Although AJ Lee and Blue Summit could easily jump on current trends or adopt popular sounds given their rapid ascent, the Northern California bluegrass quartet is more intent on following its own sound, driven by the joy of making music with friends rather than commercial success. Touring its third full-length album, “City of Glass,” the band blazes through Tucson’s Club Congress on Friday, May 17. This show marks the band’s first performance in Tucson.
Produced by The California Honeydrops’ Lech Wierzynski, “City of Glass,” under the label Signature Sounds, marks the band’s inaugural label-supported album. The record showcases Lee on mandolin alongside Sullivan Tuttle on guitar, Scott Gates on guitar, and Jan Purat on fiddle. They maintain the youthful, festival-bound vigor that initially united them, yet exude the seasoned assurance of recording industry veterans far surpassing their years.
The album’s title track serves as a thesis, metaphorically capturing the fragility of human creations — be it music or cities. This theme of impermanence resonates throughout the album, urging listeners to cherish the transient beauty of life.
“(The album) is about understanding that everything that we build is fragile and will eventually come down at some point,” Gates said. “It’s all fleeting; nothing’s permanent. Being grateful and aware that it will pass is about being happy with what you have right now — cherishing it. I think that’s the point.’
The debut single from “City of Glass,” titled “Hillside,” begins with Lee’s melodic vocals accompanied by her gentle mandolin playing, complemented by the resonant drone of Purat’s fiddle. “Hillside” carries a sense of age and wisdom, resembling an Appalachian lament from the perspective of a weathered hill undergoing erosion and human intervention. “Still, the hill aspires to become a mountain and refuses to give in to the bombardment of forces,” Lee sings. “This song represents women’s empowerment, resilience, and strength,” she said. Viewing “Hillside” through this lens offers a fresh perspective, unveiling Lee and Blue Summit’s comprehensive approach to crafting “City of Glass” as a work rich in interpretation and inspiration.
“City of Glass” embodies the essence of California from start to finish. Lee and Blue Summit enlisted Wierzynski to produce, incorporated the talents of Bay Area steel guitarist Mikiya Matsuda on a couple of tracks and welcomed Californian banjo player and instructor Luke Abbott to contribute his five-string expertise to several songs. Embracing their Californian roots, the group showcases the neo-traditionalist bluegrass and folk sound that resonates within the state and its vibrant surrounding communities. Their music radiates with a philosophy of “think global, act local,” celebrating their local heritage while reaching a wider audience.
Wierzynski’s main focus was capturing the band’s authentic essence, striving to maintain a live concert feel in the vocals whenever feasible. He guided the band to perfection in each take, infusing the album with fresh genre influences and aesthetics while staying true to their signature sound. The outcome seamlessly blends elements of country soul, gritty Americana blues and bluegrass, all viewed through a Californian folk perspective.
“We grew up playing traditional bluegrass, so we were taught at a young age that you have to fight your fatigue because with traditional bluegrass, there’s a lot of stuff that sounds the same,” Gates said. “You got to figure out ways to spice up different songs.” The throughline for the album is a tradition that the band grew up with, allowing cross-pollination of different influences.
Recording “City of Glass” was an adventure in itself. The band chose Survivor Sounds in Oakland for most of the album but also worked at Laughing Tiger Studios in San Rafael for a particular track they felt needed revisiting. The collaborative spirit among the band members allowed for a democratic and organic development of their songs, which were refined over countless gigs.
“We spent a lot of time solidifying new material through playing hundreds of gigs, honing in piece by piece,” Gates explained. “The little details work themselves out as we play gigs, and everything settles into place. Most songs we brought into the studio were already fleshed out, but a couple weren’t even done.”
The album’s central theme is the influence of varied musical traditions. This includes a cover of “He Called Me Baby” by Candi Staton, which adds a soulful touch to the band’s robust sound.
“I’m elated to be playing with some childhood friends and people I’ve known since I was seven,” Gates concluded. “We all grew up together, and we’re lucky enough to like each other still and be on the road all the time. We’re a little family, and it’s a lovely thing.”
AJ Lee and Blue Summit
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 17
WHERE: Club Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $17
INFO: hotelcongress.com
