"SEE THE BIG MAN CRY" -- PRESS KIT
Early Praise for “See The Big Man Cry”
“Robert Waller has one of the best voices in music…apparently his comfort zone is much more expansive than any of us guessed, possibly encompassing all of music.” — Michael Doherty
Praise for Waller’s first solo album “FANCY FREE”
“This could be one of the oddest (and that’s part of what makes it so good) collection of covers on record…Waller has taken these covers and made them his own.” —Elmore Magazine
“With his distinctive vocal style and sensibility that harkens back to a time in the ’70s when what we now call Americana was gaining form, his first solo album is, oddly enough, one of covers…Fancy Free takes us on a soundscape of exuberance and heartache, and much in between.”—Amos Perrine, No Depression
“I can’t think of a better way to balance out this weird, gaudy, myth-obsessed holiday (July 4th) than by listening, over and over, to this gorgeous new recording by modern master of emotionally complicated Americana.” –Andrew Durkin, author of Decomposition: A Music Manifesto (Pantheon)
“Robert Rex Waller, Jr., opens his upcoming album with a version of Utah Phillips’ Walking Through the Snow In Your Town. He elevates the hobo folk song original into a country masterpiece that would send George Jones straight to the bottom of his whisky glass.” —Twangville
“Any fear of how some songs would fit are soon dispelled as Waller, JR ups his game to deliver an album I will be playing for a long, long time. He doesn’t just cover the songs but in a number of cases it will be his I reach for first in days to come as the definitive version.” —Maurice Hope, Americana UK
“Waller, whose vocals are redolent of the late Waylon Jennings, has a deep, rich baritone that commands attention. His CD, which features excellent guitar, piano, and fiddle accompaniment, suggests that we’ll be hearing more from him.”—The Morton Report
“A sideways kind of outlaw folkie album that hits the alt.spot right on target.”—Midwest Record
“I See Hawks In L.A. is one of the best bands going these days, and a big part of their appeal for me is Rob Waller’s voice. Truly, his is one of my favorite voices in current music. There is something wise, experienced, perhaps even a bit hurt in his voice, and yet his voice also holds a friendly quality. It’s a great combination.”—Michael Doherty’s Music Log
“LOVE this. The Hollies cover is amazing.” —Brian Ibott, Host and Producer, Coverville
“…the beautiful Don’t Pay Them No Mind, written by Robert Ahlet and B Scott (was) a hit for Nina Simone in 1967. Staggering only comes close to describing the lyrics and Waller’s sensitive and slightly haunting handling shows his voice off in a way I’d never expected.”—The Rocking Magpie
“A bold undertaking, Fancy Free finds Waller’s rich, emotive baritone breathing life into a variety of songs from some quite unexpected artists.”—Daily Country
“Each song is a jewel. Part of the allure is that the curating here is impressive; the blend of obscure and renowned tunes complement each other. Some are stripped down to the bare essentials, others are enveloped in infinite sound. As can be expected, Waller digs deep into each song and offers profound interpretative skills. To be covered by as esteemed a singer/songwriter as Robert Rex Waller, Jr. is an honor only outdone by Waller’s impeccable treatment of each song.”–Parcbench
“Reason enough to take this for a spin, the Mike Stinson composition ‘Counting My Lucky Stars’ is musical perfection from an oldish country perspective; it’s musical arrangement finds a space somewhere between a Gram Parsons melody and Mark Olson’s never ending sense of revisionism.”—Real Gone Rocks