Tucker Zimmerman - Music By River Words By Ear (2025)

"To celebrate Tucker’s phoenix-like rise from the ashes, Big Potato are issuing a new unheard collection of his material titled Music By River Words By Ear, consisting of songs recorded with fellow forgotten legend Dave Evans and Tucker’s son Quanah on guitar and Geert Waegman on fiddle and Jef van Cool on bass. Recorded in 2002, these timeless tunes mark the first chapter of Zimmerman in the 21st century. The one overriding similarity between the two Zimmerman’s (Bob) is their masterful and distinctly American poetic sensibilities.

Believe me, if you like the music made in 1969, you’ll love these.”-Jon ‘Mojo’ Mills Shindig! Magazine. On my last visit to Tucker in the Belgian countryside, I picked my tea, as previously, from Marie-Claire’s great tray of assorted blends and was invited to choose my mug for the week. I apparently selected ‘Dave’s mug’ and was drinking ‘Dave’s English tea’. I felt very pleased, sat there with Tucker and his wife, next to the warm stove. Dave Evans is on this album. Why tell that story? Well Tucker's work is tied up with - and of equal importance to - his domestic life. His beloved wife and friends. This doesn't undermine his craft. I would say the opposite, that it affirms it and makes it uncompromised. Sure he could have been a wealthier man or more well known, but that is not the fuel. When in their home, next to the stove you feel a level of purity. That’s what fuels his work. “We’re all so delicate & fragile it’s beyond belief” is a line from the spine tingling beauty of ‘It’s Beyond Belief’. It sits near the end of this strong set of songs, written by the 60 year old Song Poet as he casts his eye over what it is to be alive. The sentiment articulates the soul of this collection. Tucker undoubtedly took a brief break from recording whilst - among other things - setting up baseball in Belgium and raising a son. But his life in art just went on and still goes on, either alone or with friends. He built his own studio in 1971 and owns a guitar so there really is no stopping him. In this environment he has made some of his classics, the self titled (Black Album) stripped back minimal beauty from 1971 & Word Games, his electronic album from 1983. Music By River Words By Ear was also made in this environment. A wooden studio, in a wood, nestled on a little hill. Tucker & I curated this album pretty easily as it is clearly a session, a collection, an album. I believe a very different album than any he's released before. His sixty year old voice in fine form, mature, passionate, heartbreaking and strong. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do. -Nick Holton “Zimmerman conjures up a kind of Arcadian folk surrealism that is utterly his own” MOJO Andrew Male

Tracklist
1 River Boat
2 Old Hippies Lament
3 Back Off Blues
4 We Are Always Watching
5 Never Know (Never Know)
6 Pretty Neat Guy
7 Room 47
8 Beyond Belief
9 Walls of Amsterdam