Bob Davoli To Release John Prine Tribute LP, ‘Hello Out There,’ Tomorrow (4/8)
Above: ‘Hello Out There’ Cover Art
BOB DAVOLI
—A SINGER-SONGWRITER SEVEN DECADES IN THE MAKING—
TO RELEASE SOPHOMORE LP
HELLO OUT THERE
AN INSPIRED TRIBUTE TO JOHN PRINE
TOMORROW, APRIL 8
ALBUM PROCEEDS GOING TO “FOOD NOT BOMBS” ORGANIZATION
NASHVILLE, TN (April 7, 2022) — Today marks the second anniversary of the passing of John Prine and tomorrow (April 8), singer-songwriter Bob Davoli will release his sophomore LP, Hello Out There — a remarkable 11-song tribute to Prine. With the deft touch of a finger-style guitarist and the heart of a ballad folk singer, Davoli recalls: “when I first heard John Prine’s eponymous first record in 1971, like many others, I was blown away by songs like ‘Sam Stone’ and ‘Hello in There.’”
“John narrated his poignant vignettes with a plain-spoken and plaintive voice — and his imagery was so compelling that you could clearly see his characters in your mind’s eye,” adds Davoli on why he chose to record an album in tribute to Prine. “He had an innate knack for finding just the right words to sculpt his stories and illuminate the essence of the emotions he seeks to convey. He wrote from his gut and aimed for your heart because that’s where most people live! His writing epitomizes the power and beauty of simplicity.”
The album’s lead single, “Sam Stone,” debuted in February with Americana Highways. It’s hard to imagine a John Prine tribute album without the song’s inclusion. Here, Davoli’s gentle tone pulls in the listener, even though Prine’s fans already know how this tale ends. His voice is weathered, it’s genuine, and the soul of his songwriting clearly comes across, backed up with supportive musicians who value a thoughtful, collaborative approach. The album also found support from The Bluegrass Situation which spotlighted “Speed of The Sound of Loneliness.” In Davoli’s weathered voice, the heaviness of Prine’s lyrics shine on the song, which marked the album’s sophomore single.
The John Prine song “Paradise” has been around for more than 50 years, its message holds firm, and its nostalgic narrative is a terrific way to open Bob Davoli’s sophomore album, Hello Out There. By choosing acoustic arrangements for these Prine classics, Davoli is putting the story front and center. And sometimes a fiddle solo brings out the sadness in a song just as much as the lyrics do.
Above: John Prine’s debut album cover artwork
To listen to Davoli’s debut three-disc album, Wistfully Yours (covered by American Songwriter, FORBES, and Music Connection, among others) is to discover an unexpected side of Davoli’s life. Professionally he’s had an astoundingly successful career in venture capital, and even appeared on the cover of Business Week in 2000. He’s been a founder and CEO of a software company, CEO of another software company, and landed on Forbes' The Midas List five times in past years. Plus he sits on 18 boards, manages 60 investments, and oversees with his wife, Eileen, the Red Elm Tree Foundation, a charitable organization that grants funds for land conservation, social justice, women’s rights, health care, and the arts. He’s donating all proceeds of this album to the Food Not Bombs organization.
These two passions – venture capital and songwriting – are more similar than one might think. Consider a financial portfolio: Each company represents an individual story, with its own idiosyncrasies and personalities, and its own creative goal. What’s more, all individuals in the company work together as a group. The same can be said for Bob Davoli’s music. The songs serve as glimpses of Davoli’s life, and as a unit, they provide a portrait of him as an artist and as a person confronting the human condition as we all must do.
The last original song that Prine would record, “I Remember Everything,” is imagined here as a duet with Kathleen Parks on the new Hello Out There, in the spirit of Prine’s own duets with women he admired. This exquisite and sincere rendition underscores Prine’s consistency as a songwriter. There isn’t much of a narrative in “Summer’s End,” but the ache in Davoli’s voice and the imagery in Prine’s writing make it a standout on this album. It can be an emotional experience to hear someone in his 70s reflecting on his “Souvenirs.”
Davoli concludes this album, Hello Out There, with one of Prine’s masterpieces, “Hello in There.” A poignant and perceptive ballad about aging, but delivered by a young narrator, it’s been recorded by the likes of Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, Jason Isbell, Bette Midler, and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings.
Tracklisting for Hello Out There:
“Paradise”
“Speed of the Sound of Loneliness”
“Far From Me”
“Sam Stone”
“I Remember Everything”
“Great Compromise”
“Summer’s End”
“Donald and Lydia”
“Souvenirs”
“Angel From Montgomery”
“Hello in There”
Above: Bob Davoli; credit Lynn DeLisi