Artist description A few years ago Marshall Crenshaw cut a song called "Television Light." In it there was line about glancing into other people’s lives, and realizing that all of us have a tale or two to tell. Over the last 20 years, Crenshaw’s done a great job explaining some of his own tales. His work is filled with jubilation and amusement, melancholy and regret - each has resonated in a truly singular way. Being a champion communicator, he’s made his moods feel like our moods. And being a rocker, he’s put an irresistible kick behind ‘em, too. From the forward motion of "Mary Anne" and "Someday, Someway" on his critically ballyhooed debut disc, to the bittersweet eloquence of "Tell Me All About It" and "Glad Goodbye" from 1999’s #447, Crenshaw has proven to be one of rock ‘n’ roll’s best and most distinctive songwriters and performers. What’s In the Bag? (Razor& Tie), the latest installment in an ever-shifting career, reconfirms that designation. Crenshaw isn't usually considered an experimentalist, but perhaps he should be. Over the years his sound has evolved and expanded, moving from stripped down popabilly to larger-than-life- rock, and elsewhere. What's In the Bag? finds him running his imagination in various ways, and its scope becomes its ultimate calling card. This time around Crenshaw eschews flat-out rockers for something a bit more sophisticated and seductive. There's a jazz vibe to several of these tracks, and it's enchanting. The singer runs in many New York circles, and working with pals from Sex Mob and Jazz Passengers gives this new set of tunes a lilt and a bounce that brings an unusual character to Crenshaw's always-catchy songs. "The guys who did a lot of this album have a more diverse range of experience than me. It's cool to point musicians in a direction and trust them to take you somewhere new." "It's time to let familiar things fall behind," he sings at one point, and you can hear some ground being broken on "Alone in a Room," "Will We Ever," and "A Few Thousand Days Ago." Each has the Crenshaw stamp - the keening voice and informal sense of craft marks every tune here - but What's In the Bag? sees the full blossom of an eloquence that's been wafting through the singer's last few albums. "Maturity is a good thing," says the 49-year-old with a smile." These days, I think I'm a little bit better at everything I do compared to when I was young. In a way this record is a testament to that. At this point I'm no longer in fear of the songwriting process; that allows me to give a more honest expression of my feelings." You can hear it in his voice. On a reflection like "Where Home Used to Be," the sentiment gets a wistful delivery. Perfect. Ditto for "The Spell Is Broken," where his spin through the bittersweet melody is marked by subtle vocal dynamics. Many of these tracks capture an off the cuff spirit that helps bring out their emotional nuances. Some were cut live in the studio, a process that Crenshaw adores. "It's hard to beat the collective energy and interplay of everybody playing at once," he says. "Sometimes I'll record a song by myself for the sake of expediency, or for fun even, but I'm mostly over the solitary genius thing. I love playing in a room with other people." Sustaining a tone is crucial to making a great album, and the 11 tracks on What's In the Bag? seem like a suite of sorts. There's breadth of course - guitar freak-outs share space with balladeering - but the reoccurring gentility and dreaminess connects the dots. Crenshaw says that traveling around America generates many of his initial song impulses. From late night drives on the Mass Pike, to the big sky of the American southwest, he picks up things from the air. "Basically, I'm just trying to create something beautiful. Writers who were crucial influences on me, like Thom Bell, Burt Bacharach, and Brian Wilson, had a yearning for beauty and transcendence - that's something I clearly sense in their songs, and I've always been moved by it. Beauty and sensuality -- that's what I'm after." Over the last few years, Crenshaw's been quietly building a book of instrumental tunes. He's always had a love for wordless music: faves include everything from '50s and '60s Rock by Duane Eddy and The John Barry Seven to the moody twang instrumentals of modern Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell. Back on Crenshaw's 1996's CD Miracle of Science, he debuted "Theme From 'Flaregun'," a lyric-less piece that came off as a hopped-up cowboy samba. #447's melancholy "West of Bald Knob" continued the tradition. "In the early 90s, there was a chunk of time where I almost couldn't stand to put lyrics to the tunes," he recalls. "When I first had a piece of music written, it would seem really open ended as to what it might evoke in the listener's mind. I loved that idea. I thought if I put lyrics to it, I might be limiting it." Now comes his two most eloquent instrumentals so far: "Despite the Sun" is a noir-ish piece with a mid-section that finds Crenshaw giving his inner Hendrix some room to move. "That's a 'primal scream' solo," he says, "I was in a bad mood that day." The album's closing tune was titled with a whimsy common to family life. Crenshaw was messing with the decidedly gleeful track at his home studio in Woodstock, New York. His son Dean wanted to help out (the pair often jam together) and was banging on the studio door. But the music was too loud - Dad didn't hear him. The four-year-old wandered back to the kitchen where Mom asked which fledgling tune Dad was working on. "I think it's called 'A Big Heavy Hot Dog'," he answered for no particular reason. And so it was. Incidental music has become part of Crenshaw's sizable songbook. An earlier version of "Hot Dog" was featured on "Sex and the City". Over the past few years, Marshall's composed and recorded a number of pieces for the HBO hit. He's a pop music scholar and a knowledgeable jazz buff, so applying his know-how to the realm of film makes sense. A handful of indie releases, including a PBS profile of Yogi Berra, have been enhanced by his inspired musical offerings. Those who've read between the lines in Crenshaw's career won't be surprised by his two R&B covers. This Detroit-area native genuflects to the sound of soul. From covering Arthur Alexander's "Soldier of Love" on his first album, to his participation in the recent Funk Brothers concert at New York's famed Apollo Theatre, he's a groove meister. "I'm a lifelong R&B devotee," he says, "Over the years, for better or worse, I've covered Edwin Starr, the Isleys, and Al Green." What's In the Bag? breaks out a couple of modern classics. Bootsy Collins' "I'd Rather Be with You," sounds macho and waxes plaintive - a nice mix. Prince's Purple Rain gem, "Take Me With U" puts a Brooklyn spin on Minneapolis. It's concise and clever and heartfelt. Mary Lee Kortes' harmony brings out the tune's drama. "We cut the Prince tune at Eric Ambel's place in Williamsburg," explains Crenshaw. "The songs both sort of jumped out at me over the years. I thought I could get a good feel for them both." He does, and ultimately its feel that keeps bringing you back to What's In the Bag? This disc provides a wide variety of temperaments. "There are songs about feeling exhilarated, songs about feeling under duress, songs about feeling horny and songs about feeling unhorny," quips the creator. The album title came to him when all the recording was done and he was just was about to sit down to listen to it for the first time. He held up the leather satchel containing the mastered tapes and wondered what, really, was in the bag? "It's supposed to suggest the disc is a cornucopia of moods, sounds, and emotions," he finalizes with a grin. "That's a Greek word, by the way..."

Location Detroit, MI - USA

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