style, Stephen Luke and Richey have created an album that is part rock and part blues. That musical combination works well on the release, as Luke’s vocal style is perfect for the blues. The songs are well crafted, and with Kelly Richey’s guitar playing that fills up the sound on the new release, the tracks on the album are very strong.
The title track of “No Man’s Land” seems to be autobiographical, as the words seem to tell the story of Stephen’s experience with the accident that left him unable to play the guitar, and his rise back from that unfortunate situation. The song, although somber in tone, is very uplifting, as if to say, “anything is possible”. The rest of the album seems to be composed in the same straightforward “matter-of-fact” style that lets the listener know exactly what Stephen is feeling.
Although most of the album was created with Kelly Richey on lead guitar, there are several instances when Stephen Luke is the person playing the guitar parts. Songs like “Long Way From Home,” “Hurricane,” and “Do You Bleed?” allow the listener to hear the playing style of Luke when he takes the lead on the instrument. You can even hear him play the slide guitar on the track “The Devil Won’t Win Twice”.
To help complete the album, Stephen Luke and Kelly Richey had some help filling in the sound on the tracks that make up the release. The rest of the musicians that helped to create the album include: keys by Bill Brandenburgh, bass by Michael Scharfe, and drums by David Clawson, with background vocals contributed by Andrea Summer, Rick Brantley and Steve Ellerman.
Having to overcome an injury is something that would make some people give up. But Stephen Luke is proof that when you have the determination and the right amount of help, you can make it back from anything. And the newly released album from Luke, No Man’s Land, is a testament to that. And the album is also a great way to prove that he is still a man with a song in his heart.
To find out more about Stephen Luke and his music, go to his website at www.stephenlukemusic.com. You can also find him on MySpace at www.myspace.com/stephenlukemusic. You can also find Stephen on the Sweet Lucy Records website at www.sweetlucymusic.com.
Reviewed By Matheson Kamin
