Lost Voices

Tim Stafford and Thomm Jutz have delivered us a real gem here. Lost Voices is an album over a hundred years in the making, spun of tales that are distant, yet closely connected. It is a record that has traveled the land through mountains and heart worn highways of America. With the exception of the title track, written with the help of Charlie Stell, this album is entirely written by Stafford and Jutz.

Regular readers of BU may recall Micheal Brantley singing Stafford’s praise in the February 2018 issue; I would be remiss not to do the same. I admit that I wasn’t familiar with Stafford or Jutz (pronounced Yootz), but  after a couple of songs I was thoroughly engaged with their singing and playing. And the writing! It’s melancholy, poignant and reminiscent of the greats—yet original and new at the same time. Jutz and Stafford have cleverly woven tradition, lore and so much more into this record.

Accompanying Stafford and Jutz are Grammy winning Mark Fain on upright bass, Shaun Robertson on mandolin, Ron Block on banjo, Tammy Rogers on fiddle, and the beautiful voice of Dale Ann Bradley on “Callie Lou,” a song inspired by Harriette Arnow’s novel The Dollmaker. All these folks are icing on the cake to the masterful rapport between Stafford and Jutz, who will surely add to their acclaim with this work of art. And regarding the rich, informative history of these songs I’d say let the Coen Brothers hear this—it’s already a screenplay in the making!

It’s certainly worth a look into the endeavors of any of these artists, judging by Lost Voices we can certainly expect greatness from them. Tim Stafford is a former member of Alison Krauss and Union Station as well as founding member of the much-celebrated band Blue Highway. Thomm Jutz was born on Germany and developed a love for country music from a very young age. Currently he resides near Nashville, Tennessee where this album was recorded in his log cabin studio.