Mark Trammell Trio

Always Have a Song
Daywind Music

When you hear “Always Have a Song” for the first time, you’ll notice several Greater Vision parallels. There are the characteristic lyrical phrasing of “I Know That I Know,” the melodic lines of “If God Said It, I Believe It” (an “I Believe” clone) and two selections written by Rodney Griffin.

There’s also the influence of Wayne Haun, who produced and arranged this CD. The similarities found in these four songs, while notable, do not detract from the overall desirability of the CD. Fans of one group are probably fans of the other as well.

The remaining six tracks are more distinctive. The Mark Trammell Trio will likely be singing Kyla Rowland’s “Loving the Lamb” for years to come. Trammell sings the fire out of the second verse.

He also emphatically embosses Rowland’s “Called in, Called up, Called Out” with his unique brand, allowing one phrase to trail off deep in his baritone range before leaping up to tenor territory and driving the point home.

The CD ends with a third Rowland song that’s very similar to “Called in, Called up, Called Out.” Dustin Sweatman is featured on that track titled “Coming out and Moving In.”

At the CD’s halfway point, Eric Phillips takes center stage for a harmonica-driven Dianne Wilkinson cut titled “Safe on the Glory Side.” Wilkinson also wrote “At the Whisper of His Name,” a slow, three-quarter time arrangement again featuring Phillips. “I Always Have a Song to Sing” is a new up-tempo song written by Jerry Kelso, but the arrangement makes it sound like a classic with a convention-style chorus. Perfect for toe tapping.

“Always Have a Song” is the Mark Trammell Trio’s best collection to date. 

— David Bruce Murray