James Durst - Nude/Renewed

'Remarkably ambient. The more I play it, the more I like it. A polished product from a well established troubadour. His version of The Lakes of Pontchartrain is excellent and I love the dynamic range of the recording. If you closed your eyes you'd think he was in the room with you.' --Ken Lush, Folk Roots Magazine (June 99) nude/renewed: A naked and transparent community of 13 songs captured alive in the studio, it features 9 of Durst's own compositions, as well as 2 songs from Randy Newman and another by Joni Mitchell; plus new words applied by Durst to Japan's most famous melody. All 13 are live complete takes performed purely and simply with just vocal and guitar accompaniment, elegant in their un-embellishment. Nude/renewed is a marked contrast from Durst's previous 2 CDs, both of which were enhanced by the colors and textures of additional instrumentation and voices. 'These are essentially duets, with the voice and guitar performing balanced and complementary roles one to the other,' says Durst. 'I selected songs which pretty much hold their own without added ornamentation--simple and direct. The songs,' he continues, 'should be able to stand naked, unembellished, just as in a coffeehouse or concert hall.'

1) Lady of the Gramophone
2) For Free (Joni Mitchell)
3) Lonely at the Top (Randy Newman)
4) In Search of Mister Green
5) Growing Away
6) 15 Minutes
7) Good Morning Baby
8) Song for Freedom
9) Lakes of Pontchartrain (Trad)
10) Cantaloupe
11) Sakana (Fish Blossoms)(Trad/Durst)
12) Marie (Randy Newman)
13) Thank You for Choosing