Peter Gallway
Album: Hello Stanger
Label: Gallway Bay
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.petergallway.com

Hello Stranger is like a musician’s life-story condensed into 40 minutes and 12 tracks. The life-story in question is that of Peter Gallway, singer and songwriter who’s currently partnering Annie Gallup in Hat Check Girl but, as this disc clarifies, has a long pedigree of making music on New York’s Greenwich Village music scene. That was where he started out with his band The Strangers back in ’65, and fell under the spell of contemporaries like John Sebastian and The Lovin’ Spoonful, and eagerly and naturally absorbed influences from soul and Tamla Motown, and cabaret jazz.

All of these are put into the spotlight and reproduced with good taste on this lovingly conceived, stripped-down collection of Peter’s own self-penned songs that range over the entire span of his career. There’s even a short poem tucked in there too, and a soft-spoken number (Come On In). The set’s bookends are a brand new, intensely nostalgic number that pays tribute to Motown (Hello Stranger) and a tender take on Come And Get These Memories, a comparatively little-known Holland/Dozier/Holland number associated with Martha & The Vandellas. This in turn reflects the character of the whole album as an entirely honest and affectionate autobiographical homage to Peter’s roots, one which proudly yet unassumingly displays Peter’s deep understanding of his musical heritage – think Ry Cooder to get anywhere close to a comparison.

Hello Stranger is pretty much a solo effort, as befits its intimate nature, with Peter himself providing various acoustic and electric guitars, additional keyboards and most of the vocals, but the icing on the cake is provided by the excellent backing vocals scattered throughout (courtesy of, among others, Annie Gallup, Kenny Altman, Jerry Burnham and Larry John McNally and occasional instrumental contributions from John Sebastian (harmonica) and Murray Weinstock (piano).

Little wonder, then, that Peter’s so highly respected among his peers. And Hello Stranger really allows the listener to get inside both the man and his musical life. While as a heartfelt and genuine tribute to a lifetime of deep inspirations, you sure ain’t likely to come across any better than this.

David Kidman