I've been writing songs forever. I perform occaisionally, record as time and money allow, but I'm a songwriter first and always.
In addition to my 5 released albums, and the tons unreleased, I've written a lot of songs for and with Jono Manson. His cover of my song "Black Blue jeans" has been anthologized, released as a single and was featured prominently in the soundtrack of the 2001 movie "On the Borderline" (God bless those BMI checks). He's also recorded my songs "No Strings", "Joe Sawyer" and "She Don't Matter Anymore", plus songs we've co-written, like "Jackie's Dive", "Home Before Dark", "Jr. Walker Drove the Bus", "Still Ain't Figured it Out" and the novelty hit "Please Stop Playing That Didgeridoo", offending tie-dye kids the world over.
Our song "Soul Traveler" is currently being used by KIA Motors in Italy as a jingle for their new Soul. High milage at a low price!
I've recently been writing with Kerrville Festival favorite Jaime Michaels. Jaime's new album "Crooked" has 2 songs we wrote together, "Maybe Superman" and "Momentary Thing". More to follow with Jaime.
I also teach songwriting, in recent years teaching at the National Guitar Workshop's Acoustic Summit. I can work with you long distance as well as face-to-face. I can help you with all aspects of songwriting, as well as developing and focusing your creative energy.
My most recent album is "The Peaches of August" available on Club de Musique Records in Italy, or through the following sites.
"The Peaches of August" - CD now available at CD Baby site
Downloads at ITUNES site
Available in ITALIA on CLUB de MUSIQUE RECORDS site
REVIEWS
The Peaches of August
www.rootshighway.it
by Gianni Zuretti
***1/2 Stars
Da oltre 25 anni il buon Bruce Donnola, senza rumore e con la tipica modestia del personaggio schivo, scrive ottime canzoni per sé e per gli altri sbarcando il lunario nell'area di New York; il nostro amico Jono Manson che, oltre ad essere l'eccellente singer songwriter che conosciamo, è anche un produttore con i fiocchi che sempre più gode il favore di artisti e stampa, produce per la seconda volta un album di Donnola. Era già accaduto con l'apprezzato Vaudeville (1996) e a distanza di dieci anni l'accoppiata si ripropone per questo The Peaches Of August, pubblicato in Italia dalla beneamata Club de Musique, che dosa le produzioni tendendo alla qualità , per la gioia di noi musicofili compulsivi. Fatti i doverosi elogi al lavoro di tutti passiamo ad analizzare quest'opera che sin dal packaging si presenta accattivante, lasciando intuire i colori pastello delle note che ascolteremo nelle dodici canzoni. Bruce Donnola scrive ed interpreta canzoni acustiche, sorretto da un combo essenziale, costituito da musicisti a lui legati da decenni, che sanno accarezzare le melodie di questo pregiato cantautore che si muove tra le sonorità folk dei primi anni '70, spesso dalle parti di Gordon Lightfoot qualche volta da quelle di James Taylor, come risulta particolarmente evidente in Lincoln Highway, ma anche di Bruce Cockburn come avviene nella sognante Aberdeen. Tutto il disco è permeato di atmosfere rilassate che formano l'ossatura, per canzoni mature che ti entrano sotto pelle ascolto dopo ascolto e dalle quali, quasi inconsciamente, fai fatica a staccarti: come dimenticare gli arpeggi delicati e la melodia sognante di Route 17/Sunset-One?. Come accennavo anche le parti strumentali contribuiscono a rendere godibile l'opera e sono eseguite dallo stesso Bruce (guitar), dal fido Andy Resnick (Lead guitar & Mandolin), notevole il suo lavoro nella veloce e splendida Get Along Little Darling, David Hamburger (pedal steel) e lo stesso Jono Manson (guitar e back voice) nel country-folk Barlight, forse il brano più classico dell'album. Un disco "discreto", che entra in punta di piedi ma che sulla distanza ti lascia quel sapore di buon ascolto, un lavoro camaleontico che se goduto in una calda giornata estiva ti fa sentire il fluire di una solida energia e la vita pare viri dalla tua parte mentre se fruito, come per me oggi, in un triste pomeriggio di pioggia funge da stimolo all'introspezione, insomma per dirla alla mia maniera: cure termali per l'anima.
THE PEACHES OF AUGUST
www.rootstime.be
October, 2006
By Swa Braeken
* * * * 1/2 stars (13 2006 Top Albums)
Met "The Peaches of August " vaart Bruce Donnola een aangepaste muzikale koers ... geen countryrock, bluegrass met Celtic invloeden of cajun/zydeco à "Pop13" meer, maar een twaalftal rustige sfeervolle storytelling songs die het sublieme singer/songerwriters werk van Bruce in de verf zetten. Opener "Greybeard" geeft aan dat het bedrijven/beleven van de liefde met ouder worden alleen maar intenser wordt (There on your bed all alone: I swear I still know every inch of your body. Far better than I know my own) en eigenlijk na al die jaren gewoon een voortzetting is van hoe het allemaal begon ... "Golden Slippers" ... Her eyes drift round her bedroom at all her childhood things, A small glass unicorn, a windup bird that sings.She hears the things he whispers, the mystery in his sighs, She struggles as she feels the soft hem of her nightgown rise.). Met "Get Along Little Darling" (met Andy Resnick op mandolin) en "Chenango" haalt Bruce ongetwijfeld herinneringen op die een licht erotisch tintje vertonen en getuigen van een zoektocht naar het volwassen worden. ("Dooley's Flask" en "Three Roads Suite"). Met vallen en opstaan weliswaar maar het blijven gebeurtenissen ("Pretty girl, pretty dress, Pretty smile please say yes. And here's where I'll get off I guess... On this Lincoln Highway morning"), (I'm gonna get on back to Cripplegate, North is the place that keeps me whole.Beautiful angel, lift my soul) en ontmoetingen die in je geheugen geprent staan ("How I loved you in the barlight. And the way you sang with me that night. It was just a simple harmony Oh, but it was sweet as it could be"). ("Barlight", David Hamburger on pedal steel!). Schitterende songs die aantonen dat Bruce Donnola een romanticus "pur sang" is die grasduint in zijn eigen leventje ofwel de eigenaar is van een rijke, fantasievolle verbeelding. "Nautical Summer" ...
"Many girls ignored us but some were more gracious. They’d offer us a smile or a sweet thing to eat. In July the plums were not yet quite ripe, but the peaches of August were tender and sweet."
Schitterend overwegend akoestisch album dat beslist hoge ogen gaat gooien en voor mijn part kan wedijveren met het betere werk van Gordon Lightfoot, Pete Seeger,James Taylor, Jim Croce. Het heeft een tijdje geduurd ... maar het was de moeite waard om te wachten en blijven geloven in Bruce Donnola ...
"Vaudeville" Reviews
Mick Skidmore, Relix Magazine-
Bruce Donnola writes pretty damn good songs. The 14 cuts on "Vaudeville" are a little meatier than what you would expect from your average guitar-toting singer/songwriter. "Towards Alberta" has an endearing roots feel, while "Definition" is reminiscent of The Band. Better still are the country-rock tones of "Gratitude" and the eloquent, folky "Fedora," which has a country-bluegrass sound mixed with a slight Celtic twist.
Swa Braeken, ROOTSTIME-
His material can effortlessly compete with the best work of Dylan, Young, Gordon Lightfoot and James Taylor. This is an album to cherish. Some real gems: "Joe Sawyer", "Tomorrow We Live", "No Strings", the very professional and lovely country rockers "Longitude" and "Gratitude" with David Hamburger on dobro and the master himself on bottleneck guitar.
