Bluegrass flatpicker and singer/songwriter, Ken Chapple, is releasing his debut album Crossing The Black in mid-September. The Portland, Oregon resident has always challenged himself and stretched the boundaries of his field. After two records and countless shows with Wayward Vessel, and songwriting partner Julie Schmidt, Ken is branching out with his own record, and his own brand of acoustic music.
Ken has studied guitar since he was 12 years old. He discovered bluegrass and flatpicking guitar while attending college at SUNY Fredonia in the early 2000s, where he studied classical guitar and computer science. While at college, Ken stumbled upon a group of musicians who were picking fiddle tunes and singing high lonesome songs. He followed that trail, which led to Tony Rice, David Grier, and Clarence White, who remain Ken’s biggest guitar influences. Ken formed Wayward Vessel in 2009 when he met fiddler Julie Schmidt at a Portland bluegrass jam. Wayward Vessel has enjoyed several years of success, releasing two records, and performing on stages all over the Northwest, including Wintergrass, Bluegrass From the Forest, and Wheeler County. Now Ken is branching out on his own with Crossing The Black, a wonderful bluegrass album.
The record opens with the pure bluegrass goodness of “Cutie Pie”. It’s a track, driven by the banjo, that you’ll find yourself singing along to as Ken sings about a pretty little girl that has stolen his heart. The track has a sweet, soft melody that lays the focus on the lyrics. “Golden Belle” is a fiddle driven, soft tune that celebrates love and a good woman. “See Where She Goes” is a sweet little sing-along, about wondering where a woman, who sneaks out of the house every night, goes. The chorus, “I wanna see where she goes/ I wanna see where she goes/ Gonna follow her down that old dirt road/ Tip toe quietly/ Don’t rustle a leaf/ I wanna see where she goes ,” explains the narrator’s intent. The track features a twist at the end, where we find out that (spoiler alert) the woman has actually died! Bringing the listener to the conclusion that when the narrator says he wants to see where she went, he really wants to see heaven (or maybe that’s just my interpretation).
“Pair of Twos” is a sweet, pretty little fiddle tune, as is “Black River Cabin”. The latter tells the tale of growing up and a childhood home. “Without Your Warmth” features cool fiddle work, a guitar and banjo. The track finds the narrator professing his love to his lady, declaring that “without your warmth I would die”. It’s a beautiful, rolling bluegrass song with a touch of Celtic folk mixed in. “Salvation” is a beautiful track with a touch of melancholy. The track talks about lessons of life and learning from others.
“Sweet White Clover” is an upbeat, little tune that gets faster as the song goes on. It’s another sweet track about love. The title track, “Crossing the Black” is an instrumental tune, that features a rolling melody with the fiddle and banjo playing prominent role, and the guitar taking the lead every now and then. It’s a very enjoyable track to listen to. Ken closes out the record with “The Wheel”, a peaceful track and a great way to close out a beautiful album. I’d recommend this album to anyone looking for a great bluegrass album, pure and simple. The record as a whole features stripped down, acoustic instrumentation. It is quiet, simple, and to the point, exactly the way bluegrass should be! So go check out this enjoyable album, you won’t be sorry!
Originally posted here.
