Defy Domestication

After receiving critical acclaim for his work with Garry & The Moodswingers, Garry Segal is entering the realm of solo act, well, sort of. Taking Notes, his 2008 solo debut, is a collection of Segal’s original compositions, but he is accompanied on the album (and often in live shows) by the To Dye For Band. The band is a collaboration of friends Segal has amassed over his 25 year playing career, and the collective credentials are astonishing; to name a few: Jeff Pevar from Crosby Stills & Nash and Phil Lesh & Friends, Phil Rosenthal from Seldom Scene, saxophonist Collin Tilton from Van Morrison’s Moondance, and Grammy Award winning dobro player Stacey Phillips. Segal adds vocals and acoustic guitar for all the tracks on the album, along with a bit of his renowned harmonica playing on “Cartwheels” and “Everything’s Jake.”

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A few days ago, a friend gave me a “Grow A Buddha” she’d found in a little hippie shop in a seaside Rhode Island town. I must have spent hours marveling at the tan figurine as it grew to 600% its original size. So, it seems coincidental later that evening I would be reviewing – and listening to on constant repeat long after this critique was finished - a band called Red Plastic Buddha. Neither the toy or the record evoked any sort of religious experience but Sunflower Sessions, the bands debut record released on Spade Kitty Records, was a pleasant surprise.
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