Tommy Talton: Seven Levels

Tommy Talton has the distinction of co-leading the band Cowboy, one of the select few acts on the Capricorn Records roster during the heyday of Southern rock that did not sound like the Allman Brothers Band. Emphasizing vocal harmonies and concise song structure with a decidedly folky feel, Talton, along with Scott Boyer, co-fronted an ensemble of shifting personnel over the years, but an early incarnation of the band also contributed significantly to the live presentation of Gregg Allman's early solo efforts (see The Gregg Allman Tour, Capricorn Records, 1974).

Its title a knowing and understandable reference to multiple philosophical concepts, Seven Levels was initially recorded in 2022 while Talton received medical treatment for cancer. The products of those sessions were then subsequently overdubbed, mixed and mastered—to the artist's own perfectionist standards—by Rick Hirsch, most prominently known as guitarist for Wet Willie, the r&b-based outsiders on Capricorn in the '70s.

The resulting 36+ minutes feature the latter on various guitars in the company of organist/vocalist Randall Bramblett, keyboardist Chuck Leavell and drummer Bill Stewart, among others, all of whom lend tasteful and sympathetic touches to original material of Talton's that compares favorably to his best work with Cowboy and Boyer.

It is to the credit of the Strolling Bones label founded by George Fontaine—who contributes the most insight essay in the enclosed 12-page booklet—that these recordings see the light of day. The very first track, "Time Will Tell Us," is replete with the moody, ominous atmosphere that permeates the album and, in keeping with vintage Southern rock, arises as much from arrangements incorporating improvisation as from the material itself.

Still, it is Talton's delivery of the provocative, conversational lyrics that first commands attention. His youthful voice having hardly changed over the years, Talton sounds all the more affecting when his dobro and Bramblett's harmony vocals emphasize the intimacy of the predominantly acoustic textures of "Ramblin' Man."

Not the late Dickey Betts song made famous by the ABB, but a solo writing exercise by the aforementioned Boyer—another of whose solo compositions, "Please Be With Me," graced Eric Clapton's 'comeback' album 461 Ocean Blvd. (RSO Records, 1974)—the recording transcends cliche as well as the time elapsed since the original sessions. The co-production by Talton, Hirsch and engineer Jeremy Stephens presents an impeccable clarity of sound that highlights the sparse instrumentation.

And that pristine audio corresponds to the simplicity of homespun wisdom in an original such as "I Can Pick You Up." The rambunctious gospel elements of "I've Got The Sun In My Heart" also benefit from the mix: tension and release trigger the shifting action within the narrative while also serving to anchor the refrain. And there James Pennebaker's fiddle acts as punctuation to the core sentiment: 'I like to travel a lot, but I stay home instead.'

Given the circumstances of this now-deceased artist's life and work, Talton sounds deceptively fragile as he sings "I Want To Do It All Again." By the conclusion of this approximately four minutes, a profound dignity arises from the track, nurtured to a great degree by the delicacy of Molly Thomas' violin, viola and cello: her playing is as tender as the author's singing.

As the penultimate cut on Seven Levels, the forlorn yearning of "Waiting For The Lady To Return" is a dramatic precursor of the dread that pervades "Say A Prayer On my Behalf." With the echo heavy on Talton's voice as he leads the core ensemble slowly but surely through this concluding blues-based number, the catharsis is all too clear and liberating to boot.

It is a sensation readily apparent not only in this most deliberate of performances, but also in its counterparts, the consolidation of which imbues an elegance to this record's music that correlates to the photos of Talton prominent in the graphic design of the CD sleeves that enclose it.

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