Beth IsBell and Holly Wood – Live in California (Album Review)

Sometimes, artists like to take a step back from concocting new potions (in the form of songs) and present their artistry through collaboration and displaying their own influences. Some of them do tributes, and some of them perform this act in the form of presenting music acoustically. Today’s album will combine two of these aspects, with the artists Beth Isbell from BeThisBell as well as Holly Wood aka Holly Murphy, one of the pianists that has been featured on BeThisBell’s albums. The two of them form a powerful songwriting duo who perform original jazz poetry improvisation and their favourite modern and classic rock cover songs. Beth graces the duo with her skill in playing the acoustic guitar and Holly plays the piano. Beth also writes and performs original poetry, while Holly plays jazz piano underneath the quilt of poetry.

Beth has been featured numerous times on this platform, here and here. She is a 2013 graduate of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO) in Oklahoma City, OK with an AA degree in music performance and a BAT in music/sound technology. She has been in several notable bands including her alt rock band BeThisBell, The Dead Prophets, Big Mama Acid and the Cosmic Argonauts, ?Question Everything?,and recently was the lead guitarist in the band The Colour Green. She currently has a new band project in Humboldt County, CA, where she lives, “Redwood Revolution” performing original and cover modern alternative/college rock. Beth has also written and published books of poetry and a children’s book about snot.

Holly Murphy (aka Holly Wood) studied classical piano from age 4 to 18 under the direction of Ernestine Scott (adjunct professor at Oklahoma City University). Murphy has been playing and singing professionally since 2000 and received her first job performing jazz piano at Mama Lucia’s, a family owned Italian restaurant from 2000-2004. She performed along side multi-Grammy award nominee David B. Hooten, owner of Mama Lucia’s. Murphy currently performs solo as well as with her female duo, Everybody Else’s Girl in Oklahoma City. Holly is known for converting popular songs into humorous lounge covers, and was recently honored by KFOR Ch. 4 in OKC with a “Pay It Forward” award for her community work performing music shows for seniors and the disabled.

The project’s latest release is 2024’s “Live in California”, a live recording of a show at Witz End Live in Venice Beach, CA. There is a video of this full show. This is intended to be both an audio and video album with a full live video of it on YouTube.

Upon listening to this recording, I have to say that it just doesn’t hit the same as the rest of Beth IsBell’s releases, including former collaborations with Holly Wood. There is an intent behind the more unplugged, unvarnished version of their artistry, giving audiences a more raw, and real feel but it does serve as a stark difference compared to the typically elaborate and intense compositions involving Beth’s artistry.

I have to commend Beth’s authentically raspy and emotionally-pained tone, giving some of these cover songs a touch of personalization to it. Holly Wood’s semi-operatic voice also helps to give these performances a bit of dimension and lush artistry, while also contrasting Beth’s tone. Her piano work also gives the performances more of a showtimey feel, which definitely changes the way the songs are perceived.

The weaker parts of the recording involve the emphasis of covers. I definitely can’t speak for all, but when you’re an artist sometimes you do have to fight for people to recognise your work. The amount of cover songs this included almost puzzled me, as I typically regard Beth as an original artist, and a lot of these songs covered have been covered to the nth degree. I know I may be overlooking the significance of covering these songs, but that is the bitter truth. I think the type of songs that have been covered in this instance are overly played and propagated, to the point where even lush piano and a pure intent can’t truly save it.

Speaking of saving, the saving grace of this recording definitely revolves around the jazz poetry pieces that both Beth and Holly play. They are filled with jazz intonation and a soundscape that I haven’t necessarily heard before. It sounds authentic, fresh and delicate- all traits that people tend to look for with newer musical acts. ‘The Mantis and The Whale’ comes to mind, with its exceptional chord structure and shiny timbre. I personally think that song has the ability to wake people up, due to its composition and format. It also oozes originality, which is a plus point.

I can’t say that either of the artists are incompetent, because that is the furthest thing from what they are. However, a lot of the songs performed on this did not personally excite me. Another plus point of this recording is the track ‘I Just Can’t Let You Go’, which operates as a heartfelt and intricate seance to a love that is marked by personal strife and the other person’s perspective. It oscillates from dainty to erupting in motions of frustration, leaving the audience with a truly dynamic performance piece.

All of the original works in this recording definitely shine, but I can’t quite meet the covered songs with the same amount of enthusiasm. Granted, I admit that this may be just me, and I know there is a market for these artists to satisfy both niches of covers and original work, there is obviously an audience in the background intending to witness such a wonderful culmination of artistry by two artists. With that being said, I think there’s room for improvement in terms of a setlist that can be fully engaging. Otherwise, both Beth and Holly tend to utterly shine with their wonderful ability to synthesize ideas into a formidable body of work.

Score/Good: Beth Isbell and Holly Wood venture into a novel way of presenting their artistry by releasing a recording of live performances. Even though they stun with musical variability and wonderful tones, I personally found the covers overrated just merely because of how the songs they’ve chosen have been overly covered. Otherwise, all original tracks performed show a wonderful ability to compose, and write poetry as well. The two of them form a wonderful, beautiful team when combined.

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