Time Ain't Got Nothin' on Me by Mark Dvorak

Mark Dvorak's latest CD sounds old in a very good way. I have been listening to Time Ain't Got Nothin' on Me for a couple of weeks and am struck by how I feel transported back to the 1950s or 1960s. I can almost hear Patsy Cline or Jim Reeves singing some of them and my country-music-loving father humming along with the radio. Other tunes could have been sung by the Weavers or Leadbelly. The songs, however, are not that old. Dvorak wrote 12 of the 15 in the 21st century, but they certainly hark back to less-hurried time and feel very comfortable. They seem like classics.

While listening to the CD, I have played a little game that marks me as an oldster. I have been musing on which tracks should be issued as singles. I first thought of this while listening to "The Bluebells in Kentucky," a song that should be all over the radio. "Song for a Dismal Day" would make a good contrasting B-side for a 45 rpm disc. Then the title cut with "Ruben You Can Play Your Banjo" as the flip side would get my nod if I were a record company executive, to be followed later by "The Middle Years" and "Livin' with the Blues." We'd keep Dvorak on the charts for months.

Which charts? Dvorak is a bit difficult to label and has crossover appeal. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying his songs. You can sample cuts and read his lyrics with informative notes about how he came to write them at his website.

Dvorak is a very library-friendly performer. He has played all over the Chicago area, and we have had him for both adult and children's programs at the Thomas Ford Memorial Library. Listening to his new CD, I'm thinking it's time to call him again.

Dvorak, Mark. Time Ain't Got Nothin' on Me. Waterbug, 2010.