Global Americana by The Billy Sea with Bassist Jake Wolf

Our very own Jake Wolf is one busy guy…

• He has a day job
• He is a family guy
• He reviews Bass gear for Bass Musician Magazine
• He collaborated with Juan Benavides on a excellent CD we recently reviewed, that also made our 21 CD selection of Latin CD’s in our August 2013 issue

And in addition to all that, Jake is a member of a three piece band, The Billy Sea, who recently released Global Americana!

The Billy Sea Band Members Include:

• Billy Caradine – Slide and Acoustic Guitars, Piano
• River Guerguerian – Percussion
• Jake Wolf – Electric Bass

The Billy Sea hails from Asheville, North Carolina and falls into the category of progressive Americana and World music, which for a very interesting blend indeed!

Global Americana CD is made up of mostly their own compositions.

Lets take a closer look at some of the tracks…

“Going Back Home” is the opening track and starts out with some very nice harmonic work by Jake on bass. The drums and slide guitar join in and you are immediately perplexed by the exotic nature of the percussive elements blended with a more traditional slide guitar approach. The three musicians weave a rich ‘braid’ of musicality and the interaction is seamless, as we get a really good idea of what each of these fine musicians brings to the table. There is some really nice soloing from Jake on this track.

“With a High Hope“ is a Bengali Folk song with a strong Appalachian flavor. Combining these very different musical ethnicities is surprisingly a smooth endeavor and supports the universal nature of music where East can meet West in a harmonic fashion. The musical strength of each of the musicians provides a full and complex result that is more than the sum of the individuals.

“The Mare’s Day” has a classic country foundation led by the slide guitar. There is an initial calm, natural beauty conveyed in the opening. As the song progresses, the tune picks up momentum in tempo and energy and we are taken on a musical gallop that eventually eases back to a relaxed stroll.

“Seven Tambourines” is where the exotic percussive elements that River brings really shines. His mastery of complex percussion is nothing less than astounding, yet he makes it seem so easy; this guy is so much more than just a drummer. It is also amazing to me that a slide guitar works so perfectly with “Indian” music. I was expecting to see a “Sitar” playing here. Solid bass work rounds this tune right out.

“Bil Bhai Rav” is what the group describes as a prime example of “Global Americana”. The opening sounds markedly middle eastern and progresses into a controlled frenzy of musical activity. The fascinating use of timing and melodic elements keeps you in a state of acute attention where you completely focus so you don’t miss a detail.

A wealth of musical richness came out of North Carolina! I am blown away by the music that is the end product of three very talented musicians working together to to bring their musical vision to life. This music transcends geographic boundaries and once more confirms the universal nature of it’s linguistic ability. Excellent work Jake, Billy and River! I hope to experience a  live performance someday as I am sure that mere recording doesn’t do it justice.

Check this CD out!