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Bird on the Wire - Songs of Leonard Cohen

by Perla Batalla

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1.
If it be Your will 04:39
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2.
Seems So Long Ago, Nancy 04:21
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3.
Coming Back to You 04:04
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4.
Dance Me To The End Of Love 05:23
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5.
So Long Marianne 06:57
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6.
Came So Far For Beauty 03:14
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7.
Ballad Of The Absent Mare 06:16
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8.
Famous Blue Raincoat 05:11
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9.
Bird On The Wire 06:55
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10.
Suzanne 06:02
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about

Leonard Cohen’s gruff voice has kept many from properly appreciating the brilliance and utter romanticism of his songs.

Perla Batalla here lovingly wraps her warm voice around 10 of them to glorious results. The best are the ones where she takes the most liberties: “Famous Blue Raincoat” backed by a string quartet, a jazzy “Seems So Long Ago, Nancy,” “Ballad of the Absent Mare” as a duet with David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, “Dance Me to the End of Love” as a duet with Bill Gable partially translated into Spanish, “Suzanne” cleverly interpolating bits of Steven Foster’s “O Susanna.” The sound is sumptuous.

Engineer/mixer Leanne Unger is an excellent choice for the project as she has worked on many of Cohen’s own albums over the years. Her sympathy and love for Cohen’s songs, plus her familiarity with them, greatly enhances the album. The three cover shots of Perla Batalla and Leonard Cohen sharing warm moments speaks volumes both to Perla’s sincerity and love for Cohen’s songs and Cohen’s endorsement of Perla’s work.

Beautifully conceived and executed, Bird on the Wire is a rewarding listening experience I find myself returning to frequently. It is every bit the equal of Jennifer Warnes’ classic Cohen tribute album Famous Blue Raincoat. For those uninitiated to the glories of the songs of Leonard Cohen this is a wonderful introduction. For the rest of us it is simply heavenly. — Michael Tearson

credits

released April 19, 2022

Accordion – David Hidalgo (tracks: 4)
Arranged By [String Arrangement] – Steve Weisberg (2)
Backing Vocals – Carl Graves (tracks: 3, 5), John Finley (tracks: 3, 5), Julie Christensen (tracks: 3, 5)
Banjo – Charlie Benton (tracks: 10)
Bass – Bob Glaub (tracks: 2 to 6, 9)
Bass, Accordion – David P Jackson* (tracks: 1, 7)
Congas – Claud Mann (tracks: 2)
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta (tracks: 2 to 5, 9)
Drums, Percussion – Debra Dobkin (tracks: 1, 4, 7)
Engineer – Leanne Ungar
Engineer [Additional] – Jeff Evans (2)
Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar – Bob Metzger (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 9)
Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar, Mandolin – Greg Leisz (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 9)
Mastered By – Bernie Becker
Mixed By – Leanne Ungar
Photography By [Photo] – Nancy Santullo
Piano – Karen Hammack
Producer – Perla Batalla
Strings [The Section With] – Simeon Pillich
Vocals – Bill Gable (tracks: 4), David Hidalgo (tracks: 7), Eva Batalla-Mann (tracks: 10

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Perla Batalla Ojai, California

Born in LA, raised by a family immersed in music; Perla's father, a Mexican singer and an Argentine mother who ran a bustling record store called Discoteca Batalla.
After working with the legendary Leonard Cohen, Perla launched her solo career with Cohen’s encouragement. Since then she's recorded 7 albums, been featured in film and tv, and sold out theaters worldwide. ... more

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