Steve Leach
Harmony, harmony, harmony! Doing some more performing lately with The Lost Serenaders. We feature new arrangements of great songs--mostly from the "popular standard" catalog (Ellington, Gershwin, Waller, etc.), but ranging into some Bob Dylan, Sly Stone, Tom Waits and other rock-era writers. I was lucky enough to have talked two wonderful singers & showfolks, Gabrielle West and Debbie Scally, into jumping into this project with me. We hit it off musically from the start and have enjoyed every gig we've had immensely.
I have completed a new CD of original songs. The project is called "Happy Accidents," and features The Swells--Dennis McBride on resonator guitars, Jim Wagner on upright bass, and Rick O'Connor on snare & brushes. I did the singing and the rhythm guitar playing. It's available, in CD format or digitally, at CD Baby: Happy Accidents
The songs tend to be somewhat in the old, old swingy-jazzy sound. I call it "folk swing." The mood is generally bouncy, looser and less sedate than some of my previous efforts. The theme is midlife optimism, the struggle to be as wise and as graceful as your years would indicate you should be.
My previous project was the four-part harmony group The Bob Monk Singers. One CD is the legacy of that ensemble, which featured the vocal talents of my daughter Kelley (who's now a mom and grad student), Johnny Foster, & John Wilson. It was great fun while it lasted. The CD is available on CD Baby: Bob Monk Singers
I still enjoy doing my ultra-oldies for the ultra-oldies in community and assisted living centers when the opportunity arises.
I've co-written several musicals which have been produced in the area, have written and sung radio jingles, and have recorded a CD of children’s songs with the group Chunky, Ham & Amango for the book Say Goodnight to Illiteracy. My first CD is on CD Baby, too: Almost Happiness