Roots & Americana

Fortune smiles on certain individuals. Take Seattle musician Dan Wheetman. The multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter has an impressive resumé, from years touring with John Denver to writing a Christmas song for Kermit the Frog. He has recorded as a solo artist, as a member of underground cartoonist R. Crumb's string band the Cheap Suit Serenaders, and with the quartet Marley's Ghost. And with Spooked, their eighth full-length, the latter outfit—which plays the Triple Door Friday, March 10—has, as the kids in marketing say, "taken it to the next level."

Not only does Spooked feature artwork by the aforementioned Crumb ("I'm the fellow in the boater with a banjo," says Wheetman when asked to ID himself in the sleeve-art lineup), but it was produced by Van Dyke Parks, the cult hero responsible for such idiosyncratic albums as Song Cycle (1968) and Discover America (1972), and sometime Beach Boys lyricist ("Heroes and Villains," Smile).

Parks is also the snappiest dresser this side of Colonel Sanders, confirms Wheetman. "He wears a bow tie most of the time. And even when he has on overalls, he'll wear a pressed white shirt and a bow tie."

"[Van Dyke] is just the most delightful person in the world," he continues. "We met him about four years ago, and struck up a friendship. When the band would play in Los Angeles, he would just show up and sit in with us, play piano and accordion. He just loved the band." And why not? With their flair for a wide variety of vintage American musical styles, Parks and Marley's Ghost—which also features Ed Littlefield Jr., Mike Phelan, and Jon Wilcox—make a perfect match.

Spooked incorporates a vast gamut of sounds and styles: a sepia-toned interpretation of Bob Dylan's "Wicked Messenger"; gospel numbers ("Palms of Victory"); a pedal-steel-drenched ballad about Jesse James ("High Walls"). Jew's harp, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, double-belled euphonium, marimba... practically the only timbre you won't hear on Spooked is a singing saw. And given the gents' resonant four-part harmonies, and their distinctive turns on lead vocals, it's probably just as well they left the warbling to flesh-and-blood humans rather than hardware.

Three of the four members of Marley's Ghost are songwriters, which accounts for original contributions like Wilcox's tale of misadventures in France ("The Ballad of Johnny Hallyday"). The new disc also includes two songs penned by Tin Pan Alley great Willard Robison, who wrote the standards "A Cottage for Sale" and "Don't Smoke in Bed." A fellow collector of 78-rpm platters had made Parks a compilation of Robison compositions just prior to beginning work on the album, which led to the band adding "There's Religion in Rhythm" and the folksy "Get Off the Track" to their repertoire.

While solid musicianship and unbridled enthusiasm make Spooked a treat from start to finish, the Marley's Ghost live experience is a little more off the rails, Wheetman advises. "Our stage shows are so eclectic. We can't seem to narrow things down too far."

kurt@thestranger.comz