AustinExperience.com - Jeff Plankenhorn

Jeff Plankenhorn Jeff Plankenhorn

Blue Corn Music has hit another one out of the park. I'm beginning to wonder how they do it. They don't seem to have many artists on their label, but they've got such a high concentration of talent. Jeff is the fourth artist that I've had the opportunity to review on the Blue Corn label. Before Jeff, there was Caroline Herring, Ruthie Foster, and Billy & Bryn Bright. One thing that I've found in common among all of these musicians is that they produce CDs of astounding quality without over-producing their work. Secondly, the CDs are an accurate representation of the artist. The first time I heard Ruthie Foster's CD, I thought to myself, "They must have spent a lot of time in the studio to get her voice to sound that polished. It's too perfect." When I saw her live, I was in awe. She sounds even better live.

The same holds true for Jeff Plankenhorn. He's a rock solid musician that can write a great song, play it with passion, and demonstrate that he's got the goods in the vocal department as well. Jeff Plankenhorn's debut CD, Plank, is a 12 song collection that wanders from folk to pop to country to rock, and even includes a little tejano. Ten of the songs were written by Jeff, and he's certainly made the other two his own.

I was very impressed with the CDs variety and I was especially drawn to Home Again, Mary Magdelen, Teresa, and Go Now. Each song has its own distinctive flavor. Home Again has a gentle reflective nature with subtle finger picking. Over the past fifteen years, I developed the habit of listening to James Taylor on my trips back east to see family. I make a point of listening to Carolina on My Mind as I crossed the North Carolina state border. I wouldn't be surprised if I begin the tradition of listening to Jeff Plankenhorn on my returns and ensuring Home Again is playing as I cross the Austin City Limits.

Mary Magdelen is a slightly irreverent tune that begins with "Well, Mary Magdelen made love to me last night on my living room floor, the floor, the floor." This song borders soft rock and R&B, and allows Ian McLagan to flex his muscles on the hammond organ.

Teresa has wonderful lyrics of love wrapped in a metaphor about a boy wanting his friend Teresa to come out and play. Its full of childhood images like the sandbox, swings, and tumbling on the grass. The rhythm and instrumentation reminds me of Bob Schneider's Moon Song off the Lonelyland CD.

In my opinion, Go Now is the crowning jewel of Plank. It's got the soul of a Motown classic. A few simple accents coaxed from the guitar, some head-bobbing drawn from the bass, an underlying texture from the organ, and understated drums come together to make a little magic. Go Now is an emotional song about self-preservation in the face of heartache.

Other songs on Plank like Mr. Henry and Blindfold demonstrate that Jeff is not shy with the guitar. He can put it out front and let it do some of the speaking for him.

I had the opportunity to check out Jeff live at the Saxon Pub. Stripping down to a three piece band made one point very clear. Jeff is the real deal. This was only the second gig that Jim Starboard (drums) and Jack Saunders (bass) had performed with Jeff, so they were more concerned about fading into the background and supporting Jeff rather than being in the spotlight for solos. Although all went exceptionally well, it was evident that Jeff could step on stage by himself and keep a crowd entertained. He has a very smooth, soothing voice and a collection of beautifully crafted songs. His guitar seems to be a natural extension of himself, especially when he's playing slide. I left Saxon Pub very satisfied.

Only one thing baffled me. Why haven't I heard of Jeff Plankenhorn before now? His live set consisted of close to 30 songs, almost all originals. He's got plenty for another CD already. I'm hoping he won't wait to long to get back in the studio. She Was, which was co-written with Slaid Cleaves and Ellis Paul was a bluesy rock piece that I pray ends up on a CD in the near future. Without reservation, I can say, "Go get Plank. You'll thank me later." If you aren't one to simply buy something because I say so (and I don't know why you wouldn't), keep your ears tuned to KGSR and KUT. I'm sure Jeff will be popping up and eventually become a regular on the air.

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I like the Plank CD so much, I want to make sure the musicians below are ackowledged. The following were the core players:

Jeff Plankenhorn - guitars (electric, acoustic, resonator, pedal steel) and vocals

Gurf Morlix - guitars, bass, and vocals

Rick Richards - drums, percussion, and spike

Ian McLagan - hammond organ

The following performed on one or two songs: Micheal O'Connor (acoustic guitar), Micheal Rubin (harmonica), Ethan Shaw (acoustic bass), David Webb (piano), and Eliza Gilkyson (vocals)

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