**This site is maintained for Malcolm- he does not administer it.**
Gamblin’ House – Echo Mountain Records
Release date: January 29, 2008.
Try as you might to use other adjectives, when you write about Malcolm Holcombe and his work, you always come back to rugged and rustic. His visage appears to be carved of granite, and his voice is a sculpture crafted of tree bark and discarded railroad iron. His words and images cling to you for hours, even days, like wood smoke.
All of those things certainly apply to his new Gamblin’ House, produced by Ray Kennedy (Steve Earle, Ray Davies), a gentleman that Malcolm has wanted to work with for a long while. "We were second-story men. We put our ears to the safe and cracked it," offers Malcolm rather cryptically. (A conversation with Malcolm Holcombe is a fascinating festival of crypticisms, old sayings, and anecdotes punctuated with pronouncements.) "We learned the songs downstairs, then went upstairs and played them." Joining Malcolm and Ray in that pursuit was a rhythm section of Kenny Malone and David Roe, along with longtime cohort Ed Snodderly on several stringed instruments including what Malcolm calls "old-time fiddle." As always, there are echoes of John Prine and Guy Clark and the lesser-known kindred spirit Bill Morrissey, but the total package is all Malcolm Holcombe. His is a sound that combines harmonica-blessed folk, acoustic blues, stringband country, and smalltown-bred soul.
The small town in question is Weaverville, North Carolina, a burgh of a couple thousand just 10 miles north of Asheville. That's Malcolm's Mom and Dad and two older brothers on the cover of his 2005 release I Never Heard You Knockin', standing in front of the Weaverville homestead. His uncle played guitar, as did his neighbor. "He'd sit on the porch and play electric guitar," Malcolm recalls of that neighbor, adding, "And he had a couple of cute daughters." Perhaps with that added incentive, Malcolm started playing guitar. "I was just another kid with the Mel Bay chord book, and I only got through the first page," he says.
With those two thoughts, Malcolm opens a window on scenes from some 35 or 40 years past. But with Malcolm, talking in terms of decades is nothing. There are people who are described as having old souls. Well, the one he's carrying around sometimes feels ancient and scarred. On "Blue Flame," as atmospheric a song as Malcolm has ever recorded, he ponders a force equally ancient, and on "You Don't Come See Me Anymore," he makes loneliness palpable. He sounds troubled and searching on "I'd Rather Have a Home," singing "I chain-smoke and complain, feeling broke inside."
However, to get the full effect of that primordial soul, you need to see Malcolm onstage; his legendary performances are intense and all out. "If you're gonna do something, do it," is his explanation. "If you're gonna dig a ditch, dig a ditch. If you're gonna shine a shoe, shine a shoe." In other words, if you're gonna stand in front of a crowd of strangers with just your guitar and your songs, make it worth their time. He does it by presenting those songs with a gospel fervor (call it half howl, half hosanna) and with a penetrating stare, aimed (thank goodness) at nothing and no one, that becomes almost as deeply ingrained as his songs. It's sinewy and unfussy, the man, the music, and the delivery.
But to focus on the tortured is to miss at least half of Malcolm Holcombe—the tender. That scarred soul is also one he’s hell bent on healing., and the other part of "I'd Rather Have a Home" goes “I'm praying for a home I can believe in/I'm praying for a home I can call mine." "We all have our demons, and we all have our spirituality, whatever keeps us going," is how Malcolm puts it. "When it comes to the end of the day, it's God, family, and neighbors." And on Gamblin’ House more than any other of his record, Holcombe does seem to be looking at what’s closest to him to keep him going: his family and the idea of home. His wife Cyndi, who's celebrated in the lovely, touching pair "Baby Likes a Love Song" and "Cynthia Margaret" ("steady and strong as the stars in the sky"), was directly involved in selecting the dozen songs for Gamblin' House from the 18 that were recorded. "We sat down with a pencil," says Malcolm. "'We can do this one. Can't do that one. Already did that one.'" The results create the most balanced and hopeful portrait of Malcolm yet.
"I don't remember all the words to that 'Old Rugged Cross'"—there’s that word again—he sings on "You Don't Come See Me Anymore." That’s okay. With each recording, including this triumphant new one, Malcolm Holcombe continues to build his own world-wary but determined state of grace.
--Rick Cornell
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"Not quite country, somewhere beyond folk, Holcombe's music is a kind of blues
in motion, mapping backwoods corners of the heart." David Fricke Rolling Stone
Magazine
Born and raised in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, Malcolm Holcombe
is being recognized by the contemporary U.S and European folk/americana
community as a performer of national stature, and an uncommonly unique
guitarist/vocalist about whom Rolling Stone Magazine says: "Haunted country,
acoustic blues and rugged folk all meet [here]..."
A new 12 song Malcolm Holcombe CD, Gamblin' House, was released January 29,
2008. There is strong and positive press surrounding this CD, including feature
articles in the January/February 2008 No Depression Magazine, and in The Wall
Streeet Journal(2/14/08), and rave reviews from Billboard Magazine, Harp
Magazine, and Paste Magazine.
Gamblin' House was in the top 20 of the Americana Music Association chart for 9
straight weeks.
A 5 song EP by singer-songwriter Malcolm Holcombe, entitled Wager, was released
on October 9, 2007 as a companion piece to the 2008 CD.
Holcombe, who recently signed with new indy label Echo Mountain Records, went
into Echo Mountain Studios to record his first CD release for the label with a
wealth of new material. With Grammy Award winning producer RAY KENNEDY, at the
helm, and highly notable musicians Kenny Malone(drums, percussion), David Roe
Rorick (bass) and Ed Snodderly(dobro, fiddle, banjo) rounding out the ensemble,
Wager and Gamblin' House resound with a fresh take on Holcombe's highly
distinctive music and lyricism.
In addition to the 2 new CDs, Not Forgotten, Malcolm's 2006 release, was
officially released in Europe on the Munich Records label on Friday September 14
supported by an extensive promotional press/radio tour of the U.K. and Europe.
Malcolm's 2006 CD release, Not Forgotten, once again lifted Holcombe's music to
another dimension. With a small, tight combo of experienced players, including
bassist Bill Reynolds (A Band of Horses), and dobro player Jared Tyler (David
Wilcox, Emmylou Harris), this CD reveals a meeting ground where traditional and
contemporary folk, rock and blues all converge. Taken together the final result
is a deep drawing from the resonant well of our musical heritage, and its
fusion, through Holcombe's inimitable style, should not be missed.
His 2005 CD release, I Never Heard You Knockin' was called "Holcombe at his
best" by No Depression magazine and earned four stars in Performing Songwriter
and American Songwriter. The Wall Street Journal's Jim Fusilli calls the CD
"...a stunning aural equivalent of found art", and goes on to name it one of the
best discs of 2005, as does Jim Farber in The New York Daily News.
He has toured with Shelby Lynne and opened for such notable artists as Merle
Haggard, Richard Thompson, John Hammond, Leon Russell and Wilco.
In 2008, Malcolm will continue touring the U.S. and Europe in support of his
latest releases.
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Doing a European run right now, Malcolm. Have a good time in Saratoga Springs. See you at the Pirate's Cove in late November & in Nashville in December.
hi malcombe, really dig these songs and hope you make it to the uk before too long. got some great roots venues here in brighton - we supported tandy here last tour. cheers for now.
i believe we've covered this here before, but it bears repeating: you are so loved. thank you for the fierce set at the Basement last night, you hit me hard. have a good time in Bristol. "singing lovely love little dark eyed darlin'..."
Have a problem. Have been trying unsuccessfully all over the internet to find Malcolms version ( the best version ever in my opinion) of ' Killing the Blues' . I would love to make it my main profile song on myspace page. Is there any way it can be added above for people to add? It would be greatly appreciated. I adore that song. Thanks in advance for that consideration.
