March 31st, I was in a coffee shop called "Java Jive", in Hannibal, MO. Occasionally they have live music. On the second Friday of each month, it's live jazz. You will note that March 31st is not the 2nd Friday of March. I was expecting to merely get some good coffee, and hang out with some friends down there. However, they were featuring a folk/pop duet, Scott & Michelle Dalziel, that night. They have an incredible energy in their live performances, and their lyrics are by turns soulful, clever, and profound. Anyway, I was hooked. Having no means to purchase their CD's at the time, (I had left my wallet & checkbook at home in a less-than rare display of absent-mindedness) I got their business card. Later on, I went to their website, http://www.dalziel.net, and ordered their 2 most recent CD's.Were it not for their occasional non-religious, "slice-of-life" songs, the Dalziels could be classified as "Christian music." Great faith is interspersed throughout the lyrics, but they don't get saccharine sweet or overly simplistic. The struggle to be a Christian in a less-than-perfect world is plain in lyrics like, "I'm not sure what I'm doing here, but you know so I'll go," "I don't have to know the purpose; just the one who oversees," ("Plunge," from Diary, 2003) and, "I'm not quite to purity, though God thinks I'm so. I'm based on a legacy of love and love alone." ("Love Alone," fr Greater Than I, 2000) "I Hear You," the opening song on their most recent album, Diary, borrows the tree image from Psalm 1, and extends the metaphor beautifully, all-the-while being musically uptempo and catchy and very listenable.
Anyway, their CD's arrived yesterday in the mail, and I am happy. (What a profound statement, right?) They remind me of a sort of musical equivalent of Donald Miller's books. Faith expressed in real life.
At their website, you can listen to selections from their CD's, to see if that's something you'd like. Give 'em a shot, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Listening to: "Greater Than I," Scott & Michelle Dalziel
3 comments:
Wow Allen, I happened on this blog by accident and I was pleasantly surprised to see all these kind words about our music and performance... It means a lot to us.. and we are honored to have read your words. Thanks so much and I hope to see you again soon.
Michelle
Wow Allen... I happened upon your review of our CD's just by chance... and I have to say a HUGE thank for your kind words and your insight to our lyrics. I am so glad you were at the coffee house and I hope to see you again. This review means a lot to us... Thanks
Michelle
Welcome! Thanks for honoring my blog with your presence!
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