Terry O’Hare | Light and Shadow

Published: January 20, 2009

Helena musician and longtime In Cahoots member Terry O'Hare has released a self-penned album that was recorded from 2002-08 with well-known pianist Ken Nelson, who engineered the project in his own studio.  

O'Hare feels, from his many years playing guitar and singing in resorts and casinos around the world and most of the U.S., that live performance is what makes music work. So he brought together local artists, including members of the Helena Symphony and the Helena High chorus, among others, to record his songs.

The result is an interesting mix of relaxing tunes. Think soft ocean breezes and Latin nightclubs – palm-tree music for sun-starved seasons. However, O'Hare transcends the "ex-lounge singer" moniker. Possessing a creamy and malleable voice that's comfy in any range, O'Hare complements the effort with his abilities on guitar, saxophones and other instruments, aided by the stellar backup crew.

The opener, "Sarah's Swing," has cool sax chords and a nice trumpet solo by Sarah Pagan; O'Hare sounds like Matt Monroe singing an old James Bond movie title track. Later, he's into the basement for whispery, bar-grit Tom Waits nuances on the trancelike "Over My Head" and "Grab an Old Guitar."

And "Siren Song" really lured me in. It's got a bossa nova feel, but with French horn (!) from Nancy Roe, and a knockout chorus from the siren singers. Wow!

On the tender "I'm Sentimental," O'Hare takes us way back for a nostalgic moment, soaring to operatic vocal heights a la the Ink Spots. And it comes with a kazoo solo. Ha! I'm thinking Atlanta Rhythm Section and Steely Dan on other tunes, and how does he do that wiggly guitar thing in "The Race"?

In 2007 O'Hare received funding from the Myrna Loy Center's Grants to Artists program to present a concert based on Light and Shadow, which took place in March of this year. He received the grant partly because he uses musicianship to help others perform publicly.

Reach O'Hare by e-mail: .

– Mariss McTucker