Moors and McCumber
Georgetown, Colorado, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2005 | SELF
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Moors & McCumber - Against The Grain - Album Review
Written by James Killen
May 08, 2013 at 12:01 AM
I wish that I could start out this CD review by saying that I’ve been following Moors and McCumber for some time, but the truth is that I have just been introduced to them. Eddie Ferranti urged me out to one of their shows several weeks ago and I was entranced by their harmonies and musical chemistry. I picked up their first two CD’s at the gig and “Gravity” (their second production) immediately displaced the Greencards’ “Movin’ On” as my favorite pop bluegrass disc. When I was given the opportunity to preview and review the newest release, “Against the Grain”, I jumped at the chance.
Before I get much further, I want to make sure that I don’t mislead any bluegrass purists by calling “Gravity” a bluegrass CD. James Moors and Kort McCumber would be the first to tell you that they pull influence from many genres, including Celtic, folk, blues, and country. The vocal harmonies and the string interplay that are the essence of the duo's chemistry play well in the bluegrass arena, but are certainly not limited to it.
“Against the Grain” takes the band another step down the road to musical diversity. Kort McCumber has added the rich tone and textures of the cello to several of the tracks. Most of the lead vocals on the disc are by James Moors, with McCumber in close harmony. Moors’ voice has that smooth texture that reminds me of Rodney Crowell and his lyrics are poignant and often nostalgic in tone. McCumber seems to be one of those fellows that can get music out of anything, with or without strings. The credits show him playing a list of twenty instruments on this disc alone. All of the tunes on this disc keep my interest. There is no track skipping on this one, ya’ll.
“Love and War” plays on a really great lyrical hook over a deep cello rhythm and excellent vocal harmonies. “Buried in Stone” uses beautiful imagery to tell of seeing potential art in the common things of life. “I Used to Run Around” leans a bit toward the Celtic side of these two proud Irish-Americans, featuring the Irish tin pipes and Irish tenor banjo on the story of a rounder’s surrender to the fate of settling down. “It’s Different Now” is a beautiful tune that makes me think of an American folk ballad imposed over a classical string quartet featuring the cello, Irish bouzouki, Irish tenor banjo, pump organ, electric guitar and electric bass.
“Slan Abhaile” is one of the most interesting tunes on the disc. The title translates from Irish roughly to “Ya’ll be careful on the trip home, now”. They feature the Irish tin whistle and fiddle West African talking drums, delving deeply into the roots of American roots music on a rhythm and repetition that works for either Celtic or West African music.
The only cover song on this recording is Ellis Paul’s “Martyr’s Lounge” (the guys covered Ellis’s “3000 Miles” on “Gravity”, so I detect a pattern of respect here) and it is one of the two tunes on the disc that feature Kort McCumber on lead vocals. James Moors is in the harmony and helps to weave a string tapestry playing acoustic and electric guitars to McCumber’s bouzouki and Wurlitzer.
“Feeling in Your Belly” brings back the pop bluegrass feeling with enough na-na-na’s to fill a Beatles song, lyrics that draw a picture of a rural working class community, and a soulful harmonica solo. “Raining Down in Georgia”, Kort’s other lead vocal tune, plays on the duplicity of water, that “gives us life” when it rains and “takes away” when it floods, in a country blues package. “Hey, Hey” is a bluegrass progression that presents that feeling of well-being when the work is all done and you can just sit on the porch and enjoy friends and family. The disc closes out with the title track, “Against the Grain”. The sentiment is one of persistence against adversity with a simple guitar part behind the vocal harmonies and a cello part to take us out.
I’ve got to say that Moors and McCumber deliver a live performance that has all of the energy that two people that enjoy playing together can generate. They seem to know each other’s minds like trapeze artists or team jugglers do. I don’t know that a studio disc can completely deliver that live energy. “Against the Grain” does exhibit a team effort by two troubadours that have found a way to create together like Crosby and Nash or Simon and Garfunkle did in days past. This disc takes Americana back to where it came from and where it lives. Look for it June 1st. - Houston Music Review
Moors & McCumber - Against The Grain - Album Review
Written by James Killen
May 08, 2013 at 12:01 AM
I wish that I could start out this CD review by saying that I’ve been following Moors and McCumber for some time, but the truth is that I have just been introduced to them. Eddie Ferranti urged me out to one of their shows several weeks ago and I was entranced by their harmonies and musical chemistry. I picked up their first two CD’s at the gig and “Gravity” (their second production) immediately displaced the Greencards’ “Movin’ On” as my favorite pop bluegrass disc. When I was given the opportunity to preview and review the newest release, “Against the Grain”, I jumped at the chance.
Before I get much further, I want to make sure that I don’t mislead any bluegrass purists by calling “Gravity” a bluegrass CD. James Moors and Kort McCumber would be the first to tell you that they pull influence from many genres, including Celtic, folk, blues, and country. The vocal harmonies and the string interplay that are the essence of the duo's chemistry play well in the bluegrass arena, but are certainly not limited to it.
“Against the Grain” takes the band another step down the road to musical diversity. Kort McCumber has added the rich tone and textures of the cello to several of the tracks. Most of the lead vocals on the disc are by James Moors, with McCumber in close harmony. Moors’ voice has that smooth texture that reminds me of Rodney Crowell and his lyrics are poignant and often nostalgic in tone. McCumber seems to be one of those fellows that can get music out of anything, with or without strings. The credits show him playing a list of twenty instruments on this disc alone. All of the tunes on this disc keep my interest. There is no track skipping on this one, ya’ll.
“Love and War” plays on a really great lyrical hook over a deep cello rhythm and excellent vocal harmonies. “Buried in Stone” uses beautiful imagery to tell of seeing potential art in the common things of life. “I Used to Run Around” leans a bit toward the Celtic side of these two proud Irish-Americans, featuring the Irish tin pipes and Irish tenor banjo on the story of a rounder’s surrender to the fate of settling down. “It’s Different Now” is a beautiful tune that makes me think of an American folk ballad imposed over a classical string quartet featuring the cello, Irish bouzouki, Irish tenor banjo, pump organ, electric guitar and electric bass.
“Slan Abhaile” is one of the most interesting tunes on the disc. The title translates from Irish roughly to “Ya’ll be careful on the trip home, now”. They feature the Irish tin whistle and fiddle West African talking drums, delving deeply into the roots of American roots music on a rhythm and repetition that works for either Celtic or West African music.
The only cover song on this recording is Ellis Paul’s “Martyr’s Lounge” (the guys covered Ellis’s “3000 Miles” on “Gravity”, so I detect a pattern of respect here) and it is one of the two tunes on the disc that feature Kort McCumber on lead vocals. James Moors is in the harmony and helps to weave a string tapestry playing acoustic and electric guitars to McCumber’s bouzouki and Wurlitzer.
“Feeling in Your Belly” brings back the pop bluegrass feeling with enough na-na-na’s to fill a Beatles song, lyrics that draw a picture of a rural working class community, and a soulful harmonica solo. “Raining Down in Georgia”, Kort’s other lead vocal tune, plays on the duplicity of water, that “gives us life” when it rains and “takes away” when it floods, in a country blues package. “Hey, Hey” is a bluegrass progression that presents that feeling of well-being when the work is all done and you can just sit on the porch and enjoy friends and family. The disc closes out with the title track, “Against the Grain”. The sentiment is one of persistence against adversity with a simple guitar part behind the vocal harmonies and a cello part to take us out.
I’ve got to say that Moors and McCumber deliver a live performance that has all of the energy that two people that enjoy playing together can generate. They seem to know each other’s minds like trapeze artists or team jugglers do. I don’t know that a studio disc can completely deliver that live energy. “Against the Grain” does exhibit a team effort by two troubadours that have found a way to create together like Crosby and Nash or Simon and Garfunkle did in days past. This disc takes Americana back to where it came from and where it lives. Look for it June 1st. - Houston Music Review
Moors & McCumber with Brian Kalinec - JP Hops House - Katy, TX
Written by James Killen
Apr 10, 2013 at 08:00 PM
Wednesday night was wet and unseasonably cold for a Houston evening in April. It was what Mom used to call a “soup night” and Wednesday is what JP Hops House calls “Hard Times Soup Night”. Some great cooks bring up pots of their favorite soups, the five piece house band, The Hard Times Troubadours, serve up covers of the likes of John Prine, James McMurtry and Merle Haggard and the pub patrons settle in for a pint or two of their favorite draught.
Before I move too far past the soup, they were all great, but I want to give a big shout out to Pam Kalinec for the beef cabbage soup. The Troubadours deserve a nod for diversity in addition to just good music. There aren’t many bands out there covering Peter Case songs or numbers like Elvis Costello’s “A Good Year for the Roses”.
The centerpiece for the evening, though, was a song swap between Hops House regular, Brian Kalinec and the folk duet of James Moors and Kort McCumber. I’ve said several times in my reviews how much I enjoy a good song swap and this evening was one of the best.
The three men lined up behind the mikes and in front of one of the largest piles of stringed instruments that I believe that I’ve ever seen. There were mandolins, banjos, fiddles, guitars, bouzoukis, and ukuleles, most of which flowed through the hands of Kort McCumber at one point or another in the evening.
From the first few bars of the first number, listening to the rare harmonization of Moors and McCumbers’ voices, I was afraid that they might be ganging up on Brian. Kalinec pitched right in, though, with some poignant lead guitar licks for a formula to make this one of the most inclusive song swap evenings that I have had the pleasure to observe.
Moors and McCumber have voices that fit together like tongue and groove joints for rarely experienced harmonies. Both of them are great pickers, but Kort McCumber took us on a journey, starting with his amazing mandolin work, rolling through a turn with the bouzouki on “Shaking Off These Blues”, a fiddle accompaniment to Brian’s “Until Our Well Runs Dry”, leading into the banjo work for the civil war piece, “As Quick as I Can”. James Moors sang a smooth lead and played guitar on “Nothing But Blue”, while Kort accompanied on banjo and harmonica. Brian showed off one of his newer tunes, “Just the Sunlight and You” while Kort accompanied on mandolin.
I had to chuckle at Moors and McCumbers’ subdued Jackson Five dance moves on their social statement tune, “Something’s Gotta Give”. M&M ranged a little further into an Irish folk tune called “Leaving for Cobh” with Moors on the bouzouki and McCumber on fiddle. Brian took a tune that he co-wrote with Connie Mims, called “A Little Paint” out for spin, while James Moors picked up the ukulele. Moors hung on to the ukulele taking it to the brink of “Spanish Classical ukulele” over the next three tunes.
The evening’s swaps continued with Brian’s much acclaimed composition, “Fence” and M&M’s “Welcome to Duluth” and ending up with the rustic ode, “Sawyer Hamlin” from Moors and McCumbers’ latest CD. The evening was truly an enjoyable music experience. With a crowd of about 50, it’s a shame that no more folks showed up to share it.
Moors and McCumbers take the vocal duet thing back to the days of Simon and Garfunkle or Crosby and Nash. Their recordings are great but the live experience is where it’s at. Check them out when you get the chance.
If you live on the far west side of town, and you are looking for an entertaining evening, and you like soup, I think that I have just the place for you. See you at the Hops House soon. - Houston Music Review
Moors & McCumber - Rouse House Concerts - Houston, TX
Written by Eddie Ferranti
Apr 13, 2013 at 08:00 PM
The Southwest Regional Folk Alliance in 2012 has been an unreal spawning of talent to the Houston area in 2013. Rose and I left that conference last September marveling about all the talent we had witnessed in a rapid fire, in-your-face style that has paid major dividends for Houston Music Review.
This night, we were not only seeing one of those groups, but were hitting yet another house concert in the H-Town area, too. Moors and McCumber came to town to play at the Rouse House Concerts in the cool Houston Heights locale.
Based in Superior, Wisconsin, and growing up in Minneapolis, James Moors is the heavy side of the songwriting in the duo and his lyrics are beautifully crafted story type songs, which weave a calming feel to the tales. To say his partner in crime, Colorado's Kort McCumber, is a multi-talented instrumetalist is putting it mildly. In the first 5 songs, I counted six instruments he had played! Several acoustic guitars (6 & 12 string), a Tenor banjo, violin, a mandolin, which he's mastered after only like 18 months experience, a dobro, an odd 8-string called an Irish Bouzouki...toss in killer harp work and you have the makings of a skilled performer!
M&M were exposing the audience to a lot of songs from their 3rd album, "Against the Grain", which comes out 6/1/13.
'Feeling In Your Belly' has a nice hometown good feeling charm to it and the title cut kicked it also. Two stand out cuts to this reviewer that stuck in my noggen afterwards were 'Some Things Are Better Unsaid' and the ultra catchy 'Quick As I Can'!
As the gig moved along it was wonderful to see two musicians bring an unreal intimacy to their music. I really think McCumber could play a kitchen sink if you threw it at him and I love that their lyrics dare to take a chance and actually say something ala '70's style like in 'Somethings Got to Give' featuring an off-the-rails mandolin solo. Other gems included a cover of Ellis Paul's '3000 Miles' and 'Leaving for Cove' with killer refrain of: "We drink to remember, We drink to forget. We drink to put to rest the ghosts in our head." Amen to that!
The Irish Bouzouki came into play big time on new one 'Sla Abhaile,' which I believe was Irish itself pronounced "slan awallya"! Whatever it was, McCumber was found to play his violin like a guitar and the "Seals and Croft" delivery with backdoor jamming is quite an unique combination. In fact, for my taste I can only imagine if these two stretched it out and added jam band tendencies to their already gliding harmonies technique.
A super treat for the ending was when they called up Houston singer-songwriter Brian Kalinec to join them on guitar for 'Shakin' Off These Blues'. BK has a nice way of sliding some good guitar work into any song and he added to the jam band feel I dug big time.
The music of Moors and McCumber ends up covering a lot of influences, a smokey Celtic-bluegrass-blues, if you will, and seems best in a live setting. After they got our attention in hotel rooms and showcases last September, it was more than pleasing to see them up close and personal and visit with two of the most down-to-earth fellows you'd ever want to meet and support. Hipefully you can catch them August 17 at Conroe House Concerts. HMR will be there with bells on and who knows that may be one of their instruments by then, too!
As for Rouse House Concerts ( rouse_house_concerts@yahoo.com ) it was a very nice evening. The duo of Deb Rouse and Lindsey Lee opened their doors on 623 E. 7-1/2 Street and what a nice house it is. A potluck of finger food type grub rocked and their desserts were very good, too! Wine flowed like a river to the pro-wine crowd and everybody was having a nice time.
Most of the sardine packed crowd seemed to be regulars and Deb told me she inherited this gig from her dad. He was known to stalk Ray Wylie Hubbard back in 1991 until RWH finally gave in and he loved it! 1991 house concerts were born and all over Texas it is way more than a passing fad these days with many home gigs thriving in the H-Town area.
My only nit picks of this particular one was the absence of a PA or microphones. Not that the sound was bad at all, but I'm sorry I have to have a mike in front of a performer to make it feel. Right...Just me being me always and I'd drop a few chairs while you're at it to lessen the "get to know your neighbor" tightness of the venue.
Don't take my word for it, gO see Deb & Lindsey yourself and support these fine folks who care passionately about the live music scene in the area and love to promote everybody's gigs! THAT is a fine trait and should be whole heartily supported...HMR does and we're - Houston Music Review
Moors & McCumber - Rouse House Concerts - Houston, TX
Written by Eddie Ferranti
Apr 13, 2013 at 08:00 PM
The Southwest Regional Folk Alliance in 2012 has been an unreal spawning of talent to the Houston area in 2013. Rose and I left that conference last September marveling about all the talent we had witnessed in a rapid fire, in-your-face style that has paid major dividends for Houston Music Review.
This night, we were not only seeing one of those groups, but were hitting yet another house concert in the H-Town area, too. Moors and McCumber came to town to play at the Rouse House Concerts in the cool Houston Heights locale.
Based in Superior, Wisconsin, and growing up in Minneapolis, James Moors is the heavy side of the songwriting in the duo and his lyrics are beautifully crafted story type songs, which weave a calming feel to the tales. To say his partner in crime, Colorado's Kort McCumber, is a multi-talented instrumetalist is putting it mildly. In the first 5 songs, I counted six instruments he had played! Several acoustic guitars (6 & 12 string), a Tenor banjo, violin, a mandolin, which he's mastered after only like 18 months experience, a dobro, an odd 8-string called an Irish Bouzouki...toss in killer harp work and you have the makings of a skilled performer!
M&M were exposing the audience to a lot of songs from their 3rd album, "Against the Grain", which comes out 6/1/13.
'Feeling In Your Belly' has a nice hometown good feeling charm to it and the title cut kicked it also. Two stand out cuts to this reviewer that stuck in my noggen afterwards were 'Some Things Are Better Unsaid' and the ultra catchy 'Quick As I Can'!
As the gig moved along it was wonderful to see two musicians bring an unreal intimacy to their music. I really think McCumber could play a kitchen sink if you threw it at him and I love that their lyrics dare to take a chance and actually say something ala '70's style like in 'Somethings Got to Give' featuring an off-the-rails mandolin solo. Other gems included a cover of Ellis Paul's '3000 Miles' and 'Leaving for Cove' with killer refrain of: "We drink to remember, We drink to forget. We drink to put to rest the ghosts in our head." Amen to that!
The Irish Bouzouki came into play big time on new one 'Sla Abhaile,' which I believe was Irish itself pronounced "slan awallya"! Whatever it was, McCumber was found to play his violin like a guitar and the "Seals and Croft" delivery with backdoor jamming is quite an unique combination. In fact, for my taste I can only imagine if these two stretched it out and added jam band tendencies to their already gliding harmonies technique.
A super treat for the ending was when they called up Houston singer-songwriter Brian Kalinec to join them on guitar for 'Shakin' Off These Blues'. BK has a nice way of sliding some good guitar work into any song and he added to the jam band feel I dug big time.
The music of Moors and McCumber ends up covering a lot of influences, a smokey Celtic-bluegrass-blues, if you will, and seems best in a live setting. After they got our attention in hotel rooms and showcases last September, it was more than pleasing to see them up close and personal and visit with two of the most down-to-earth fellows you'd ever want to meet and support. Hipefully you can catch them August 17 at Conroe House Concerts. HMR will be there with bells on and who knows that may be one of their instruments by then, too!
As for Rouse House Concerts ( rouse_house_concerts@yahoo.com ) it was a very nice evening. The duo of Deb Rouse and Lindsey Lee opened their doors on 623 E. 7-1/2 Street and what a nice house it is. A potluck of finger food type grub rocked and their desserts were very good, too! Wine flowed like a river to the pro-wine crowd and everybody was having a nice time.
Most of the sardine packed crowd seemed to be regulars and Deb told me she inherited this gig from her dad. He was known to stalk Ray Wylie Hubbard back in 1991 until RWH finally gave in and he loved it! 1991 house concerts were born and all over Texas it is way more than a passing fad these days with many home gigs thriving in the H-Town area.
My only nit picks of this particular one was the absence of a PA or microphones. Not that the sound was bad at all, but I'm sorry I have to have a mike in front of a performer to make it feel. Right...Just me being me always and I'd drop a few chairs while you're at it to lessen the "get to know your neighbor" tightness of the venue.
Don't take my word for it, gO see Deb & Lindsey yourself and support these fine folks who care passionately about the live music scene in the area and love to promote everybody's gigs! THAT is a fine trait and should be whole heartily supported...HMR does and we're - Houston Music Review
-These two jumped right on it with a smokin' tune called 'Gravity' and this 3 song set grabbed ya and threw ya off the ride at the end! 'Quick As I Can' was a showcase for the killer talents of Kort McCumber. This guy was playing fiddle for the only about a year running and excelled on mandolin and guitar, too. The duo knocked this 'youngster' back to a rockin' type version of Seals & Croft. Kort & James' vocals are clear and enjoyable surrounded by full volume jammin' of a blues, celtic, upbeat acoustic thang goin' on. We followed these cats 2 more times and also had the pleasure to share dinner at a table with them. How Boulder, Colorado, where Kort's from and Superior, Wisconsin where James lives, keeps this thing runnin' is beyond me, but I want to see more. They say they'll be heading to Texas in April so be on the lookout. - Houston Music Review
-These two jumped right on it with a smokin' tune called 'Gravity' and this 3 song set grabbed ya and threw ya off the ride at the end! 'Quick As I Can' was a showcase for the killer talents of Kort McCumber. This guy was playing fiddle for the only about a year running and excelled on mandolin and guitar, too. The duo knocked this 'youngster' back to a rockin' type version of Seals & Croft. Kort & James' vocals are clear and enjoyable surrounded by full volume jammin' of a blues, celtic, upbeat acoustic thang goin' on. We followed these cats 2 more times and also had the pleasure to share dinner at a table with them. How Boulder, Colorado, where Kort's from and Superior, Wisconsin where James lives, keeps this thing runnin' is beyond me, but I want to see more. They say they'll be heading to Texas in April so be on the lookout. - Houston Music Review
The wind whipped through the pines at Casey Jones Park
Pavilion all day; then just before the concert, it settled into a
gentle breeze. So began the magic of the two acoustic
musicians taking the stage. On May 26th Coyote Creek
Concerts presented Moors and McCumber. James Moors, Kort
McCumber, several acoustic guitars (6 & 12 string), a Tenor
banjo, a mandolin, a dobro, an odd 8-string instrument called
an Irish Bouzouki, and a harmonica named Fred make up the
group, Moors and McCumber.
I'd liken Moors and McCumber to the harmonies of the Everly
Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel, or Seals and Crofts. Vocally
they stand in the same caliber as those performers, but this
duo also brings a unique intimacy to their music. Listening to
their songs is like sitting by the fireplace and hearing a friend
spin tall tales, over a good scotch. The effect is very
mellowing, like a cleansing rain after a long drought.
Listening closely, I could not detect a single orphaned note the
entire night; the strings and voices intertwined, following each
other's minutest variation in perfect balance. Considering the
range of tempos in the various songs, especially involving the
upbeat banjo licks, that was quite an accomplishment.
This is acoustic music at its finest; audiences can actually
"hear the words" rather than being assaulted by overhyped
volume. With acoustic music, individual notes ring true rather
than being swallowed in a clutter of noise. While the "live"
Moors and McCumber experience is preferred, their CDs also
eschew the temptation of over-producing their artistry into a
bland mass-produced electronic goulash. What you hear live is
surprisingly close to the recordings -- a quality one hopes they
do not lose in the future.
The music of Moors and McCumber reflects many influences; a
little blues, some blue-grass, a little Smokey Hills, and a skosh
of Celtic to round out the mix. Tossed together you get
Americana styling's made exceptional by the blend of their
excellent harmonies and exquisite instrumentation. This ain't
your daddy's jug-band, these guys are talented and brilliant
Review: Moors and McCumber at Coyote Creek Concerts
musicians who are definitely worth following. As songwriters,
vocalist, and instrumentalist they've got the whole package.
If you missed the concert it is truly your loss. Buy a CD
(www.moorsandmccumber.com), have a glass of wine, and
chill out for awhile.
Coyote Creek Concerts continues a fine tradition of bringing
outstanding "live" music to Elbert County. Kudos! - New- Plains
Through a chance meeting at the 2005 Rocky Mountain Folk
Festival, singers/songwriters James Moors and Kort McCumber,
participants in the event, discovered common musical interests that
quickly led to collaboration. Four years and two ongoing successful
solo careers later, they finally recorded their debut, simply titled
Moors and McCumber.
Instrumentally, Moors sticks mostly to acoustic guitar, while
McCumber adds acoustic guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, banjo,
harmonica, piano, dobro, upright bass and cello to his list. The latter
two instruments “will not be welcome on this tour,” Moors laughs,
as the two are traveling in an RV that is already packed with gear.
James Moors spoke to verge about working together, working apart,
the true craft of songwriting and the real meaning of folk music.
VERGE: When you met, what made you
sense that this could be a successful musical
partnership?
MOORS: We were playing at this folk fest, and
people sit around at night swapping songs. It
was my turn to play and Kort thought I was
the real deal. He played his bouzouki over my
song and I thought, “That sounds great.” We
started talking, it turned out we were both
booked at Sundance for the next January, so I
invited him to accompany me. He plays great
harmony. The next summer, in 2006, I was
working on a recording, and touring where he
lives in Colorado. He helped me finish some
arrangements and we decided to do some
shows together. People loved it, so we decided
to record an album and take our show on the
road with the theme behind it. That’s when we
started working together.
VERGE: What do you bring out in each other
as writers, performers and musicians?
MOORS: It has elevated both of our games.
My musicianship has grown tenfold. There
are things that I can do with instruments from
playing with a different person and taking
on a different role. As a singer/songwriter
you’re more of a percussionist and as a side
guy you’re more melodic. His writing and co-
writing abilities have grown quite a bit. Things
that we do as a duo create a more definitive
performance by doing less and constantly
learning that less is more.
VERGE: How important is jamming in folk
music?
MOORS: In folk music, by definition, it is the
folks that matter; the congregating and sharing
of traditional or contemporary songs is so
much fun. It is enjoyable to share and listen
to other people’s ideas. There is camaraderie
in folk and bluegrass music because these are
unamplified instruments that you can take to
a campfire and share music.
VERGE: How has the partnership grown over
five years?
MOORS Our families are intertwined, and not
everything we do revolves around music. We
help each other quite a bit with perspective
outside of music, and more than anything,
we’re like brothers.
VERGE: Why did it take so long to release a
CD?
MOORS: . I guess it took a long time because of
finances and not thinking of it as our entity. We
thought of each other as each other’s sideman,
and then we thought, Why not do this as a duo
and take it out as a separate entity.
VERGE: When did you begin recording and
selecting the material? How did you decide
which ones would make the cut?
MOORS: We took songs that we had written
together, and added a Steve Earle cover and
three that I had written. Kort and I sit down
every morning after a gig and talk about what
went on, what went well, and we’re both a good
gauge of what sucks and what roads we don’t
want to go down! We write at a good clip, and
the nice thing is that if it doesn’t work here, we
can do it solo.
VERGE: What do the solo and duo projects
individually fulfill?
MOORS: In the duo there’s the camaraderie
and mingling of voices. What sets us apart is
the songwriting and singing. On the solo side
it’s songwriting, songwriting, songwriting.
Getting to perform them and then getting
positive feedback from the audiences makes
you know you’re not a crazy person and that
the way you see the world rings true for other
people!
VERGE: How does this genre of music sell
itself?
MOORS: 90 percent of our CD sales come
from playing shows. I have noticed that my
sales have gone up in the past few years as the
KORT MCCUMBER (left) and JAMES MOORS (right)
industry has gone down. There is something
about the personal connection, and maybe
people following singer/songwriters want
tangible product. John Gorka was telling me
that when he started it was all cassettes. The
relevance of social media, he said, as much
time as you have to spend on these things
and trying to go viral, nothing moves as fast
as having a great song, performing it well,
having people hear it and then telling all their
friends.
by ALISON RICHTER - The Verge - Augusta Georgia
Discography
DISCOGRAPHY:
Moors & McCumber - 2009
Gravity - 2012
Against the Grain - 2013
Pandemonium - 2015
Photos
Bio
James Moors and Kort McCumber are an acoustic duo that crafts beautiful story songs that walk the line between rootsy folk and melodic pop. The two songwriters met at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in 2005. Sitting around a campfire swapping songs, they each heard something in the music of the other that just fit. The two have been performing and writing together ever since. Having collectively sold more than 15,000 copies of independent releases from the stage, the duo has now released two of their own full-length albums.
Based in Superior, Wisconsin, James Moors is heralded by Steve Morse, longtime Boston Globe writer, as Sharing some of the same melodic gifts of Neil Finn, enhanced by a warm-hearted spirit that makes you want to hear more. Born and raised in Minneapolis, he grew up with the music of The Replacements, Soul Asylum and Prince but today draws inspiration from troubadours like Ron Sexsmith and Eliza Gilkyson. An official recipient of the prestigious McKnight Foundation Emerging Artist Grant, his songwriting has been recognized three years in a row by the Big Top Chautauqua competition.
A talented multi-instrumentalist, Colorado artist Kort McCumber plays a variety of instruments (guitar, banjo, fiddle, cello, mandolin, harmonica, piano, Irish Bouzouki, accordion, Weissenborn) in his own brand of Americana that is one part rock and blues, two parts country-bluegrass and all parts McCumber. But it is his songwriting abilities that have made him a Colorado favorite and garnered him national and international recognition. He won last years Flat Rock Festival Songwriting Competition in North Carolina and was a finalist in this years International Songwriting Competition.
Although successful solo songwriters, Moors & McCumber discovered that their music together is more than the sum of the parts. Embracing a bigger sound than most duos, they switch up instruments on almost every song (playing guitar, mandolin, piano, Irish bouzouki, fiddle, harmonica, cello, 12-string guitar and Dobro), creating catchy melodies that are big, bright and electrifying to watch live.
Moors & McCumber are on tour now, supporting their new album Gravity.
Squarely rooted in Americana music, the new Moors & McCumber release Gravity weaves fine storytelling with an infectious, melodic mix of folk, bluegrass and acoustic pop sounds. Recorded November 14-16, 2011 in Middletown Springs, Vermont, the album highlights James Moors and Kort McCumbers instrumental virtuosity. Other than a few guest musicians who played on their Irish immigrant ballad Leaving for Cobh, the album features all parts played and sung by Moors & McCumber, giving a clear picture of what their live shows are like. Featuring almost all originals, highlights include Gravity, Quick As I Can, Nothing But Blue, and their cover of 3,000 Miles, paying tribute to one of their songwriting heroes Ellis Paul.
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