Kaisa MacDonald and Arnold Mitchem are the musical couple behind Bourgeois Gypsies, and their rollicking blend of folk, blues and rock defies typical genre cataloging.   Appropriately, they make their home in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, which is fast becoming a home to some of the best and brightest folk, jam and bluegrass festivals you’ll find anywhere.  On Blue Morning their tight vocal harmonies and acoustic instrumentals are complemented by guest musicians on drums, bass, keyboards and harmonica.

The album kicks off with “Gypsy Girl,” a finger-snapping ditty with a catchy lick and the semi-eponymous lyric: She wanted to be a gypsy girl/ Join the Bourgeois-Z. Mitchem and MacDonald alternate lead vocals almost from track to track, and Blue Morning is highlighted by Mitchem’s excellent finger picking and guitar work. “Pink Clouds” is a beautiful piece, and shows that the Bourgeois Gypsies are as comfortable rock rhythm as they are with folk blues. Overall, the songs are graceful and the album’s tone suggests a laid-back hipness.  It’s the perfect CD to pop in the dash as you travel the backroads of the High Sierra. 

Favorite Track: Track  4, “Pink Clouds”