David Shepherd Grossman's Stumbling Off 6th Street is, like the previous dozen or so collections from the Valley's own troubadour, a strong and often stirring song cycle. Grossman, who performs on New Year's Eve at Michael's at the Citadel in Scottsdale, has a fondness for musical melancholia, but he never comes off as self-indulgent. He balances downbeat lyrics with a sly wit and an observant eye for detail. Musically, this album ranges from folky earnestness to laid-back, almost Dire Straits-ish groove. Mix in just a hint of country with the addition of Tommy Bleu's pedal steel playing and this is a graceful and rewarding listen.
David Shepherd Grossman's Stumbling Off 6th Street.
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Scheduled to perform on Sunday, December 31. Showtime is 7 p.m.; for reservations call 480-515-2575.
Michael's at the Citadel, 8700 East Pinnacle Peak Road in Scottsdale
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The title track is a vivid recitation of a day in the life of a homeless person just trying to get by. Its narrator sings in a matter-of-fact tone that never descends to self-pity. After moving from doorway to doorway just waiting for the sunrise comes this simple observation, "There are too many nights in this town."
This album also showcases DSG's strengths as an interpreter of other writers' material. The version of Ralph McTell's "Jesus Wept" is a straightforward reading which allows the song to speak for itself. A spare guitar and vocal arrangement never calls attention to itself, thereby focusing the listener on McTell's indictment of man's many misdeeds in the name of religion.
Yet fine as the songs are, they aren't the whole story on Stumbling Off 6th Street. This release is a "CD Plus" with enough goodies -- or, as digital aficionados call them, "bells and whistles" -- to fill a DVD.
Slap Stumbling . . . into your computer and enjoy Grossman's wacky, playful innovations: To begin with, there's a live video version of this album's "Branding Farm" recorded at Joe's Grotto. There are slide shows with dozens of pictures from throughout Grossman's career.
But these are conventional extras compared with the flourishes that follow, like the new interactive game craze that is sweeping the nation, "Which Car Is Dave Sleeping In?". Click on pictures of a variety of junkyard-worthy old beaters. If you click wrong, you get a glimpse of some other disreputable type who's crashing there instead. And when you finally click right, it gains you access to Stumbling Off 6th Street's most audacious feature -- get this -- the entire text of Grossman's autobiographical novel Six Months.
The book is an entertaining, funny and occasionally disturbing read. Grossman pulls no punches as he details the ups and downs of a fascinating career that has seen our boy on the road since his young teens. His (often unfortunately self-inflicted) misfortunes include prison time and institutionalization. It's a serious story, told here with a lot of self-aware humor.
Stumbling Off 6th Street is available at www.davidgrossman.com and at most local record stores.
