‘Tatnic Tales’ by Dan Blakeslee
Dan Blakeslee’s new CD is endowed with all the warmth, sturdiness and tradition of the old North Berwick barn in which it was recorded. The album’s title refers to the Tatnic woods, located on the outskirts of his native South Berwick, Maine. It’s a highly personal recording for Blakeslee, and one that validates his status as one of the Seacoast’s most cherished musicians.

Blakeslee’s band consists of himself on guitar and vocals, Jim Rudolf on drums and Nick Phaneuf on bass, along with Jon Nolan on pedal steel, Joseph Arnold on fiddle, Mike Effenberger on piano and Jonathan Blakeslee on upright bass.

The natural rapport between these musicians is evident throughout. Every note is infused with heartfelt energy, producing a sound with the casual comfort of a folk jamboree and the tight precision of a professional recording. Blakeslee’s wavering vocals and poetic lyrics power all 10 original songs.

“Love, like a bonfire, a burning flame that will never disappear. / Love, like a deaf child, I scream so loud and yet she doesn’t hear,” he sings in “Lazy Eyed Girl.”

The CD also features subtle touches that enhance its homespun character, like the sound of a train at the end of “Wizard nor a King,” or the hushed laughter at the beginning of “Girl from Baltimore.”

Blakeslee played a CD release show to an enthusiastic crowd at The Press Room in Portsmouth in September. Among those in attendance was his mother, to whom the touching “Shifting of the Sand” is dedicated.
Visit www.danblakeslee.com or www.myspace.com/danblakeslee.

‘Escape’ by Skee
Following up on 2008’s “Relentless,” hip-hop artist Skee (Seacoast resident Aaron Ward) has released an ambitious new 14-track album. He wastes no time in letting listeners know he’s serious about his music.
“When I said I was relentless I meant this / I ain’t quittin’ for nothing, feel my potential is endless,” he raps in the opening track, “Intro.”

Skee is a skilled rapper, spitting out lyrics rapidly and enunciating every syllable with confidence, especially in the aptly named “Speed of Sound.” He used three different beat makers (Pro Bangers, Maclinear, and Wendell Williams), who manufacture an eclectic array of inventive beats from start to finish. Skee also roped in a few guest performers on certain tracks, including a couple of female vocalists.

The lyrics are generally positive and encouraging, but Skee also criticizes the government and other system conventions, scrutinizing everything from bank bailouts to foreign wars in “Fuse Lit.” He occasionally vents his frustration, even scrutinizing his own artistic process in “Writer’s Block.”

There’s an impressive volume of thoughtful, original lyrics on “Escape,” and Skee’s passion for his craft is clear. Still, 14 tracks put considerable demand on a listener’s attention span, and he might have benefited from cutting this one off after nine or 10. But the disc ends with a nice tribute to his wife, titled “Smile.”

Skee played a CD release show at the Redhook Ale Brewery in September, and he’s already planning to unveil another CD late in 2011. A video for “Escape” is available on YouTube. Visit www.skeemusic.net or www.myspace.com/skeebone.

Sandra Koski by Sandra Koski
A guitarist since age 12, singer-songwriter Sandra Koski has busked in the subways of New York, played at open mikes in Nashville, entertained guests at hostels in Flagstaff, and performed at gigs around the Seacoast. But her new self-titled CD of 11 original songs marks her first solo album.

Born in South Carolina, Koski lived in Georgia and Kansas before moving to New Hampshire in the 1960s. The first track on her new CD, a soft folk tune titled “Coffee Houses,” describes the atmosphere she encountered here: “Sang my heart out, then new worlds were drifting in / at downtown coffee houses, coast of New England / in a city on a river near the sea.”

Koski is still singing her heart out, and her music captures the longstanding folk spirit of the Seacoast. Playing by her lonesome on guitar and ukulele, her songs are sparse but inspired, featuring strains of blues and jazz. Her voice is less than extraordinary, but soothing in an earthy way, and her guitar playing is warm and sprightly, as showcased in the perky instrumental tracks “For Rosetta” and “Make the Air Latin.”

All the songs on the new disc originally appeared on Koski’s four RPM Challenge recordings between 2007 and 2010. She’s fine-tuned the best tracks for a CD that’s fit for a fall day on the porch with a cup of hot cider.
Koski will play a CD release show with Kent Allyn on Saturday, Oct. 23, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Discover Portsmouth Center. Visit www.sandrakoski.com.