Discover new music – Gabe Dixon, Lelia Broussard on the road; free music, too
by Marianne Meyer
You can tell a lot about a musician by the company he (or she) keeps. In the case of Nashville-based singer/songwriter Gabe Dixon, he’s been asked to play keyboards as a touring band member with the likes of Paul McCartney, Loggins and Messina, and Supertramp and has collaborated on songwriting and recording with performers like Alison Krauss, Iain Archer of Snow Patrol and Dan Wilson of Semisonic.
But as good as these credits are, Dixon’s talents are best heard in his own material, dating back to the Gabe Dixon Band, which he founded as a college student more than ten years ago and up through the release of his first truly solo album, “One Spark,” last year. (That album followed three as a group leader.)
Dixon’s music is a joy to hear for anyone who likes melodic, keyboard-driven rock in the manner of Elton John, Ben Folds or Bruce Hornsby. What sets him apart are his direct-to-the-heart lyrics, neither sappy nor snarky, focused on getting by, finding love and keeping an optimistic viewpoint even when the chips are down. It’s no coincidence that one of his best tunes is the inspiring “All Will Be Well,” from the Gabe Dixon Band’s 2008 self-titled release on Concord Records (you can stream the song here).
Likewise, when Gibson cites classic tunesmiths like The Beatles, Jackson Browne, Elton John, Paul Simon and, more recently, Radiohead and Jeff Buckley as influences, he’s not just blowing smoke. He takes his craft seriously, and to seriously good results.
“The Gabe Dixon Band” album also spawned a track – “Find My Way” - that found commercial success through its use as the main title theme for the 2009 hit Sandra Bullock/ Ryan Reynolds film, “The Proposal.”
The years since have brought changes to Dixon’s life both professionally (becoming a solo act) and personally (the birth of his first child). Becoming a father, he says, was a boost to the songwriting that ultimately become “One Spark,” recorded with yet another music MVP, producer Marshall Altman (Matt Nathanson, Kate Voegele, Marc Broussard). Thanks to the glory of Internet free (and legal!) sharing, you can stream the entire album plus some live tracks and get a free download of two tracks, including the delightful road tune, “Running on Fumes.”
While waiting for the release of the new album, Dixon hit the road on another classic rock tour, joining Supertramp for a set of shows around the US and parts of Europe. And then he joined a busload of fellow Nashville-ians for the “Ten Out of Tenn: tour, where he had great fun but was only able to highlight two of his own songs each night.
Gabe Dixon is finally giving free rein to the new album’s full collection of tunes as he and singer/songwriter Lelia Broussard continue on a co-headlining tour that began on January 10th near Chicago and concludes on February 3rd in Boston (full tour dates below).
Broussard earned national attention last year when she finished as one of the top two unsigned artists in Rolling Stone’s “Choose The Cover” competition. Her personal songs, ostensibly pop but with soul and jazz leanings, have been collected on two extended EPs and a brand-new full length album, ‘Masquerade,” but she can also do a mean cover, like the Bonnie Raitt staple, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” and an emotional, slowed-down take on Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.” At her website, Broussard offers the chance to listen to “Masquerade” and, if you share an email eddress, you’ll receive a sampler of musical downloads.
Remaining tour dates for Gabe Dixon and Lelia Broussard:
1/30/12 Vienna, VA (DC area) Jammin’ Java
1/31/12 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
2/01/12 New York, NY Joe’s Pub
2/02/12 Hamden, CT The Space
2/03/12 Cambridge, MA T.T. the Bear’s Place
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