Artist:     Carla Olson & Todd Wolfe

Album:     The Hidden Hills Sessions

Label:     Red Parlor

Release Date:     5.3.2019

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Lately it seems we have been hearing plenty of records from couples, most being husband and wife duos. Carla Olson and Todd Wolfe are just two kindred spirits who have played together in the past and are teaming up again to deliver music, now that Wolfe is spending most of his time on the West Coast. The Hidden Hills Sessions is primarily an acoustic album with excellent guitarfrom both (and mandolin from Wolfe), especially Wolfe, who knows his way around blues licks. Both are rock and rollers at heart, and Olson has quite a legacy there.

Olson has made her career as a singer, songwriter, bandleader, and producer in the L.A. area as leader of the Textones, a big name in the mid-’80s and who reunited for an album last year. She appeared in Bob Dylan’s first video (“Sweetheart Like You”). Dylan gave Olson one of his songs, “Clean Cut Kid,” to return the favor. Her 1984 debut album, Midnight Mission, the biggest Textones seller, included Gene Clark, Ry Cooder and Don Henley as guests. A few years later Clark and Olson recorded what many cite as the first Americana album, So Rebellious A Lover. Since then, Olson has released solo albums and a live record with (former Rolling Stones’ guitarist) Mick Taylor. Wolfe has appeared on two of Olson’s albums as well as joining her on a tour of Japan in the early ’90s.

Wolfe spent five years touring the world with Sheryl Crow including writing and recording with Sheryl. Since Todd’s departure from Crow’s band, while based in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania he has spent the past 20 years touring Europe with his own The Todd Wolfe Band, releasing nine solo albums. Todd has also recorded with rock icon Mountain guitarist-singer Leslie West.

The two do have a rhythm section to drive the music along and it’s a good mix of originals, well-known and less well-known covers. They have been doing “live-unplugged” shows for several months now and Steve Winwood’s “Can’t Find My Way Home” (Blind Faith) and Gene Clark’s lesser-known “In A Misty Morning” have emerged as popular tunes that are both rendered beautifully here. We have four originals from Olson and three from Wolfe, along with Mick Jagger’s “Blue” and the Jagger-Richards chestnut “Wild Horses.” Two of the strongest originals come back to back in the latter part of the album with Olson’s “Burn for You” followed by Wolfe’s “One Lost Love.” Olson takes the vocal leads mostly but there are plentiful duet moments. Wolfe handles most of the guitar leads.

Olson produced the album, recorded at Rancho Relaxo studio in Hidden Hills, CA (hence the album name). where the recent Textones reunion album, Old Stone Gang was also recorded. Olson and Wolfe are enjoying their gigs as a duo, but don’t be surprised if a full band emerges at some point and they go electric. For rock ‘n’ rollers like them, it’s only a matter of time.

—Jim Hynes