W. Eugene Smith “Untitled” 1952
This photograph, from an extensive photo essay documenting the city of Pittsburg made in 1955 by the W. Eugene Smith, adorns the cover of Joe Henry’s recording “Blood From Stars.” Upon some research of Mr. Smith’s project and mindful of the subject matter and poetic depths of Mr. Henry’s music, a stunning marriage of the arts is revealed. Light, mystery, honesty, power, confusion, the tattered clothing of the human condition, forgiveness, frailty, the winsome, the lose some.
Over the last ten years or so Joe Henry has been one of the pre-eminent producers in American music. Simultaneously he has made one extraordinary record after another of his own. It’s confessional, probing, sweat blood to make work. Earnest sound made by a commingling of some of the best players you have probably never heard. The drummer Jay Bellarose, guitarist Marc Ribot, on piano Patrick Warren. Industrial noises, playground new orleans jazzophonics, an unexpected warm message from an old friend’s voice mail. Reasurringly testy.
Having made it my business to go and experience him live, the word impeccable floats up from the froth!. The engagement that nestles in his writing unsurprisingly inhabits his between song commentary. His melodic skills and guitar competency buoy the lyricism. A Joe Henry show is like the day the songs were imagined, tumbling out fresh as gravity, sure as an apple.
W. Eugene Smith “Dance of the Flaming Coke 1955
“Blood From Stars” is a record title for some substantial meditation. Ripe for personal interpretation, pregnant with wisdom, ready and dependable, depending on how ready your mind might be.
W. Eugene Smith was gone by 1978 but as to his photographs? Sitting around in books at libraries across the globe or in the collections of avid photographers until. The art gods kissed Joe Henry in his sleep and the particular wonder that never occurred to anyone before, in quite this way, disturbed the quiet distance between us all.