Walnut Valley Reviews--from the WV program, September, 2000

Small Potatoes 

Waltz of the Wallflowers

Wind River WR4010CD

Small Potatoes do the big hot potato sound on this one. Lots and lots of really good music and hot pickin' by Rich. For the most part, thanks to the prolificism of Jacquie Manning and Rich Prezioso, this is stuff you haven't heard before. The title cut, Jacquie's, "Waltz of the Wallflowers", is just an incredible song. Since it involves simultaneous vocal parts dealing with that nervous, boy/girl/dance first encounter, you'll want to listen to this song over and over. This CD offers 11 original cuts and a generous 14 cuts total. Styles range from country to swing to contemporary. There's even a very well arranged and performed jazz cut from 1932, "Hummin' to Myself". Jacquie even sings in tongues, with her original "Mad Mouth", the third part of a three song melody starting with "Lather", a Grace Slick tune, and Rich's "Danish Misfortune". The melody is Celtic flavored, but "Mad Mouth" (thanks for the liner notes) is written from non-sensical, Irish "Mouth Music", so don't try to interpret. While tunes like "They're not Normal Like Us" and "The Dollar Song", will get you smilin' and "'Till the Cows Come Home" will get you dancin', Rich will bring a tear with "1000 Candles, 1000Cranes" and Jacquies version of Pete Seeger's "Old Devil Time" will pleasantly mellow you back into the real world. If you're not ready for that, push "repeat all" mode on your CD player and listen, listen, listen. 

Ernie and Patti Hill