Peggy Watson: Press

On her sixth album, folk music master Peggy Watson delivers a masterpiece. With acoustic guitars, bass, and a little percussion, Watson and her all-star band create an atmosphere of warmth and space lesser folk bands can only dream of. And in her lyrics, Watson takes the time to let truths reveal themselves.
It would be easy to compare her voice to other folk icons like Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell, but no one can sing like Peggy Watson. Unabashedly timeless, she has found the vein of gold in her own instrument, and we all fall back dazzled.
Again and again Watson finds a way, with a turn of phrase or a melody, to encapsulate and convey the mysterious center of things where categories and definitions slip away. In the gentle front-porch sway of the album opener, "The Moon is Full Tonight," she blurs the juxtapositions between banality, depression, and celestial transcendence so that you don't know where the heartache ends and the ecstasy begins
Another standout in a string of gems is "This is Love," a reverent prayer to an old love, which is really a song about surrendering to truths you can't change. Watson effortlessly synthesizes the contradictions of loss and grace, longing and acceptance in a ballad of luminous beauty, which is what elevates this album far beyond "folk music" to the status of masterpiece. Only great art transcends even its own forms and carries us over the boundaries of our preconceptions. In the Company of Birds soars.
The album closes with a shimmering, majestic, pastoral meditation: "In the Company of Birds." In these MTV times where sexuality in music is commonly delivered in airbrushed silicone containers, this song illustrates the staggering power of real feminine sexuality. Here is a woman opening herself to a lover in a way so strong, so real, so honest, so beautiful that it burrows all the way down into the deepest needs a man ever has: to be forgiven, to be accepted, even celebrated just as he is. Listen to this song, let it shake you down to the core, and tell me this isn't the sexiest song you've ever heard.

"Peggy Watson's music is filled with simple pleasures and reflects years of hard work, empathetic observation and an easy familiarity with the tough compromises people make every day."

A Thousand Wishes shows Peggy Watson is more than just a brilliant songwriter and great vocalist, she’s a seasoned pro. This highly personal acoustic folk album reflects her unique view of the world. The stories are true, the places are real and the emotion is overflowing. Her poetic lyrics are visual enough to bring her words to life.

The opening track, "Dance Like That," a tale of a woman dancing without reservation shows a willingness to take risks in life without holding back and a struggle to be more than an observer. This song is complimented by backing vocals from Robin Adler and intricate musicianship from local favorite, John Katchur.

Other standout tracks include the heart wrenching, "Are You Still Listening" and the down-to-earth "Rescue Me."

"Sand Dollar Beach" is luminous with percussion from Jeff Berkley, and addresses the theme of searching for something only to find the unexpected instead. Watson comes off as a '90s Joni Mitchell and takes her influence from a wide genre of music including Latin, classical, jazz and rock 'n' roll. She holds many San Diego artists in high-esteem, crediting them as major sources of inspiration to her music - A Thousand Wishes features Barnaby Finch (piano), Dave Curtis (bass), Rob Whitlock (B3, Wurlitzer), Fred Benedetti (guitar), Linda Vickerman and Chris Hassett (vocals). Hats off to producer, engineer and musician, Dave Blackburn for an outstanding production.

"Watson also performs with poise and panache on such blues, jazz and Tin Pan Alley standards as "A Sunday Kind of Love," "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" and the gently swinging "My Baby Just Cares for Me." Equally impressive is her singing on "Silent Movie Love" a torch ballad by former North County singer-songwriter Joy Eden Harrison. In each instance, Watson impresses with her deft touch in idioms barely hinted at on her previous, folk-music-oriented albums." - George Varga - San Diego Union Tribune

"Peggy Watson is a rare musician...a singer-songwriter who has the ability to be a headliner on the national folk circuit, including a gift for melody and a bel canto voice."

Beldock & Watson
Written by Mike Alvarez

David Beldock and Peggy Watson have recorded a charming CD of acoustic tunes that run the gamut from jazz and blues to folk. They have chosen a simple, straightforward approach to production and arrangement that really showcases their songwriting. Instrumentation is sparse, sometimes just voices and acoustic guitar as on the opening song "Feel the Wind." At other times they spice up the proceedings with light percussion and acoustic bass, courtesy of Jeff Berkley and Pete Harrison, respectively. A good demonstration of this is the Watson-penned and sung "Running Away." The additional players serve to create a more energetic sound, but they leave plenty of space for the song to breathe. "Running Away" can still be played by an acoustic duo without losing any of its essence.

Beldock is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitars, banjtar, electric bass, and keyboards. Watson plays guitar in addition to singing. Both of them have pleasing voices that sound good individually as well as when blended in harmonies. They take a roughly equal share of lead vocal duties, which doesn't necessarily correspond to the person getting the songwriting credit. "Jesus on the Radio" is a gentle ballad by Beldock, but it is Watson's sweet voice that sings the melody while his warm baritone takes a supporting role. The jazzy "Second Chance" is his opportunity to shine as he croons a plea for forgiveness over a rhythm track of strummed guitar chords and tasteful keyboard soloing.

They show a real feel for acoustic blues on "Leave Her Baby Behind" and "Downtown by the River," breathing freshness into a tried and true genre. The album takes a humorous turn with the whimsically upbeat "Clone," which superimposes a sci-fi theme over an old time feel. Sure, it's played strictly for laughs, but it's also a neat song. Then things turn a little wistful with "Tom's Song," a colorful tune that is a Rockwell-like reminiscence of days gone by sparked by an old friend's postcard. The album ends with "Everything You Do," a return to the blues, written and sung by Watson. It's got a great last-call, smoky mood that makes for a perfect closer.

The overall feel is relaxed and casual, which belies the obvious craftsmanship that went into the compositions and arrangements. Their lyrics depict a wide spectrum of human experiences that just about anybody can relate to. Instrumental performances are tasteful and flawlessly executed, never getting in the way of the songs. There is a truly natural sound to this recording. You can tell it was made in a great room! The songs themselves are comprised of well-chosen chords with vocal melodies that sit perfectly on top of them. One gets the sense that this music was created by seasoned artists who have perfected the craft of saying a lot without talking too much.