Description
The Storyteller is the tenth studio album by the American R&B/soul singer and songwriter Jon Gibson, independently released on Soul Scan Records in 2012. Jon Gibson composed the songs on this album between 2005 and 2007 as a tribute to the life of his father Stan Gibson, who passed away in 2005.
To the delight of his many fans, Jon Gibson returns with The Storyteller – a fresh batch of new songs infused with all of the passion, funk and soul that typifies Gibson at his best.Thanks to both his ability to create a comfortable groove and his captivating vocal delivery, Gibson has a gift of being able to write songs that carry a spiritual message yet sound matter-of-fact… Gibson’s production is clean and rich, free of gimmicks and effects. Playing most of the instruments on most tracks (drums, percussion, bass, guitars, pianos, organ, synthesizers, as well as vocals), Gibson still manages to produce a very ‘live’ feeling in the performances. Steve Merrick (drums, bass guitar, pianos, organ, synthesizers & vocals), and Bart Broadnax (bass guitar) help round out the sound on various tracks, bringing light funky grooves and adding to some jazzy little jams – especially the piano work on the infectious «So Let it Rain», and the Gospel-groove of «We Serve a Mighty God». Gibson gives us some sweet, funky guitar lines on «Always Have Enough». «I Am Free» features Gibson’s vocal accompanied by a grand piano while «Ready Gone» is a horn-heavy rave with Gibson shouting out a James Brown-like, «Hit me!» to start things off. The beautiful ballad, «Anymore», is a standard worthy of Stevie Wonder himself – with beautiful chord progressions and a strong, memorable melody, the words are inspiring and comforting: “Cast all your cares and your worries to the One who knows all the ways of your heart. Answer the wind, when she begins, you will say “Life can’t hold me anymore.”” Gibson’s vocals are a pleasure throughout the album – his voice is simply wonderful to listen to: a soulful instrument with a warm and easy tone, yet capable of producing enough of a rough edge to remind you that there’s a good knowledge of rock behind the funky riffing. The brief scatting on «Ready Gone» is a delight, as is the interplay with Veronica Petrucci (Angelo and Veronica), who shows that she’s no slouch in the blue-eyed soul department herself, on «I Want I Need». It’s been a long time coming, but The Storyteller is worth the wait – and for Jon Gibson fans, «So Let it Rain», «Ready Gone», «Anymore», and «We Serve a Mighty God» are worth the price of admission all on their own. [Bert Saraco, The Phantom Tollbooth, August 2012]
Sometimes, when creating music, simplicity is best and, in a musical climate where soul, funk and R&B have been practically emasculated with samples, programming and automated percussion, Jon Gibson reminds us of the joy that a song, organically conceived and produced, can bring to a listener. Not to mention…..the dude sings the CRUD out of the material on this record. After an almost 10 year absence from the record shelves – In the interim, Gibson has focused on being a husband to wife, Lisa, a dad to his three boys, Jonathon, James and Jesse Earl, a worship leader in Irvine CA for the past 3 years as well as working on his current projest for the last 7 years – he returns with a supremely confident, assured work.. Limited, early in his career, by what was perceived as too large an indebtedness to the voice of Stevie Wonder, Gibson has since developed his own, unique vocal style, still reminiscent of the Motown “Wunderkind”, but with a relaxed phrasing that gives his songs a distinct color all their own. The Storyteller is definitely of a piece with Gibson’s mid 90’s masterwork, Body and Soul and shares in that work’s lyrical “matter of fact-ness.”, which, while not artistically ambitious, definitely has its charms and is wholly appropriate in the personal narrative Gibson essays here.
Along with terrific vocals, Gibson also plays a large amount of the instrumental tracks on the album (another subtle nod to Wonder) including some sweet guitar work, yet still retains a refreshingly ‘live’ feel. While songs alternate between confessional story songs (title track, «Ghetto Hippie», «So Let it Rain») and more worship oriented material («Sanctify Me», «We Serve a Mighty God») they retain a strong sense of continuity, all helping propel Gibson’s message forward, as he tends to champion the ragged and dispossessed while singing to them of the ONE who has set him free from his own shackles of sin and tyranny. The entire project is a delight…..there really is not a misplaced idea or out of place note….but make sure you hear the uplifting funk-rocker, «Ready, Gone» with its horn-laden arrangement and Gibson’s opening shout to “Hit me!” for an example of the joy that this artist creates and performs with. Gibson has ZERO problem communicating where that joy comes from on The Storyteller. [Shawn McLaughlin, Christian Musician, September/October 2012]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-storyteller/1285157041)
CD tracklist:
01. Storyteller – 3:53
02. The Ghetto Hippie – 3:18
03. So Let It Rain – 3:28
04. I’m On a Mission – 3:52
05. I Want I Need – 3:42
06. I Am Free – 3:25
07. Sanctify Me – 4:45
08. Ready Gone – 3:14
09. Always Have Enough – 3:53
10. Anymore – 4:07
11. Your Favorite Song – 4:28
12. We Serve a Mighty God – 6:07
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