The Captain Legendary Band "MY SAVING GRACE" ©2006 Independently Released Review by Lucky Boyd "Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment." - Baltasar Gracian The Captain Legendary Band lunges forward in Texas music notoriety with their 2006 release "MY SAVING GRACE." No title track is found, but yet the moniker is derived from a concept buried within "Moonshiner's Prayer." This fact is a microcosm for the rest of the album. Cleverly embedded within this feel-good collection of songs is an emergence of painstaking art. This is Jeff Hager's debut production. While we may all agree that great producers like Rob Galbraith or Clay Ryder would have fine-polished it with a Nashville cheesecloth, Hager's treatment seemed to be more in line with the band's personality. Subtle flairs and nuances that go un-noticed to most fans are present throughout the disc and are a testament to Hager's creativity and artistic ability. The result is an album that not only captures the band very much as they sound during a live performance, but adds only those refinements to the album which make it interesting and entertaining, leaving behind the unnecessary over-production that haunts many of today's releases. When bands head into the studio, they often decide between giving fans something inimitable at a live show or producing a recorded memory of live performances. This album shows great maturity and generosity to TCLB's fans by giving them the same type of performances on disc as they do at shows but adding a delightful garnish that helps develop commercial viability. Musically, TCLB is not the same band they were two years ago. Aside from a change in drummers, the band has increased in talent and responsiveness to their fans. Once destined to be little more than the next college band playing frat parties into their 50's, TCLB has emerged as a Texas music force. Radio will adore a couple of the cuts from this disc, and with proper promotion, you will hear much from TCLB in years to come. The band should be proud for a job well done and should brace themselves for the success and rewards they are about to receive. Previous notes by Jinelle Boyd Refreshingly down-to-earth, the Captain Legendary Band is a breath of fresh air in the oft cookie-cutter world of Nashvegas so many of us are subjected to on the airwaves. Founded in '99 by Charlie Hager and Dustin Logan, the eventual additions of Jeff Hager, Jason Spencer and Jeff Tuminello rounded out this noteworthy group of talented young Texans. Their debut offering, "THOSE SONGS", is a 12-cut bronco-buster of a ride, showcasing their Texas Outlaw and traditional country influences, with a shot of southern rock to keep you on the edge of your seat. So often when bands are fortunate enough to employ gifted mandolin and banjo players, they tend to use the instruments so often that it becomes distracting and monotonous. You won't find that overkill on this CD. The tasteful, peppered placement of the mandolin, banjo and harmonica is just perfect on this project. The CD plays like a well-written variety show, with the different actors taking the lead on each song - enough to keep the listeners attention and curiosity as to what's coming up next. Jason Smith does a great job producing this album, flawlessly revving up your heart to hit the dancefloor then slowly bringing the heart rate back down to rest before the next crescendo hits. The mainly-roadhouse sound of The Captain Legendary Band is nicely broken up by the 3rd coast tune, "Kemah Bay", the melancholy "Cold Texas Night", and the harmony-filled "The Captain". But hold on to yer hats, ya'll - there's an unexpected surprise on this CD, and it goes by the name "P & WT". Not for the rugrats, that's for sure, but an awesome song that'll make most men shake their head in agreement whether they want to or not! "P & WT" definitely kicks "A" and will most certainly become this band's live cult anthem. This CD gets the MTM approval stamp of "HELL YEAH!" - treat yourself and become the newest Captain Legendary Band fan...ya just can't help yourself!