Review of Keep Moving

	*Keep Moving* by NICK FARR
High Road to Melody by RJ Lannan
True story: On a road trip from Glasgow, Kentucky to Columbus, Ohio, my truck started acting up and the engine light came on and off frequently. With the engine sputtering, I drove it to the nearest dealer and told the service manager my problem. With a deadpan look, he said two words. “Keep Moving.” He noticed my reaction and quickly added that it was bad gasoline and the problem would quickly resolve itself. Nick Farr has a new album and my advice to you is to listen to Keep Moving. Farr’s lucky number must be twelve. His five previous albums had twelve tracks and *Keep Moving* upholds the tradition. Farr takes New Age, jazz and adult contemporary genres, throws them into his musical sidecar, revs the engine and takes us on an upbeat cross country trip. This trip is going to be fun! Joining him on the excursion is Leah Golden on flute, long time hero Lyman Golden on electric and acoustic guitars, Allan Nowell on alto and soprano sax and Roger White on trumpet. Keep Moving, the title track is a jazzy, energetic sortie to get your road trip started. Golden’s expressive guitar licks urge you in a forward motion while the rest of the ensemble maintains the pace. Farr’s piano blends in with the sax and the composition rolls smoothly down the road. It is an exciting intro to the rest of the album. Taking a quiet dusty back road, we come to a song called *The Porch That Was. The tempo slows a bit as we visit with old friends and make new ones. Counting the cars, sipping sweet tea and just remembering when is the feeling you get when you pull up a cane bottomed-chair or sit on the swing for a while. Farr has a warm, happy introduction and Nowell’s joyful sax allows you to take respite from your journey. Friends always welcome here! Back on the road again with the tune Once In A Great While. We take to Interstate I-40 and watch the scenery as we head for our destination. Then, at a roadside diner, you walk into the picture. There you are with those sleepy blue eyes and that funny smile. Can I get to know you? Nick’s piano takes the lead on this one. The song has a wonderful flow and once again provides musical movement. It is a feature I like most about the whole album. You are always moving ahead. Just a little sunnier, a bit more laid back and a feeling of contentment is found on the track Southern Exposure. The melody is so strong that Farr could have done this song as a solo piano composition, but he chose to add the rest of the band. The music captures a snapshot of life in the south that is busy, yet fulfilling. And like I said, a bit laid back. Almost at the end of our journey, we come to Wintergreen. Sitting in the motel room watching out the window as the snow falls on the row of cedar trees. We have to wait out the storm, but the beauty of it all reminds us that every journey comes to an end. Leah Golden’s flute sings a sad sweet song as the twinkling notes from the piano fall like snowflakes. Nick Farr* is a native of South Carolina. He climbed up on the piano at age five and eventually, he was proficient enough to get a college music scholarship. He is classically trained and he enjoys composition work that blends piano with ensemble. Keep Moving shows his style as energetic and enduring. The mix on the album is warm, evocative and lighthearted. Farr got the idea for the album title when he saw a sign that read Keep Moving - Change Lanes Later. It has become his inspiration. I can read the signs too. The one I see says Keep Moving - Better Life Ahead. - reviewed by RJ Lannan on 9/17/2004