By Cait Brennan, Oct. 23, 2014.
Joe Stevens | Last Man Standing | Self-released | 
“This winding road will take me there, I’m sure as I could be,” sings Joe Stevens on “Maggie’s 
Chair,” the album’s opening track. “My trials will be fair, as long as I’m aware, and I will end up where I’m meant to be.” The 32-year old singer-songwriter is best known as one third of acclaimed Seattle roots-Americana trio Coyote Grace, and while the group has not split up, Last Man Standing is a brilliant solo debut that showcases his gift for storytelling and musicianship.
Stevens packs each song with movement and poetry, like in the brooding, evocative “Buenaventura”, which finds Stevens’ protagonist lost in the desert, “starting to fear the cold kiss of sweet fate.” The gorgeous fingerpicking guitar and the rich, earthy vocals set the tone and the desperation builds.
That desperation is palpable in the bluesy, aching “Can’t See The Train.” But beauty and love practically overflow on “Eight Ball, Corner Pocket.” And, “Bad” is a rollicking good time, while the tender “Waiting For Spring” is a prayer for rebirth, with subtle but powerful strings and harmonies.
His website (joestevensmusic.com) describes his music as “roots music for the rootless,” and that sense of wandering is at the core of Last Man Standing. “How this road became my own … I don’t get it, it’s beyond me,” he sings. However it happened, we’re all the better for it.
For fans of: Mary Gauthier, Townes Van Zandt and Namoli Brennet
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga | Cheek To Cheek | Streamline/Interscope/Columbia |
The media paints them as an odd couple, but Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett were made for each 
other. Bennett was the first of the classic jazz vocalists to reinvent himself by embracing MTV in the ’90s. For all her media outrageousness, Gaga is basically a classically trained vocalist and pianist. Cheek To Cheek proves nothing, not even a 60-year age difference, can keep these two crazy kids apart.
From the start, it’s Gaga who seems most eager to adjust to the jazz format. She does an ace job on the classic “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” with warm and powerful vocals that are strong but not too overpowering. While the years are finally beginning to catch up to Bennett’s golden pipes, he still has the strength to match Gaga’s formidable delivery.
The moody and mysterious “Nature Boy” is a perfect fit for them both, as Gaga gives a nuanced, vulnerable take on the standard, while Bennett tells his part of the tale with a voice rich with the wisdom of years well lived.
Gaga goes solo on Billy Strayhorn’s golden “Lush Life,” and Tony steps out on a beautiful, back-to-basics version of Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady.” The title track and “Let’s Face The Music And Dance” are among the other highlights. It’s a fun novelty that shows both Bennett and Gaga have the chops to take chances.
For fans of: Diana Krall, Michael Bublé and Mel Tormé