Track listing: Eight Miles High (Chris Beland and John Beland), Oh, Nightingale (Shawn Thies), Dangerous Night (Jonathan Firey), Lee Shores (Kathleen Sieck), Velvety Jesus (Glen Phillips), Way Beyond the Blue (Chris Beland and John Beland), Dirty David (Jonathan Firey), The Universe Knows You're Mine (Kathleen Sieck), Guinnevere (Shawn Thies), Music is Love (Glen Phillips)

Santa Barbara Records is back with a third edition of their CaliAmericana music series. The first, released in 2021, brought together 8 artists who each recorded an original track, then covered a California-themed cover. For Vol. II, released in 2023, the approach became more specific--once again having artists record an original song but this time the cover was to be chosen from the catalog of Kenny Loggins. Now in 2025, CaliAmericana, Vol. 3 features 5 artists' original songs paired with with recordings of songs written by the legendary David Crosby. 

Vol 3 kicks off with The Byrds' "Eight Miles High," performed by Chris and John Beland. While different from the original, the Belands capture Crosby and Roger McGuinn's tinny, ethereal guitar perfectly. Their vocal harmonies nail the odd intervals that gave The Byrds their unique sound. Nearly 60 years after its original release, "Eight Miles High" sets the tone for the rest of the record.

Pulled from Crosby's 2014 solo album Croz, Jonathan Firey takes on "Dangerous Night." Firey's voice delivers this track with homage and appreciation. I would have loved to have heard more vocal harmonies in the chorus--both in number and with regard to volume--but their delicate touch brings a new element to the mix. 

Kathleen Sieck brings her gorgeous voice to Crosby's classic, "Lee Shore." A standard of his setlists for decades, the lyrics deal with sailing as his personal escape from addiction: "Sailing is a mystical experience for me...and has quite literally saved my life on a number of occasions. It gets me out of the whole scene. The ocean doesn't give a damn, it's never heard of you." Sieck approaches this song with reverence and respect while also putting her own stamp on this rendition.

Shawn Thies takes on "Guinevere" and it's simply just stellar. The challenging guitar work blends beautifully with the  accompanying piano; wind chimes and shell shaker adding atmosphere. Vocal harmonies are stunning--you can envision Crosby smiling and nodding with approval. 

Returning to the CaliAmericana series after his contribution of "Return to Pooh Corner" to the Loggins-themed Vol. II, Toad the Wet Sprocket singer Glen Phillips closes out the record with "Music is Love." The production of the intro emulates the audio quality of the 1971 original--distant, a nostalgic AM radio quality, repeated in the song's outro. The bulk of the track repeats the refrain, in rounds: "Everybody's saying music is love." It's a great message to close this record and its tribute to 2-time Rock n Roll Hall of Famer, David Crosby.

Each of the performing artists' original songs are worth your time. Impressive musicianship, careful songwriting, and consistently impressive vocal performances. Just released on May 24 of 2025, CaliAmericana Vol. 3 is poised to be your album of this summer. Perfect with a tall, icy beverage during your day on the lake or providing a soundtrack to a roadtrip with friends. Santa Barbara Records has nailed it again with their unique collections of covers, pairing them with artists' original tracks. It'd be wonderful to see labels from all manner of genres put together similar projects. For this album, visit santabarbararecords.com and check out its predecessors & other offerings from this special record label.