Tristan Israel is a unique singer/songwriter who has performed and recorded since the 1970s. He first arrived and worked summers on the island in the late sixties and has lived here for about 50 years.
Brought up near New York City, Israel was exposed at an early age to musicals on Broadway, the Village Folk Scene, Jazz at the Vanguard, and Rock and Roll at the Brooklyn Fox. Many artists influenced Tristan in his early years including Pete Seeger and the Weavers, Ray Charles, Benny King, The Everly Brothers, the Shirelles, the Staple Sisters, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and countless others.
In the early 70’s Israel played in a band with his brother Ron called “The Pencil Tappers” based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They performed original tunes in the clubs around Harvard Square and the surrounding area.
Nowadays, he lives on Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts, where he is active in local government, social causes, and landscaping. He was a selectman in Tisbury for 24 years, and is currently on the Dukes County Commission. He is also very supportive of the local island music scene.
The Tristan Israel Band consists of Israel on vocals, and guitar, (he also adds harmonica on “Water Over the Dam”), Paul Thurlow on bass, electric guitar, vocal harmonies, piano and percussion, and Nancy Jephcote on the violin/fiddle (she also adds piano on “Galicia”). Thurlow and Jephcote are both well known Island musicians who have played in many different bands on the island, the best known being The Flying Elbows.
Other musicians who contributed to the album are: Mike Israel (Tristan’s younger brother) who is a well-known percussionist on the west coast, and has backed up and toured with many renowned musicians. On “Snake Hallow,” Mike plays drums on the song, “Snake Hollow”, “House Always Wins” and “When I Die”. Phil Spillane also plays harmonica on the CD, in “When I Die”, “No Steal” and “On Our Way”.
“Snake Hollow” was recorded in West Tisbury, by Paul Thurlow. The lyrics are lyrical and well conceived. The song “Snake Hollow,” pays homage to Israel’s home and the surrounding natural environment. It’s a catchy, up beat tune, accented with some nice fiddle and an electric guitar solo that fits the song perfectly. “Massachusetts” which sounds like a Bob Dylan song in its lyrics and delivery, has a subtle bent to its lyrics, and could be a state anthem.
Heading in another direction, “House Always Wins” has a nice groove, and is a catchy blues tune with a blunt message that is contained in the title. The fiddle on this song is also reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s “Hurricane”. “Virginia,” a song that Israel wrote and recorded many years ago, explores a dream of rekindling an old relationship from many years ago. He wanted to re-record it with Jephcote on violin to add rich, lyrical tones to the song.
“Gotta Believe” has a soul/funk feel to it, and was co-written by Rich Levinson a bass player from California. The song was born via Zoom during the Covid year, when a group of musicians from around the country came together online and exchanged ideas, music and friendship. Levinson came up with the idea for the song when he was separated from someone he loved due to the pandemic. The song “Astrolabe” with its well-timed pauses, and Jephcote’s strikingly beautiful violin playing, is about an ancient seafarer’s navigational tool. “When I Die” provides a humorous (and hopeful) look at what heaven could and should be like. It includes some nice fiddle playing and throaty harmonica that intertwine and play off the vocals throughout the song.
The idea for “Monarchs on Milkweed Leaving Aquinnah” was born when Israel saw a shrub with hundreds of what he thought were orange flowers, only to realize when he got closer, that it was actually hundreds of Monarch butterflies. The song has the author lamenting on the long southerly journey that these beautiful creatures take every year down to Mexico.
There are many highlights to Israel’s latest album and many topics are covered. “The Crow” was inspired by Franz Kafka. “Galicia” takes the music in a surprising other direction. It speaks to the past, but the message delivered is painfully current. The dramatic klezmer-like accompaniment that Israel’s band members Thurlow and Jephcote recorded on the track is dramatic, evocative and unique sounding. “On Our Way” is a fun Gospel/Blues song with some really playful harmonica that provides a perfect way to close out the album.
Overall, the wide ranging virtuosity of the instrumentation helps to support the many themes of Tristan’s creative world. The songs, woven around Israel’s lyrics, melodies, and guitar stylings, allow the band to create a rich, distinct musical environment. “Snake Hollow” is Israel’s fourth album, and may well be his best. Although he is continuing to create new music at his home in Snake Hollow.
Have a listen, buy and follow on BandCamp.
