Marco Tello CD Release Show
The Edge of the Middle of Nowhere
Review by Lory Ferguson
For a first solo CD, The Edge of The Middle of Nowhere, Marco Tello sure can bring out the fans, friends and family. This album stands out as an excellent addition to an already established Oklahoma musician’s successful career.
Marco Tello began his career as a musician while in his twenties in the Oklahoma City area, playing guitar and then traveling around the United States picking up gigs and paying his dues. With musical influences from his Mother (be sure to listen to his song “Motherhood” to hear more of that story) and experience points earned the hard way, Tello brings a sense of talent, drive, luck and not just a little bit of heart to his writing and performing.
One chilly evening this past fall, Tello scheduled his long-awaited CD release at the Edmond, Oklahoma home of friends in their barn-turned-wildly-popular listening room. Anticipation was in the air and excitement ran through his guests as they greeted old friends and former bandmates while everyone enjoyed a pot-luck meal prior to the show.
The festivities began with Tello, alone on the stage, introducing special guests, reminiscing with funny stories and playing a few of his more personal songs from the new album. As this writer looked about the room, it was evident that every single person attending was there because of their affection, admiration and respect for this very talented man. Many traveled from very far away to be there for this special night. The next portion of the celebration was a showcase of other musicians that Marco Tello has played with over his career of 30 plus years. As he told in his stories, he has played all genres of music including Classic Rock, Red Dirt, Reggae, Country and most consistently, Bluegrass. Bluegrass music and flat picking is where his true talent comes to life. He honored all of these music styles with special guests from each joining him on stage throughout the evening.
The crowd became more enthusiastic as the band members switched places on stage, changing the lineup for each set and showcasing different eras of Tello’s career. The sheer amount of talent and musicianship being showcased and giving us a glimpse of what to expect from his album.
The Edge of The Middle of Nowhere is a much anticipated collection of songs. Tello has been on at least a dozen other artists’ albums doing sound, vocals, and sharing writing credits as well as providing strong guitar work. It just took a small amount of encouragement for him to begin the process of putting his own stamp on a work that is highly representative of his interests and musical abilities. The lovely and haunting “Letters To Caroline” is a show stopper every time he performs it. The intricacy and sheer talent presented in the title track shows Tello’s skill and ingenuity as a flat-picker to be watched closely in the future. Other songs on the album are stand-outs as well. “Romeo’s Girl” and “Hug For You” are two songs written by Oklahoma’s own Joe Baxter (Tello has been in a number of bands with Baxter over their careers) and covered in a style unique to Tello but still giving credit to the excellent song writing skills of Baxter. Another song worthy of multiple listens is “Motherhood” written by Tello about his troubling childhood. It tells of family struggle yet offers a possibility of forgiveness at the end. Not heavy handed as this subject matter could easily be, this song adeptly takes the listener through the story without asking for pity or excuses.
As the very successful CD release show came to a close, Marco Tello offered his thanks to the people that had supported him through the years and to the fans that were there that night. I am quite confident in reporting that there wasn’t an unmoved person in that barn at the end of the evening. I can also say that the album is a meaningful work from a very gifted man. It can be found on his new website www.marcotellomusic.com . He can also be found on Facebook at Marco Tello Music for upcoming show information.