Richie Lawrence

Moving at the Speed of Trees

 Big Book Records

Richie Lawrence is a pianist who has been an integral player in the California Americana scene since the early ‘80s, beginning in L.A. and continuing through Sacramento where he has lived since 1994. That move was prompted by his marriage to the singer Kate Thomas who plays with him in the Yolos and appears on eight of the twelve tracks on Lawrence’s solo release, Moving at the Speed of Trees. Originally this album was to be produced with Lawrence’s longtime songwriting partner, the late Paul Lacques of I See Hawks in L.A. Lawrence forged on, tapping many of the best players in the southern California roots community including Paul Marshall (electric bass) and Rob Waller (lead vocal on “leaving You”) of ISHILA and former member of the ‘Hawks’, Shawn Nourse on drums. Other notables are acoustic bassist Simeon Pillich (Ry Cooder, John Hiatt), guitarist Tony Gilkyson (X, Lone Justice),  guitarist Rick Shea (Dave Alvin), fiddler Giorgi Khokhobashvili (Jessica Malone), pedal steel palyer Dave Zirbel (Phil Lesh, ISHILA), and Stefanie Naifeh (The Underthings). Needless to say, Lawrence has a quite a network.

There are musicians who have plenty of stories to tell and share in Lawrence’s tales of a grandfather’s immigration, infidelity broken dreams, unconditional hopes and prayers of parenthood, and old timey music too. The album title is a taken from a phrase in The Overstory, a novel by Richard Powers and it perhaps signifies the slow pace and visual induced imagery from these songs.

Lawrence opens with the dreamy, swaying “On the Boat,” the tale of his grandfather’s immigration on board the Oceanic in 1903, one of seven he wrote alone and one of only two where he alone takes the vocal lead. His voice is less than distinctive but bears those edges and nuances that only come from hard-earned wisdom and various musical experiences. The equally gentle “Isla” was written with Thomas who takes the lead vocal with Lawrence backing on accordion and harmony as well as a piano solo. The two duet on Lawrence’s flowing original “Life Long Lived,” about a friend in Scotland who is still vibrant at age 100. It offers a nice glimpse into his stately piano playing weaving with stirring fiddle from Khokhobashvili.

The distinctive vocal pipes of Rob Waller are on display in the co-written country waltz “Oh Me Oh My” with Thomas on harmony and Zirbel on the the pedal steel. On Lawrence’s bouncy “Big Fun” he and Thomas are joined by Shea who contributes the guitar twang to Lawrence’s barroom piano. Shea stays aboard on acoustic guitar and mandolin for the folk song “Leaving You” co-written with Lacques and also featuring Victoria Jacobs harmonizing with Thomas’s lead. Lacques also is the co-writer on “The Wonderful Waltz,” another with Thomas and Lawrence together on vocals, as they pay homage to Lacques. Lawrence’s “The Poetry of Lust” is the longest track at slightly over six minutes and features a lengthy piano intro a la Chopin and later the guitar of Gilkyson and harmonies from Naifeh. The tale is about, (you guessed it) sex, but the tune takes some unexpected weird musical directions as it unwinds. Lawrence’s shuffle  “InFable” is a standout. It’s obviously a made-up word but the tune is the key of F, an angry diatribe written during the pandemic addressing the collapse of the environment, politics, personal diet, and the internet – essentially a rant that says we are beyond f**cked.  The only cover is “Lone Freighter’s Wail,” co-written with longtime collaborator Ray Bonneville and again featuring Zirbel’s evocative, sweeping pedal steel.  Following the lone instrumental, “Emily Dickinson,” the album fittingly closes with “I Believe in You,” Lawrence’s ode and plea for unconditional love.

Lawrence presents a thoughtful album which bears multiple listens to fully appreciate the many instrumental textures and glorious vocal harmonies that abound throughout.  Somehow, it still bears the mark of Paul Lacques, which gives it a sentimental hue, especially for fans of I See Hawks in L.A.

– Jim Hynes

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