Singer-songwriter Steve Gillette is best known for writing the folk ballad “Darcy Yarrow”, first recorded by the Canadian duo Ian & Sylvia in 1965 and later popularized by John Denver on his 1972 album Rocky Mountain High. The song has been covered by more than 300 artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Waylon Jennings, and Nanci Griffith. Therefore, it would make sense that Gillette would highlight the song on his recent ‘Best of’ collection. Nope. He doesn’t even include it among the dozen tracks he re-recorded for this effort.
Why Gillette didn’t perform it is unclear. Perhaps it has to do with contractual obligations, or maybe he is just a contrarian. No matter. While some fans may be disappointed by the exclusion, the musician with more than 50 years of professional experience and 14 full-length recordings in his catalogue still has plenty to offer.
Steve Gillette is known for his melodic fingerpicking acoustic guitar style. He blends jazz rhythms and folk elements into breezy compositions featuring poetic lyrics about love, life, and nature. The songs seldom surprise, but therein lies their strength. They seem like songs one already knew, even when one has never heard them before. Even their titles, such as “Grapes on the Vine”, “Healing Hands”, “When the First Leaves Fall”, and such, seem right out of an old songbook.
Best of was recorded in Nashville and features a crack band that includes Greg Leisz (Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt) on steel and slide guitars, Pete Wasner (Garth Brooks, Vince Gill) on piano, organ & Wurlitzer), Larry Atamanuik (Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch) on drums and Justin Weaver (The Chicks, Wynonna Judd) on electric and acoustic guitars. These players give Gillette’s folk stylings a country-roots edge.
On tracks such as “The Old Trail” and “That Song About the River”, the vibe matches that of walking the rails more than singing at a bonfire. The three female backup vocalists (Cindy Mangsen, Kim Person, & Lana Puckett) enhance this effect with their ethereal tones. Steve Gillette and company seem more concerned with evoking a place than with telling a story.
That’s even true in the more narrative tracks such as “Songs for Gamble” and “Spots on the Dice”. That’s a compliment! If there is a theme that runs through all of the songs, it’s that life itself is temporary. We are only here for a brief period and need to value what’s truly important. Gillette sums this up nicely in “God Is Love”. He’s not preaching the gospel or the teachings of Jesus. “Stories of faith sustain us as long as we don’t claim they’re true,” he sings to a tune that would seem right at home in a church. It’s the voice of an older man. Gillette is 82 years old and sounds it. When he tells you god and love are the same, he means that the holiest thing we can do is to love each other while we live.
One doesn’t need to be old to have that wisdom. These 12 songs Steve Gillette has pulled from his past repertoire show that he has always known that fact. That simple fact is accurate to the best of his knowledge, and we are grateful that he chose to share these songs one more time. Perhaps he should have re-recorded “Darcy Yarrow” again, but it’s too early for a tercentenary, and there are already more than 300 versions of the song available.