Crockett in my pocket

Moonbone beams: Worcester boy (and girl) make good

by John O'Neill

It was an interesting situation to be in. Walter Crockett, former local music scribe and the focal point of the an entire generation of Wormtown musicians' ire had, along with wife Valerie, released their second full-length CD. From his stint with the immensely popular, and just as unpopular, Zonkaraz, to the early '80s with the band Crockett, Walter had become the representative figurehead for everything the new punk scene hated, and, in retrospect, had probably earned some of that hatred while writing for the T&G. There were plenty of people who'd have loved the chance to grind his nuts to jelly and, frankly, I may have been one of them.

However, with the release of Moonbone (Big Bark), Valerie and Walter Crockett (who, we note in the interest of full disclosure, is now a valued Worcester Phoenix columnist) not only deliver an album you'd be hard-pressed to pick apart, but, as with 1997's Unbutton Your Heart (Daring) give us a CD worthy of national attention on both the folk and country circuits.

Recorded at Appleland Studios and produced by Bob Dick, Moonbone offers 13 slices of country, bluegrass, blues, and acoustic pop that showcase solid songwriting, lush harmonies, up-front guitar and banjo picking, and a cast of top-shelf studio musicians who bolster the album's progressive take on traditional musical forms. It's a combination that, unlike the Crocketts' ventures into pop, is honest and genuine and undeniably brilliant.

"We dropped out of the pop scene and started listening to more acoustic music," says Walter. "It was only in the past five years we felt we were good enough to play back out."

The Crocketts spent the better part of the '80s in musical retirement, content with working for a living and raising their family. Their re-emergence on the music scene coincided with their daughter Emily's being diagnosed with a brain tumor, in 1992.

"We decided to keep with the music because it's what we love," says Valerie, "It was important to us to be with the people we needed to feel fulfilled. It feeds our soul and that makes us better parents and that makes it better for her."

Quickly re-establishing themselves on the coffeehouse circuit, the Crocketts would play out as part of a trio, occasionally as a duo, and often in unplanned configurations when friends would join them on stage (a tradition that goes back 15 years to Friday-night jam sessions in the Crocketts' kitchen). Audiences love it, but folk insiders aren't as sure what to make of their decidedly untraditional approach, blending influences as varied as the Grateful Dead, J.J. Cale, the Spinners, and Dan Hicks into a roots mix.

"We're too much of a band and too country for the folk scene" explains Walter. "We're like a band with no drums, which doesn't hurt us with the crowd, but the folk industry is really into the solo-artist thing.

"The good thing is the coffeehouse crowd grew up when radio was diverse, so they have eclectic taste and a pretty wide range."

"We like to get the crowd going and happy," adds Valerie, "so we're going to be diverse as we can be."

Moonbone's success lies in the Crocketts' ability to build a landscape from disparate influences that allows them to showcase their individual strengths -- for Walter, his fleet-fingered and soulful guitar; for Valerie, her hauntingly beautiful (and steadily improving) vocals. Backed by the stellar Dobro playing of Roger Williams, Fran McConville's mandolin flourishes, and the utility rolls filled by the versatile Mark Manuel and Bob Dick, Moonbone crackles with crisp instrumentation and lyrics that are alternately insightful, playful, and occasionally cynical. The album is as a major triumph for a couple who have paid their dues, both professionally and personally, for as long as anyone in the scene.

"We take pride in the fact that it was very hard to play with people of this caliber. We had to better ourselves despite what we had going on in our lives," says Walter. "We had a lot of fun and had kids fairly late. Maybe if we didn't have kids we'd get in a van and sleep on people's floors. But we don't have any regrets.

"When the kids are out of the house and in school or working, we'll be like the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, but we'll still get out and play. It beats writing"

Walter and Valerie Crockett celebrate the release of Moonbone this Saturday, May 15, at the Green Rooster Coffeehouse with their backing group the Oxymorons. Stanley Matis opens. For the record, I no longer want to grind Walter's nuts to jelly.