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HEARTSFIELD'S BACK: THE WONDER OF IT ALL (AGAIN!)

by Eric Steiner

     HEARTSFIELD... has always been one of my favorite Midwestern bands.
Twenty-five years ago, they were one of the brightest spots in a
constellation of acts that were not quite country or not quite rock. In the
'70s, bands like Buckacre, McKendree Spring, Mason Proffitt, and Pure Prairie
League all attracted large Midwestern followings, but few bands could match
the unique Heartsfield sound.

    That sound is a fresh blend of harmonies, guitars, mandolins and banjos,
with a harmonica thrown in for good measure. Not to mention positive songs
that celebrate life instead of wallow in self-pity and depression. Good time
music. In a word, positive American music.

    I caught up with Heartsfield co-founder Perry Jordan by phone as he took
a break from the studio. Jordan and a talented new line-up, Heartsfield is
recording its fifth CD, which will be released on Bedrock Records next month.

   "I don't know how to explain this resurgence of country music," Perry
said. "I'm not talking about the 'cookie cutter' approach to country, but
more about roots music or Americana. I'd like to believe that there is a
hunger for a more positive type of original music out there."

    As he talked about a return to America's musical roots, he mentioned
another great Midwestern singer-songwriter, John Mellencamp, who has helped
redefine country rock.

    "I left the music business for about ten years and tried to lead a normal
life," he said. "In that time, I ran a couple of successful businesses here
in the Chicago area, but I began to get more and more unhappy as time went
on. My heart was always in writing and making music with Heartsfield. About
a year and a half ago, I turned to my wife and said, 'if this is all there is
to living, you might as well put me in my grave right now.' I had missed
making music that much."

    As Perry considered re-launching a musical career, St. Louis' Bedrock
Records had re-released two Heartsfield discs, "The Wonder of It All" and
"Foolish Pleasures," originally released on Mercury Records. When those
discs were originally pressed in vinyl in the 1970's, Heartsfield was gigging
300-plus dates a year in America's largest rock arenas, opening for the likes
of The Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, and Eric Clapton.

    After ten years of life on the road, the band split amicably in the early
'80s. Perry continued his journey back to Heartsfield.

    "Thanks to the hard work of Bedrock Records, there was some desire in the
marketplace for our product, which I think is very, very positive. I asked
everybody in the original line-up to see if they would join me in recreating
Heartsfield, since there are several bands out there from the same era that
have only one or two of the band's original members. I wanted to be very
careful to do it right."

    In addition to "Foolish Pleasures" and "The Wonder of It All," there is
"Live in '75" available online from Bedrock Records at www.disconnection.com.

    I asked Perry how he achieved that unique Heartsfield sound, one that
features layers of harmony, guitar, pedal steel, dobro or banjo.

    "Heartsfield's sound was an accident of faith," he said. "We were all
raised on the music of Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, and the Rolling
Stones. We really enjoyed the texture of that era and tried to capture it
live and on record."

    He also had a recipe for success that all live bands should follow.

      "I like adding different instruments as we work through our set," said
Jordan. "If a band plays the same style of music during the entire set, the
songs all start to sound the same. Whether we add a pedal steel, banjo or
mandolin, it is nice to keep the sound fresh throughout the evening. In the
fourth or fifth song, we might add a dobro or a harmonica, and these
instruments add to the texture of the show. My obligation to the audience is
help them feel entertained, and both the original and new Heartsfield will
definitely do that."

    The new Heartsfield has played to rave reviews this year, particularly at
the Taste of Chicago, and at Navy Pier. Phil Lucafo, J.C. Hartsfield and
Perry, three original members of the band, shared the stage at this year's
Harborfest in South Haven, Michigan. Those are some pretty big shoes to
fill, but Perry worked hard at getting it right.

    Perry auditioned 40 or 50 musicians for the newest Heartsfield line-up.
    "I took meticulous care in selecting players that had the right
approach," he said. "I wanted to get musicians who had the right attitude
and who understood that this is very big responsibility. I particularly
looked for musicians who were into roots-rock or Americana music."

    Fellow co-founder J.C. Hartsfield will join Perry and the new line-up in
the studio for the new CD, which will debut in St. Louis and Chicago in
December, with a national release slated for February next year. The new
release features new material, but brings back two Heartsfield classics:
"Music Eyes" and "Just That Wind."   "Music Eyes" was one of Heartsfield's
most popular tunes, having reached #95 on the Billboard singles chart in
1974.

    The new Heartsfield features Steve Eddington (ex-New Colony Six) on bass
and vocals; Timothy Southwick Johnson on vocals, guitar, mandolin and
harmonica; John Brightwell on vocals, banjo, guitar and mandolin; David
Nelson on vocals, dobro, guitar and banjo; and Scott Bonshire on drums and
percussion. Add Perry Jordan to that line-up with his considerable
songwriting and guitar talent and you've got Heartsfield history in the
making.

    Special guests on the new release include Chicago harmonica legend Corky
Siegel, who was a driving force behind the Siegel-Schwall Band, a mainstay of
the Chicago '70s blues scene at clubs like The Quiet Knight at 953 West
Belmont (953 West also happens to be the title of one of their best releases
on Wooden Nickel). Corky's since gone on to playing the blues with a chamber
orchestra, and plays occasionally with Jim Schwall during Siegel-Schwall
blues reunions.

    "We were in the middle of a 15-day recording stint in the studio," said
Perry. "I wanted to clear my head a little and took my dog for a walk in the
woods. The leaves were turning orange, the air was a little crisp, and I had
a tape of Corky playing "Forever Has An End" from our demo tape. It was just
Corky and his harp and I could hear every moan and every note as he played.
I was in the realm of a master, and I am very happy he's on this record."

    The new line-up has played about dozen shows in the greater Chicago area
this year and Jordan is looking forward to playing The Duck Room in St.
Louis, home to one of the world's largest collection of Chuck Berry
memorabilia, a veritable museum to the man who made "Maybelline" and his
trademark "duck walk" famous. Later this month, Heartsfield will play The
Shack in Mundelein on Nov. 17th and return to Rory's in Addison on Nov. 25th.

    Heartsfield's back, in a big way. For updates on the upcoming release,
surf on over to the official Heartsfield website, www.heartsfield.com.
There's a wealth of information there, including a new collector's CD, "The
Writer's Tapes," and photos of the band (then and now). Fans of the original
line-up won't be disappointed, and newcomers will warm to Heartsfield's
ascendant once again.

    After twenty-five years, I look forward to the positive music of "The
Wonder of It All" again, thanks to Perry Jordan and Heartsfield.