Some bands have a birthing moment, a specific date they first played together. Others form in what is probably best described as an organic fashion. The latter is the case with Santa Cruz’s AJ Lee & Blue Summit. Two of the members, mandolinist AJ Lee and guitarist Sullivan Tuttle, first performed together with his siblings in the Tuttle family band. Somewhere along the line, fiddler Jan Pirat and Scott Gates, also on guitar, joined the musical circle. At some point someone said, “hey, we should be a band.” Fast forward a decade and the band is ready to release their third album, City of Glass. Stylistically it spans the Americana range, from bluegrass to folk to country soul.
The Tuttle family contributed materially to the 4th cut on the CD, I Can’t Find You At All, a modern folk ballad. Sully Tuttle’s sister Molly is a guest vocalist and dad Jack wrote the song. Producer Lech Wierzynski, of the California Honeydrops, had an outsized influence on the Harlan Howard-penned He Called Me Baby. The hit has been covered by all kinds of artists in both the country and R&B genres. Wierzynsky deftly guided the band down a remake in a style I’ll call soul grass.
The remaining 10 songs on the record showcase the band’s breadth of style. Seaside Town is an indie ballad, with a slow, lazy beat like life along the shore. Bakersfield Clay is an old school country waltz, with lots of pedal steel and a touch of yodel. They go full on bluegrass on the title cut, where the process of turning sand into a city is a metaphor for the hard work it requires to be successful in life. Bluegrass is also the style on the silly-but-sad Sick on a Plane, with Purat’s fiddle adding a certain uneasiness to the tale of being trapped next to someone obviously ill, for several hours. All I Know is a gentle folk number that, like all the slower tunes on the album, really show off Lee’s vocal dexterity.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit was one of the hottest acts at this year’s Folk Alliance conference. Their live act is a must-see. They can set off a shred-fest, particularly when guitarists Tuttle and Gates start trading licks. They’re equally at home softening things a little and showcasing their vocal chops. You can always count on them to throw in a couple of well-arranged covers. All those talents made it onto their latest record, so if you can’t see them live, be sure to pick up City of Glass.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.