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STACE ENGLAND
GREETINGS FROM CAIRO, ILLINOIS We admit this honestly: we received this CD a few weeks ago and almost overlooked it. Obviously we
hear a surplus of mellow singer-songwriters and thought Stace England fell into that over-flowing genre. Fortunately
quality always rises above, yet it was necessary to get an email from man himself for us to pull it out of the bin, stop the
CD player and put it in. Since then "Greetings from Cairo, Illinois," the second CD from Stace (rhymes with ace) England
has not been out often, because this is a beautiful CD. A CD with almost hypnotic music that regularly reminds you of
"Chavez Ravine" by Ry Cooder.
"Greetings from Cairo, Illinois" is also a concept album and tells the story of the city of Cairo in a musical
history. Where Mississippi and Ohio River merge into one powerful river lies Cairo. Its days as an important traffic
junction are over, now it is one dusty city... but it appears to harbor an interesting political and cultural past.
It stands where the south and the north meet, where white and black persons have lived since the time of slavery. That
history is beautifully told and its praises sung in a musical style for each number that has been tailored to the story.
Stace England researched Cairo’s history from 1858 until the present for five years, and songs with influences of true
blues, rock, pop, soul and gospel are never far way.
England gets help from about 65 musicians from southern Illinois, Los Angeles and Nashville including alt-country
legend Jason Ringenberg of Jason and the Scorchers, and Gnashville Sounds label mates Gutter Swans. "Greetings from
Cairo, Illinois" guarantees many goose bumps, as Stace England sings its beautiful songs with a depth that gives the album
its own complete atmosphere and sound.
"Greetings from Cairo, Illinois" is a remarkable disc that grows in splendor with every listen, at a rate
that has yet to slow down. We are sorry for missing this CD in the first place but are making up for that now.
Enormously recommended and without question one of the best CDs in this genre this year.
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