Marc Cohn: Join The Parade : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

A divorce, being shot in the head during a car-jacking, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina: All those events inform the new album by singer-songwriter Marc Cohn. If all you know of Cohn is the overblown soul of “Walking in Memphis,”the 1991 hit that won him a Best New Artist Grammy, the ten songs on Parade will surprise you. He remains obsessed by American roots music -- ”Listening to Levon” is a tribute to the Band’s Levon Helm, “The Calling (Charlie Christian’s Tune)” nods to the legendary jazz guitarist. But the references seem earned, essential to Cohn’s effort to comprehend the breakages in his life and in the culture around him. Cohn and guitarist Charlie Sexton co-produce, and a host of top-flight players (guitarist Danny Kortchmar and drummer Jim Keltner, among them) perfectly submerge their talents into these songs. But this album is finally all Cohn’s --one man’s expression of gratitude for his life as well as his determination to make that life meaningful.