clements brothers blues

~ jama

“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” ~ Maya Angelou

New album: “Dandelion Breeze” by The Clements Brothers.

There’s nothing like a good song to lift your spirits. If you’re lucky, sometimes one musical surprise can lead to another.

Earlier this year, while scouring YouTube for a good cover version of Simon and Garfunkel’s, “April Come She Will,” I chanced upon a video featuring New England singer-songwriter and guitarist George Clements. His rendition was my favorite of the dozens I had listened to.

Hello, George Clements.

Wow. The beautiful voice, the exquisite guitar picking (and yes, the blue eyes!). Who is this guy, I wondered? How had I missed him before? As a longtime S&G fan, I just knew I had stumbled upon something quite special.

So I listened to George’s other swoon-worthy covers — Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, more Paul Simon — a veritable playlist of all my fave singer-songwriters. Then I learned George had played Paul Simon in an off-broadway show called “The Simon and Garfunkel Story.” Well, no wonder.

But there was more. To my surprise and delight, I discovered George has an identical twin named Charles ( I love twins!) who also has a beautiful voice and plays upright bass.

Blue-eyed twin musicians in blue (who could ask for anything more?).

Double the deliciousness, double the fun. Yes, please!

Charles and George grew up in a musical family, have been uniquely “in tune” since the womb, and have been playing music together for as long as they can remember. Another nice surprise: they are the youngest sons of popular children’s book author Andrew Clements, who sadly passed away in 2019. (Did you know that before breaking into publishing he’d moved to NYC to pursue a career as a folk singer-songwriter?)

Both twins are formally trained: Charles studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, while George is a Berklee College of Music alum.

Cutie pie twins (my guess: Charles in the blue t-shirt?).

After fronting The Lonely Heartstring Band for about seven years, the brothers decided to rebrand as a duo, releasing their debut full-length album, Dandelion Breeze (Plow Man Records) in August 2023. This acoustic gem is an appealing blend of bluegrass, roots, jazz, rock, and classical influences, elevated by sublime vocal harmonies and instrumental virtuosity. The album features all original material save one track, and I’ve pretty much had it on continuous loop the last few months.

Charles and George are joined by drummer Mike Harmon on the album.

Soothing and soul nourishing, the Clements Brothers’ music is easy to listen to, easy to like — lyrical, gentle, intimate, unassuming. I like how their songs honor the kind of music I’ve always loved in a fresh new way. It’s like being invited to spend time in a comfy, familiar spot, then knowing seconds later you never want to leave.

So easy on the eyes (you’re welcome).

Thought I’d share two videos today: the first is a cover of Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.” When you pare things back to the purity of just voice + instrument, you can appreciate the poetry of the song and the nuances of story, truly feeling the hearts of the musicians.

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The second tune is from the new Dandelion Breeze album. I’m happy to add “Out of the Blue” (a love song possibly inspired by Charles’s relationship with his wife), to my list of fave “Blue” songs, especially with the election coming up. And, of course, the Clements Brothers are the best 💙out of the blue 💙 musical gift I received this year. These identical twins may look alike, but their individual talents prove unequivocally that each is truly one-of-a-kind.

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🐻 TEDDY BEAR CODA 🐻

Cornelius with the longest bow in the world (so long, the part you can’t see extends around the corner into the next room).

Resident bear twins Basil and Cornelius want to be just like the Clements Brothers when they grow up. They practiced diligently for weeks hours at least 12 minutes to be featured at a special kitchen jam in honor of VP Harris.

They electrified the crowd with their own rendition of “Out of the Blue,” in hopes it would spark a blue wave in the election. Kamala was duly impressed and promised that if they keep practicing, they’d be invited to play at her inauguration. 🙂

Even the Beatles liked their performance!
Kamala gives the Clements Brothers album her highest five spoon rating!
Basil and Cornelius relax with green tea and sushi after the gig.

Remember: tune your instruments, sing the songs, and

💙💙 💙 VOTE BLUE! 💙 💙 💙

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DANDELION BREEZE
written and performed by The Clements Brothers
released by Plow Man Records, August 2023
produced by George Clements, Charles Clements, and Mike Harmon
engineered by Mike Harmon
recorded at Picture Book Studio (West Baldwin, ME) and Wachusett Recording (Princeton, MA)
mixed and mastered by Dan Cardinal at Dimension Sound Studio (Jamaica Plain, MA)
album design by Anna Jane Lester

Plow Man Records (cd or vinyl)
Streamers
Spotify

💙 Visit The Clements Brothers Official Website for more info + show dates.

**Attention lucky Gloucester, MA, area people: They will be performing at THE CUT this coming Thursday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets here.

💙 Check out The Clements Brothers YouTube Channel for more cool videos.

💙 Love this recent “Music with the Mayor” episode filmed at the City Hall in Gloucester, MA, where they share little backstories for some of the songs on the new album (yes, they’re wearing blue). *swoons*

💙 Enjoy George’s solo acoustic covers at his YouTube Channel. Here he is to play us out with “Blackbird,” the first song his father ever taught him at age 10.

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Multi-talented author, poet, voice-over artist and excellent baker 🙂 Matt Forrest Esenwine is hosting the Roundup at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme. Zoom on over to check out the full menu of poetic goodness being served up around the blogosphere this week. Enjoy your weekend!

*This post is brought to you by resident bear twins Basil and Cornelius, who love to support indie artists.

**Copyright © 2024 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

44 thoughts on “clements brothers blues”

    1. Rounder is a great label — I’ve learned of many new-to-me artists because of them. And yes, Charles and George definitely have the chops. They make it look so easy, too — which is, ironically, hard to do.

      BTW, their prior band was also fantastic!

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  2. Pingback: Poetry Friday: The Roundup is here, with LOTS of children’s poetry publishing news! – Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme

    1. You can’t beat blood harmonies. Glad their music brightened your day, Michelle. I definitely thought of you while posting this, since you’re also a musician.

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    1. New England has such a rich heritage of folk musicians and troubadours. Stumbling upon these brothers makes me wonder how many other amazingly talented artists I’m missing. So much music, so little time . . .

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Happy to bring a little joy to your morning, Diane. I’m smiling because your second sentence got cut off right in the middle of the word “connecti – “. Now I’m curious as to what you meant to say.

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  7. I’ve listened to them a few times, and now will find more, Jama. Thank you for so many wonderful blue tunes, including Basil and Cornelius, and of course, some words from Kamala! I’m dropping off my ballot today! Yes, VOTE!

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Jama, what an amazing set of twins you shared. Thanks. I love their voices and their music-soft tones just made me swoon. Good luck to Mr. Cornelius and his twin. YES to Blue and the upcoming election.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Melting into this music, Jama! I go weak at the knees whenever I hear Blackbird — my son learned to play it on his guitar and sang it as a Christmas gift to his girlfriend-now-wife. Can’t wait to explore more of the Clement Brothers’ musical gifts. –And yes, there is something about acoustic music that lends itself to poetic language. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Sigh — that’s so romantic of your son to sing “Blackbird” to his girlfriend. Obviously, it worked! 😀 I know you will enjoy exploring more of their music (be prepared for prolonged swooning).

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  13. Jama ~ I’m a longtime folkie (I run two folk music gatherings and sometimes play the fiddle) and had heard of these brothers, but hadn’t explored them…now I’m diving in, subscribing to their YouTube channel (it’s either theirs or a fan’s) and yes, enjoying their music, their covers, their eyes…and more.

    Thank you for being LOUDLY and PROUDLY blue.

    Here’s how I’m voting: https://aprilsballot.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, I remember your being musical along with your many other talents, April. Very cool about the folk music gatherings! Glad you’re going to explore the Clements Brothers. Thanks for the link to your election site — what a great idea! I agree that the down ballot races are crucial too.

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  16. Thank you for this musical blogpost, Jama. When I worked in the children’s room at My branch of the New York Public Library, Frindle was always on summer reading lists. I have to try some of Andrew Clements sons’ music!

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  18. Jama, I’m so glad you’ve found (and are helping others to find) a double-the-fun musical inspiration for this blue season! My favorite tidbit is the relationship to Andrew Clements, whom I did NOT know was a musician as well as a writer. Thanks!

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    1. I was surprised to discover that too! Small world. Music has been a great solace during these stressful times. I’m trying to channel as much positive blueness as possible . . .

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  20. I just realized that I never made it back to this post with my earbuds last week. What a gift! The first surprise was that these twins are Andrew Clements’ twins! (If you reread Frindle, be sure to read the newly released sequel, completed before Andrew’s death. SO good.) And boy are they ever swoon-worthy eye and ear candy! I’ve just spent an hour dipping into all the links, sound-bathing in all the gorgeous music, subscribing to YouTube channels, hoping for a gig close to here, finally reaching the tipping point to sign up for Spotify Premium. I want to have these guys’ voices with me wherever I go. Thank you, Jama!

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    1. So excited to hear you like their music!! I had the same reaction — got instantly hooked and now I can’t wait for them to release another album. Sometimes musicians do great covers, but their original material is disappointing. Not so with these twins. If you haven’t already done so, watch some Lonely Heartstring Band videos too. Great bluegrass vibe. The instrumental numbers really showcase their chops and speak to their formal training. Also read somewhere that Charles sometimes subs for the Boston Symphony (?). He seems to be the classical/cerebral one, where George is the more instinctual/jazzy/songwriter guy. Of course I could be wrong. Interesting to speculate, anyway. 🙂

      Thanks for the heads up about the Frindle sequel!! Will definitely look for it.

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      1. Thanks for the further BLUEgrass recommendations! They’ve been added to my playlist and my ears are happy!

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