Al Rose,
Steve Hashimoto,
Steve Doyle,
Maury Smith,
Laura Blye,
Sarah Allen
Sounds Like
“At his best, Rose writes intimate songs, bristling with sharp turns of phrase and a level of introspection that by itself would be worth venting accompanied by little more than an acoustic guitar. But Rose doesn’t stop here. Gravity Of Crow, his fourth album, sidesteps categorizations that might befall less ambitious singers...The arranging on Gravity is as ambitious as Rose’s lyricism, an orchestral country-blues that magnifies and dramatizes his wordplay: the dark comedy of ‘Shut,’ to the majestic chorus of ‘Egg Me On.’ Too many would-be poets treat sonics as an afterthought, but with Rose his language was music.”
— Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune
“A spectacularly interesting independent artist that you shouldn't miss”
— River Cities Reader
“One of the best of the best in Chicagoland… Rose is an exceptional wordsmith, with a penchant for Bob Dylan imagery”
— Midwest Beat Magazine
"Al Rose is a sophisticated songwriter. He has an Elvis Costello-like vocal delivery and blends folk, jazz and country motifs into his multi-faceted sound. His powerful expression and intelligent writing draws in the listener with a hypnotist’s power.— Tom "Tearaway" Schulte, Outsight Magazine
“Rose blurs musical boundaries while singing some of the sharpest, wittiest lyrics this side of Nas.”
— Greg Kot, Chicago Tribune
“Al Rose is certainly one of the best songwriters of his time…[Pigeon’s Throat is] an album that contains some of the finest instrumental, vocal, lyrical and original content that well deserves international attention.”
— Downeast Reviews
“...a platinum wordsmith who specializes in stacking realities one on top of another. His sublimely incoherent rant and roll sends images splattering like paint on a Jackson Pollack canvas.”
— Mitch Myers
“Overall, Naked is hypnotic, swelling and receding like the tide. It’s influenced by folk, jazz, psychedelic rock, blues, county, gospel, and music from the Far East, but it sounds like nothing else. Rose is a talent to watch.”
— Swing
Somehow you got here and now you're checking things out and you find yourself wondering (maybe to yourself) what is Al Rose's music like? What are Al Rose's songs like? Good questions.
Imagine (if you will) your favorite café. Maybe it's Kopi Café on Clark Street in Chicago, or some place in Paris, or Rome, or Bali, or New York or some out of the way place in your head. It's late afternoon… or morning (if you've just gotten up). Either way, it's still a touch lighter outside than inside. You step in and your eyes adjust to the warm colors. Some of the tables are worn wood. Some are worn marble. All of the chairs are different and somewhat solid, but you have your favorites and you grab a seat.
Over by the wall, Bob Dylan is playing scrabble with either Allen Ginsberg or Serge Gainsbourg. It's tough to tell because bartender Richard Thompson makes sure to pour a shot of absinthe into every drink. Groucho Marx is over in the corner, chair back on two legs, playing ukulele and swapping songs with William Burroughs in a scene out of a Chagall painting. Henry Miller sits at a table littered with empty glasses and full ashtrays. Lucinda Williams sits on his lap, while under the table he tries, unsuccessfully to work his hand up Emmylou Harris's dress.
Neil Young sits at a table by himself eating popcorn and watching a movie that's playing in his head. While from the outside front window, Greg Brown looks in taking notes and sketching pictures.
Any other questions?
Al Rose's 5th cd, "My First Posthumous Release", is available now http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/alrose08.
Looking forward to meeting you in person at Lil Fest. For the fearmongers of the world I've got a song called Scairdycat that I'll do for the 9/11 show at Bills. And I just wrote a new song, You Belong. It'll be fun to introduce it to a brand new audience during the weekend. See you soon.
Yo like what it is! Happy to have hosted you in Colorado a while back -- assumin' it'll be an annual event. Let's rock the house. Love Cousin Gregg (not everyone has one)!
Yes, i was wiggling with joy to be back at Kopi and visit with rhonda/lala. Wiggling! Joy! Sorry to miss chattering with you, but we had to hop that boxcar back to Shampoo-Banana. Next time... and maybe you'll be playing down our way soon?
Hi Al, I was all excited cause I read your cafe get referenced in The time traveler's wife, but I see Ocea beat me to the punch. Have you read it? It can only be your cafe, the scene is set in Andersonville. Pretty cool.
Hi Al, howsit going? I wanted to tell you guys, I was reading this book "the time traveler's wife" and it took place in Chicago, and in one part it said... "I walked by Kopi cafe with all th hip people dressed so cool" or something like that. I feel way, way more hip now, because I have totally been there. :)
