Yoga Records | Jeff Pekarek / To Each Their Own

YOGA

022

Sample & purchase at Other Music Digital

Jeff Pekarek released his one vinyl album To Each Their Own in 1982. The album's inclusion and brief writeup in the Acid Archives sort of says it all: "Cosmic folkrock from classically trained bass player." In a better world, this would be enough.

I'm incredibly fond of this record. Like some of the albums on this label (Pat Wells and Scott Seskind come to mind), it takes some time to sink in how good this actually is. Primary players Jeff Pekarek and Fred Benedetti recorded seven of the eight original album tracks in eight hours on January 2, 1982. (They were joined by Pekarek's wife Beatriz Basile on two others. Bill Tollefson also got in on the mix on 'John Kanaka / Nobody Knows You')

With repeat listenings, the album reveals itself as much more than a set of sketches.There's a genuine, gentle, and deeply stoned* feel to this music, embodied by the album's title. Pekarek isn't trying to tell or sell you anything with this album, only to share his musical ideas. And with the notable exception of the album's only misstep -- the extended "party chatter" making up the middle of 'Kanaka / Nobody' rectified by the abridged version included here as a bonus track -- it's an exceedingly mellow ride, even on the several occasions where the album plugs in to rock.

This review from the Seldom Heard Radio blog is worth quoting in full:

Jeff Pekarek & friends started off 1982 by recording this LP in eight hours on January 2nd. Those were the days when engineers, producers and musicians used less digital wizardry and more sweat equity. (Okay, having written that sentence, despite the weird language and the existence of Mike Oldfield, I'm going to let the statement stand ;-) To Each Their Own starts off with a gorgeous guitar tune (Sunrise) then segues into what sounds like a Billy Bragg inspired sea shanty (Blow Ye Winds). There's traditional music with cello (Devil's Dance / Cuckoo's Nest), a slow sacred music themed burner (Gate Gate) and more. Coming from other artists, this LP might be seen as disconnected, disjointed, and unfocused but Jeff Pekarek's stellar musicianship shines through and unifies To Each Their Own into an adventurous listening experience. Tucked away toward the end of the LP is one of the most beautiful guitar pieces I've heard in ages (Sea Urchin). May Yoga Records keep unearthing these gems that deserve a much wider listening audience.

Anyway, go check it out!

Yoga Records / Jeff Pekarek and friends

*It's none of my business if Pekarek and co were stoned when they cut this, or if they ever even inhaled -- but it sounds like maybe that at some point in the decade leading up to this recording, marijuana may have been smoked by one or more of the involved parties.