PREVIOUS ISSUES : CULTURE : Music Last Updated: April 23, 2008 - 10:05 AM   Jono Manson: November By Patricia Sauthoff Published: March 19, 2008   Email this article   Printer friendly page   Three seconds into November, Jono Manson makes one thing clear: The party has begun. November is the latest release from a prolific singer-songwriter who has reason to celebrate. Manson, who splits his time between Santa Fe and Italy, has built a career out of making people happy while they dance. Not too shabby. The music is a mix of blues, roots and rock that has touches of jam-band flair. Manson’s songs are tight, polished and include the masterful musicianship of Santa Feans such as Mark Clark, Sharon Gilchrist and Chris Ishee. Lyrically November is an odd mix of political and playful. “The Power of One” is a little too literal of a battle cry to “change the world, if only you believe enough to try,” though it’s refreshing to not bury a message too deeply in metaphor. “Rolling Down the Highway,” on the other hand, is an old-fashioned story that harkens back to 1950s road movies. The balance makes the album neither hokey fluff nor over-politicized soapboxing. Manson isn’t breaking new ground with November; he carries on the tradition of light-hearted, yet intelligent, driving music that he’s been helping to create, as a songwriter and producer, since the early 1990s. JONO MANSON November Club de Musique Records © Copyright 2000-2008 by the Santa Fe Reporter Save This Page to del.icio.us Top of Page