Doug E. Rees celebrates new CD's release

With a dash of country, a pinch of bluegrass and a healthy dose of American folk, Doug E. Rees' sound is one that entertains people young and old. He is a regular at Stooges in Jackson, as well as other venues in the area, and plays music straight from his heart.

Rees' latest project has just come to fruition, and Saturday at Dockside the Upper Deck he will host a CD release party for "Looking for a Better Way."

"This is my best effort forward," Rees said. "Some of these songs go back three or four years, and lyrically, I love this record."

Rees said producers Joe McMahan and Jim Demain, who recorded and mixed the album in Nashville, Tenn., are a big part of the album's successful outcome.

"I was fortunate enough to have some really great people working with me on this album," Rees said. "The sound of this record is everything I hoped it would be -- polished yet still natural sounding."

Natural sounds are what Rees plays. The album mainly features acoustic guitar, bass and drums for instrumentation, but there are touches of fiddle, backing vocals and electric instruments on a few tracks. Rees is proud of the music, but what he hopes people will hear is what he sings, not how he sings it.

"I want people to catch the stories, not just the music," he said. "Each song has its own path, and I love to be able to take people on a walk with me through the lyrics."

Rees said his focus has always been on being a songwriter before a performer.

"A songwriter is a storyteller, just done in song," he said.

From more somber songs like "Miss Liddy" to lighthearted romps through bouncy cuts like "Charlie the Smokin' Chimpanzee," Rees shows a lot of versatility in his style of songwriting. He cites influences like John Hiatt, John Prine and Steve Earle.

"These guys are some of the best storytellers and huge influences on my songwriting," he said.

Rees enjoys playing with friends, too, and guests are not uncommon at his shows. Local songwriter Jefferson Fox often joins him as well as Big Larry, Biggest Car in the County and Bob Ranney.

Rees will have CDs available at the release party. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Dockside. Rees will play songs from the CD and have guests sit in throughout the night. His CD is also for sale on cdbaby at www.cdbaby.com/cd/dougerees.