Komet City - Don't Go to Strangers - A tribute to the Tulsa Sound under the loving light of J.J. Cale (2022)

Artist: Komet City
Album: Don’t Go to Strangers – A tribute to the Tulsa Sound under the loving light of J.J. Cale
Label: La Suisse Primitive Records
Year Of Release: 2022
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Tracklist:
01. Dan Kroha — ALL AND GONE (3:14)
02. Robert Butler — I’LL GIVE YOU WHAT I’VE GOT (3:13)
03. Réka Csiszér — RED SUN (3:43)
04. Margaret Garrett — CLOSER TO YOU (2:48)
05. Penny Shears — WHISPER (2:51)
06. HONEY MOON (3:26)
07. Julien Marty — LONELY JUNE (3:11)
08. Björn Magnusson — WHEN THE JUICE AINT WORTH THE SQUEEZ (3:08)
09. Sonny Smith — PURPLE RAIN (2:58)
10. Manu Ducatenzeiler — VUELVE A MONTEVIDEO (3:23)
11. Glenn Van Dyke — POWERFULL BEHIND CONTROL (3:04)
12. Danny Lee Blackwell — AGE OF THE NIGHTMARE (3:31)
13. Romano Bianchi — I’M ALONE (3:42)
14. I robot — NIGHTMARE OF LOVE (2:50)

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At the beginning, everything is a bit distorted. The only thing you perceive is a bunch of wobbly abstract images. Then, as you start to listen, a number of questions arise.

For us the experience was similar – when we first heard these songs we did not know exactly what we were hearing, we wondered: Who is creating the music? Are these original pieces or simply blended potpourris of ideas and style? Who is actually singing? And how does the connection to J.J. Cale come about?

A line from the song “Don’t go to Strangers” from J.J. Cale’s 1971 album “Naturally” perhaps sums it up quite well: “Don’t leave me here to rust, don’t let me turn to dust”. J.J. Cale passed away more than eight years ago. On this record, you are confronted with ideas and personalities that relate to his work in a particular way, and thereby prevent that rust from taking over. Most of these individuals might be strangers to you. What links them are personal relations, certain sensibilities, and the love for J.J. Cale’s music. Listening, you witness how they try to relate to Cale’s work and his way of making music.

We like to think of this project as a journey, or a web of linkages across the globe. At the start of it, or put differently at its center, is a busy musician and his love for J.J. Cale. It is as much a tribute to the latter as it is a biographical piece of the former. While this record opens a new window into what is known as the “Tulsa Sound”, it also tells us something about the restless spirit / mind of Robin Girod and how he became the musician he is today. While we sense subtle parallels to Cale’s music, from time to time we may be reminded of specific songs and albums or, in specific instances, have the feeling of being very familiar with what we hear, we continuously get sucked into a complex social web of people, ideas and music.

We discover the cosmos of Robin, a person who is constantly starting new things, travelling endlessly, connecting people, creating excitement, helping others to fulfill their potential, and who seems to do what just feels right every time we meet him. This record is a tale of sensibilities, deep inspiration and a truly collaborative way of doing music. It is as much about J.J. Cale as about Robin and the musicians he gathered to create what is united on this record. In fact, it is a wonderful document of the process of doing music and how what we hear forms our relation to the sonic sphere, shapes our own approach to creating music. In a similar way we can think about the visual arts. The idea of collaboration, the metaphor of a social web of persons ‘doing things together’ is reflected in the appearance of this tribute album. In fact the design you are confronted with is a homage too, as well as a reinterpretation of the “fearless” album released 1971 by the band “Family”. Its aesthetic play with portraits and layered-page design are inspired by John Kosh’s ideas. In most areas of life – as we described it with music – we do virtually relate to and meet with others.

On this record, Robin has brought together people he has met over the years. They are from different geographical locations, represent several scenes and genres and differ in what they do in the realms of music. However, aligned and in relation to each other on this LP they evoke a sense of a musical landscape which is as subtle, international and social as the person who invited them to join him on this trip to commemorate a late icon. In the end, the people who worked on this record will probably remain strangers to you. However, taken together as a network of individuals, they have created something that soon may be dear to you. While they remain strangers in who they are, they brought something forth that over time won’t seem strange to you at all. Something that you can make your own if you only listen closely enough.