The Standards-Bearer

You could certainly be forgiven if you ever thought JD Souther was a myth, a hoax, some California confabulation created by the Eagles and Jackson Browne, one night, when they were all loaded.

Sure, this guy Souther wrote exquisite, occasionally acid love songs. That sometimes showed up on his classic solo albums, only to end up as standards on discs by Linda Ronstadt and those Eagles. But Souther was photographed infrequently, talked even less to the press, and, until a few years ago, hadn't made a record in 25 years. With his perfectionist ways and his brilliantly-slim output, he was music's version of that Salinger guy. Okay, he spelled J.D. differently. But still.

Yet Souther actually exists. He's a warm, funny, conversationalist, who will be playing The Outpost in the Burbs on Saturday, to promote his heartbreakingly good new CD, "Natural History."

An album we should be grateful exists at all.

"I decided to do this new record, mostly because of nagging," said Souther recently. "My producer, Fred Mullen, and my dear friend, Linda Ronstadt, really wanted me to reclaim some of the songs I'd written and that had been hits for other people. To put my stamp on them. It's an idea that is similar in intent to Jimmy Webb's '10 Easy Pieces.' I wanted to make these tunes mine again."

While he reclaims, let us recount. 

For many of us, Souther appeared, fully-formed, in 1972, with his elegant, eponymous debut. Though ecstatically-reviewed, the record didn't sell well. Soon after, though, Souther's compositions started showing up on records that did sell. He wrote "Faithless Love" and "Prisoner In Disguise," which were recorded by his friend, and former flame, Ronstadt. Then there were those tunes his wrote with the Eagles. You've heard them every day for 35 years: "Best Of My Love," "New Kid In Town."

Along with his own, lovely, Orbison-influenced hit, "You're Only Lonely," they made Souther a great deal of, what his dear friend, Warren Zevon, once called "mazuma." Or dinero, if you like. He acted (most memorably in "30-Something"), wrote for country artists, probably had a very good time. Still, after "Home By Dawn," in 1984, Souther was not heard on record again until 2008's "If The World Was You."

Now, there's "Natural History." An album, that contains some songs that were hits and others that are merely wonderful. Souther explains one reason why he took some of these diamonds and, uh, recut them.

Blame Frank Sinatra.

"I was listening to an album called 'Sinatra At The Sands,'" he said. "It's an amazing record he did with the Basie Band. On which Frank sings 'I've Got You Under My Skin.' And I wondered, how many times he cut that song. I went back and checked, and sure enough, like 5 times, starting in 1938. He was really trying to get that standard right. My father, before he passed away, said, 'You know, you've got a bunch of standards yourself, now.' I guess I do. And I'm always trying to perfect them."

The jazz references are real, too. Not just window dressing.

"It's pretty much my first love," said Souther, whose newest renditions use unusual chord voicings and discreet horns, all the accoutrements of jazz. "I started out playing drums and sax and I think it's where I'm returning with my latest stuff. It affects my recent photos, it affects the way I dress. The pictures are usually noir-ish, black and white, visual interpretations of jazz. My white shirt and loose tie? Very Frank, very jazz."

Souther is also quite, well, frank, about his decision to tour to support "Natural History." Even, though he never hit the road much, even in his '70s heyday.

"I can't stand packing, especially in a hotel," said the man who's now comfortably ensconced in Tennessee amidst horses and, presumably, other four-legged creatures. "And airports, while never fun, are now a nightmare. You know, all the security measures. But, I'm, first and foremost, a musician. Those 2 hours onstage are magic. The communication with the audience. That part is great."

Having enjoyed making "Natural History," Souther is starting to plan a Volume II, that will include some more jazzy versions of his hit songbook. 

"I'm thinking of putting (Eagles radio hit) 'Victim of Love' on there," said the voluble man, who use to let his songs do all the talking for him. "Maybe, as a kind of samba. That could be pretty cool. What do you think?"

IF YOU GO: JD Souther will be at the Outpost in the Burbs on Saturday at 8:00 PM. Opening is Jill Andrews. Tickets are $30. For more information on this date call 973-744-6560. For more dates, or to purchase his new album, go to www.jdsouther.net