What I Know Album

Here’s what people have been saying about
Tom Rush’s new album What I Know:

Press

“If anything, the new album is a reminder of the understated qualities that made him a beloved entertainer four decades ago: his warm, conversational singing style; caviar taste in the songwriters he covers; and nuanced guitar playing that proved so popular, he now sells an instructional video about his technique. . . a classic and honest Rush album worthy of a new era of fans who weren’t even born when he dropped off the commercial radar in the mid-’70s.” – James Reed,THE BOSTON GLOBE

“Rush still has that deep, relaxed voice that gives listeners the impression they’re old friends listening in on a musical conversation.” – Mlke Regenstreif,MONTREAL GAZETTE

“. . . A warm, crisp gem of an album . . . it features harmonies by Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith and Bonnie Bramlett and a band of stellar players such as Fats Kaplin, Robin Batteau and Mike Henderson. . . . Rush has a reputation as a great song-finder. . . . On his new album, Rush includes fine songs by Richard Dean, Steve Bruton, Melanie Dyer and Kim Beard Day among others, but the friskiest and most quietly plaintive songs come from Rush’s own pen.” – Daniel Gewertz, BOSTON HERALD

“On “What I Know,” his voice is still warm, deep and resonant, whether he’s singing the title track tale of enduring love; the saga of a soldier’s reflections (“All a Man Can Do”) or harmonizing with the likes of Emmylou Harris on “Too Many Memories” or Nanci Griffith on the playful “Casey Jones”. . . Great stuff, from the upbeat opener with Bonnie Bramlett, “Hot Tonight,” straight through to the closing cover of the old Dobie Gray hit “Drift Away.”” –SPRINGFIELD (MA) SUNDAY REPUBLICAN

“What I Know is a marvelously relaxed and self-assured return for Rush, a guy who self-admittedly displays neither of those traits when he enters a studio, which is one of the reasons he’s stayed away so long. Here’s hoping he realizes how great this album is and gets back to the studio before 2043.” – Brian Baker,CINCINNATI CITY BEAT

“. . . reaffirms his wit and genial presence in songs that highlight elegant, simple craftsmanship of elegant simplicity.” – HARTFORD COURANT

“. . . you’d never guess that he’d been away so long, from the lithe spirit in his voice on these 15 tracks. The title track, one of five Rush compositions, revisits the idea Sam Cooke outlined in “Wonderful World” with an infectious bounce all its own. Nanci Griffith helps out on his retelling of the folk ballad ” Casey Jones,” Emmylou Harris adds her incomparable harmonizing to Steven Bruton’s sweetly reflective “Too Many Memories” and Bonnie Bramlett lends her soulful voice to Rush’s frisky “Hot Tonight.” His lyrics are comfortably conversational, much like his lived-in tenor, both of which are applied masterfully in his definition of true beauty in “River Song””. . . – LOS ANGELES TIMES

“With his typical low-key approach, Rush has made a wonderful new album, featuring a number of fine new Rush originals, as well as songs penned by the likes of Jack Tempchin, Stephen Bruton, Eliza Gilkyson and Bill Miller. And he caps off the album with a beautiful, understated rendition of the old Dobie Grey hit, ‘Drift Away,’ accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and a cello.” – Greg Haymes, ALBANY TIMES UNION

“What I Know alternates between light, bouncy ditties (Hot Tonight and What I Know), thoughtful examinations (East of Eden, All A Man Can Do, and Too Many . Memories), and the familiar (River Song and a splendid rendering of Drift Away) . . . The results are spectacular.” – Donald Teplyske, RED DEER ADVOCATE (Alberta)

“Legendary at finding just the right songs to capture a time . . . Rush unveils five originals, including the high steppin’ ‘Hot Tonight’ and the sly ‘One Good Man’ and puts them alongside Eliza Gilkyson’s seductive ‘Fall into the Night’ and Steve Bruton’s poignant ‘Too Many Memories,’ which features a duet with Emmylou Harris. Melanie Dyer & Kim Beard Day’s melancholic, yet somewhat humorous ‘What An Old Lover Knows’ just wouldn’t sound the same if sung by anyone else. Rush . . . sticks to the tried and true, to country-folk-singer/songwriter mode, but that’s really not the point. The point is an old friend returns, scarred but not broken, in good humor and grand voice.” – Mike Jurkovich, Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange

“Tom Rush – the man with the golden ear, the comforting voice, the supple guitar and the craftsman’s pen – has given us a gift worth waiting for. – AMAZON.COM REVIEWS

Customers

“Great new album and well worth the wait!”

“. . . sweet, poignant and knee-slapping fun!”

“I received your newest CD yesterday. It was worth waiting for. This CD is the best since “Circle Game.” The arrangements are just wonderful and the song list is number one. All I can say it is “Fantastic”.”

“You guys did a marvelous job, the choice of material, the musicianship, the guests, it all comes together in a very enjoyable listening experience!”

“Great tunes!”

Blogs

• The Allmusic Blog – Richie Unterberger
• Arizona Music Café – Erich Sielaff
• Blurt-Online.com
• Sonic Boomers
• Blogcritics.org – David Bowling

and many more ….

Reported Radio Airplay & Response (a sampling)