Gordone's Dragon
Bruce Von Stiers
There is a new star on the horizon. Her name is Leah-Carla Gordone. She has opened for such stars as Norah Jones and The Indigo Girls. She is the daughter of Pulitzer prize winning playwright Charles Gordone. Leah-Carla has recorded an album that is sure to be a chart topper. The title of this album is Dancing On The Dragon.
Gordone has been compared to Patti Smith, Melissa Etheridge and a more street wise version of Natalie Merchant. She has certain members of the press saying that her music emotes thoughts of Carole King or Joan Osborne.
On the album Mike Unger plays the electric guitar. Yiling Tien is on violin, Joshua Huber is on bass and piano and Ivan T. Houpe is the drummer. Molly Pauken does the percussion and Pete Linzell is on saxophone. Kay Harris gives Leah-Carla some help by providing backing vocals. These musicians and vocalists are pretty well known in the Columbus , Ohio area where the album was recorded. Leah-Carla played both the 6 string and 12 string guitars on the album along with lead and background vocals.
The first track, Beauty, begins with some funky guitar and sax. Then Leah-Carla leads the listener down a path of head bouncing, in your face vocals. The song will have you moving around.
Things slow down with the second song, This Moment. She pours out her heart in this mild and beautiful song. You will probably draw a reference to Melissa Etheridge when hearing this song.
Get It Back brings yet another layer to Leah-Carla's music. The music has a fit of Spanish influence, or possibly some Alan Parsons. The song has some really tough violin in it.
Let It Flow is another good song on the album. The lyrics move smoothly and there is some tough wah wah styled guitar music in the middle.
Let Yourself begins as a slow and easy ballad. Then Leah-Carla moves into a more moderate pop / rock pace.
One song that really got my attention is Crystal Clear Infinity. The music in the song is fantastic, with steady paced guitar and drum. What sells the song is the subtle yet pervasive violin that is in the background. The violin is brought forward at times to complement Leah-Carla's vocals. There are some wonderfully haunting background vocals as well. I'm not sure if this song is getting much airplay, but it should be.
The Dragon is a tough rock ballad. A solid pace and strong vocals, supported by great guitar should make this song another radio favorite.
With Dancing On The Dragon, Leah-Carla Gordone is certain to become a major star. The songs she writes are great, the vocals fantastic and the music is top-notch.
There are clips from the album on Leah-Carla's web site. The site can be found at www.leahcarlagordone.com .
© 2006 Bruce E Von Stiers