Another review is in for Rock-n-Roll Oasis: Live at Tiny Telephone. I think the writer (Matt Jensen) does a great job of capturing the essence of the night and our performance, with quotes like this:
“The album carries the spirit of MTV’s Unplugged sessions, recreating that same sense of closeness, as if the listener is tucked into the corner of a dimly lit studio, watching the trio lock into their set. Across 18 tracks, the record plays best when experienced as a whole—one of those albums you can let spin from start to finish…”
And this:
“The applause, the stripped-down instrumentation, and the room’s natural acoustics give Rock-n-Roll Oasis: Live at Tiny Telephone a warmth that feels immediate and present. Roensch leans into the rawness of a live setting, allowing for small imperfections that make the album feel human and unaffected by studio gloss. It’s a direct, unfiltered snapshot of a songwriter in his element, fully engaged with the moment.”
Thanks to Matt Jensen and Pitch Perfect for their attention to the music and their insightful words.
Thanks to We Write About Music for the awesome review of “Rock-n-Roll Oasis: Live at Tiny Telephone.” It’s humbling to read such complimentary and spot-on words.
Like this…
“Roensch, accompanied by the virtuosic guitarist Jules Leyhe and the ethereal harmonies of Elisa Wendell, creates a sonic atmosphere that feels warm and deeply personal, like a late-night jam session among close friends. The stripped-back arrangements allow every note and lyric to breathe, making it easy to get lost in Roensch’s poetic storytelling.”
And this…
“…what makes Rock-n-Roll Oasis truly special isn’t just the musicianship; it’s the sheer heart poured into every moment. The recording captures the energy of the night and that magic translates into every track. Roensch’s lyricism, shaped by his background in flash fiction and poetry, is vivid and evocative, turning each song into a story that lingers long after the music fades. You hinge on every single word, all the while being more than impressed by the pure artistry that’s flowing out.”
Album available now on Bandcamp, with all of my proceeds of sales in February going to MusiCares to help support their relief efforts for LA music professionals affected by the wildfires.
It was a cold and rainy November night when Greg Roensch, Jules Leyhe, and Elisa Wendell performed two sets of original music (plus a handful of covers) at Tiny Telephone recording studio in Oakland, California. Here’s your chance to listen to a show that audience members referred to as magical, unique, and fun – which is exactly what you’d expect when entering the rock-n-roll oasis. Welcome in.
Feel free to listen for free, but please note I’m donating 100% of my proceeds from all sales in February to MusiCares for fire relief support for music professionals impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires.
Join me and boss guitarist Jules Leyhe for a one-of-a-kind live recording event to celebrate the release of the new album “I’ll Cover You in My Dreams.” Click here to purchase tickets.
A man came to me in my dream. He held a sharpened No. 2 pencil in one hand and a spiral notebook in the other. I didn’t catch his name, but he was interested in knowing about my new album. So, we sat at a marble table atop the Eiffel Tower (remember, this is a dream) and he asked some questions. I’ll call him the Interviewer.
Interviewer: You’ve been writing and recording original music for a few years now. What made you switch to cover tunes?
GR: I love writing and recording original songs. That said, I played for many years in a cover band called StationWagon, and I got to thinking recently about going into the studio and recording some of my favorite songs by artists I admire. I didn’t want to make note-for-note recordings of these songs, so I came up with the concept of a songwriter playing the songs in a dream.
Interviewer: For your earlier albums, you worked with a band, but this album presents a more stripped-down approach. Talk about that.
GR: I’ve known Jules Leyhe for a few years. He’s a fantastic guitar player and all-around great guy. As I thought more about this album’s dream concept, and as I played more with Jules, I realized it would be cool for just the two of us to make this album. Performing as a duo (me on acoustic guitar and Jules on electric) allows us to present these songs in a unique way. Towards the end of the project, we brought in Elisa Wendell to add her amazing vocals on some of the songs.
Interviewer: How did you meet Jules?
GR: Let’s see. It was right before the COVID-19 lockdown, during that time when some businesses were shutting down and some weren’t yet (but they’d probably be closing soon). I’d scheduled a recording session at Tiny Telephone with another guitarist. As it turned out, that guitarist couldn’t make it. Fearing it might be a long, long time before I’d get into the studio again, I scrambled to find another guitarist and that led me to Jules. We did that session and a few others over the years. And we became friends along the way. So it all worked out.
Interviewer: How did you decide on the songs?
GR: Now that the album is finished, I’m surprised that I didn’t struggle more to choose the songs. I love so many different songs (and so many different types of songs), and I have so many favorite artists. But these songs came together very quickly—like they were meant to be on this album together. “Isn’t It a Pity” is the only song that I added later in the process. I knew I wanted to cover a George Harrison song, but I wasn’t sure which one. Then I heard Jules playing slide guitar on “Isn’t It a Pity” and knew it would fit right in.
Interviewer: What was the process like for making this album? Did you rehearse the material or just show up at the studio and have at it?
GR: When I was sure about the song list, I wrote a creative brief that I shared with Jules and Audio Engineer Danielle Goldsmith. Jules and I met a handful of times to run through the songs. A couple months before recording, I had an opportunity to work for a month from northern Spain. I didn’t want to forget my tunes, so I asked the guy we rented our house from if he could find a guitar that I could borrow. Now, whenever I think about this album, I’ll recall the month I spent playing a loaner guitar in a beach house in Galicia. Not a bad way to practice.
Interviewer: You also included two original tracks on the album?
GR: That’s right. “The Dream” is an improvised instrumental that sets up album’s concept. I then end the album with the “The Dream Returns,” which features sounds that Danielle or I have recorded over the years. Like seagulls on Ocean Beach and kettle drums and various analog tape manipulations. Danielle is great at weaving these types of pieces together into a compelling soundscape.
Interviewer: Congratulations on the album. How do like the view from the Eiffel Tower?
GR: Thank you. It’s amazing up here. All I need now is an Aperol Spritz.
“I’ll Cover You in My Dreams” is available from Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes, and other services.
A musician sleeps and while sleeping dreams of performing dream-vision renditions of songs he loves by artists he’s long admired. That’s the concept of “I’ll Cover You in My Dreams.” Available now on Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, and wherever else you get your music online.
Featuring Jules Leyhe (electric guitar) and Elisa Wendell (vocals).
A musician sleeps and while sleeping dreams of performing dream-vision renditions of songs he loves by artists he’s long admired. That’s the concept, in a nutshell, of my new album “I’ll Cover You in My Dreams.”
