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ALBUM REVIEW

Skip Heller: Beyond These Hills: The Skip Heller Anthology 2017-20

Read "Beyond These Hills: The Skip Heller Anthology 2017-20" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

In terms of national exposure, Fred “Skip" Heller has always hidden in plain sight. Predominantly known in his native Philadelphia and adopted-native Los Angeles, Heller is a musician / composer / producer of note and has been for twenty years. He deserves wider notice if for no other reason than he shares much in common with Randy Newman—he captures the indelible American Spirit in song, warts and all, using the melodic vehicles struck from the heart of America. Heller has ...

BAILEY'S BUNDLES

Skip Heller, Birdie Jones, and Carnival of Soul

Read "Skip Heller, Birdie Jones, and Carnival of Soul" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

“I have a bluegrass gig tomorrow am. Playing a Link Wray Tribute tomorrow night...seeing the Dead Milkmen tonight." --My most recent text message from Fred “Skip" Heller. For all of the recently revealed foibles of Social Media, perhaps the best thing about it is how it makes a really big world smaller. I do not remember how I originally met Skip Heller (well, I do, it was reviewing his album Homegoing (Innova Records, 2002), but that ...

BAILEY'S BUNDLES

Notable and Nearly Missed 2017

Read "Notable and Nearly Missed 2017" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

I am winding down the twentieth year contributing to All About Jazz. I have never had a year where there wasn't too much good music to review (or it got to me too late). This is my attempt to make good before '17 becomes '18. Skip Heller That was Then: Collected Recordings 2008- 2017 Self Produced 2017 In addition to his being a restless music provocateur surveying the landscape of Americana, Skip Heller ...

EXTENDED ANALYSIS

Skip Heller: For EP Fans Only

Read "Skip Heller: For EP Fans Only" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

Fred “Skip" Heller is, in my estimate, a most undervalued cultural mind. Musically restless by nature, Heller is a two-million candle light, illuminating whatever musical style is intriguing him at the moment. This restlessness has led to Heller's exploration of the organ trio on It's Like That: The organ Trio Anthology 1998--2004 (Jewbilee, 2004) and Fakebook (Hyena, 2004) and a deep descent into the Heart of America. Heller began to sharpen his focus with specialized projects like 2012's ...

BAILEY'S BUNDLES

Skip Heller: San Fernando Valley Blues and The Hollywood Blues Destroyers

Read "Skip Heller: San Fernando Valley Blues and The Hollywood Blues Destroyers" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

Fred “Skip" Heller. Now there is a rara avis. A musical omnivore as drawn to Glenn Gould as to Roger Miller, Heller's talent and dedication to music and its history deserves so much more than local notoriety in the jny: Los Angeles and jny: Philadelphia areas it enjoys. Then, if I were LA, I would not share him either...he is that special of a person and musician. Heller's personal sound has matured and quickened over his most ...

ALBUM REVIEW

The Hollywood Blues Destroyers: Singles Drinking Doubles

Read "Singles Drinking Doubles" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

Avoid the intended seduction of the sexy and dangerous collective called The Hollywood Blues Destroyers for the Oz behind the curtain with his merry band of friends is one Fred Steven “Skip" Heller. AllMusic's Jana Pendragon calls Heller, “America's most confusing country singer." Whatever Heller might be, he is a defender of American Music...all of it. For Heller, music is mot the disposable commodity it has become since 2000. It remains that spiritual idea given life by those special people ...

ALBUM REVIEW

Skip Heller: Songs With Memories: Skip Heller and Friends Play Floyd Tillman

Read "Songs With Memories: Skip Heller and Friends Play Floyd Tillman" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

It would be oh so tempting to say the music impresario Skip Heller has found his niche with Songs With Memories: Skip Heller and Friends Play Floyd Tillman but with his next recording, more likely than not, he would prove that statement ludicrous. Heller's 2012 Fakebook II: That's Entertainment (Weatherbird) was a sequel to his 2004 recording of “standards" Fakebook (Hyena Records), the two bookending a number of recordings documenting Heller's curious musical evolution to where we are now.

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