Nothing Changes is Ted Sink’s third full release since he began composing and recording music in 2002. Like his earlier two releases, Mistaken and Superette, This collection ranges in style from jazzy blues a la Steely Dan and Mose Alison, to alt country and 70’s pop—with a couple of new detours into reggae and hip hop soul this time around. Nothing Changes was recorded, mixed and mastered in Scarborough, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire by Andy Happel, who also appears on violin, keyboards and some vocal harmonies. All songs except two are Ted originals. The two exceptions are Come Rain or Come Shine by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen; and Do Nothin’ ‘Til You Hear From Me by Duke Ellington and Bob Russell. Kent Allyn is featured on bass, guitar and piano throughout the CD. Ted anchors each of the tunes with rhythm guitar tracks. Robbie Coffin’s lead Tele shines through on six of the 10 tunes. Wayne Brewer’s pedal steel guitar adds classic Nashville to the two country tunes. Tim Sink’s sax tracks carry the musical theme on Nothing Changes. On drums, Jim Rioux sets the groove on five tunes, including the opener; and Sean Daniels drives the title tune and closer, with Andy’s digital tracks woven through the rest. Vocal harmonies are provided by Carri Coltrane, except where Ted backs up his lead vocals with multiple harmonies. Do Nothin’ ‘Til You Hear From Me was recorded without rehearsal in a single take during the live “unplugged” session when Midnight Angel Unplugged was recorded as a bonus track. Both live tunes were recorded as an acoustic trio consisting of Ted, Kent and Andy, with two guitars and a violin. Angel, which first appeared on Ted’s first CD, Mistaken, is performed here in an up-tempo bluegrass style with a blazing acoustic guitar solo by Kent. The second oldest in a big Catholic family (12 children), Ted grew up in NYC, a suburb of Boston and Manchester NH. He bought a Silvertone acoustic guitar when he was a sophomore in high school, and kept it at a friend’s house where he learned to play songs by Elvis, Duane Eddy and The Kingston Trio. In the Navy during the Viet Nam war, he taught himself jazz chords from books and by listening to Charlie Byrd records, and began performing with a bass player in Norfolk, VA coffee houses. After years of knocking around musically as a bass player in local rock bands, he decided that what he really wanted was to write and record. He knew nothing about the process when he started, but jumped in and learned by doing. Along the way he got a lot of help from great players and teachers. Mistaken was released in 2002, Superette in 2005, and Nothing Changes in October 2008. Ted’s musical tastes and influences are eclectic. He sings in a choral group that performs Mozart, Haydn and Bach; he also loves the precision and direct emotional kick of country, and the harmonic dissonance of jazz. What comes through in his music is his love of Latin rhythms, folk music, the classic torch songs and jazz ballads of the 40’s and 50’s; the Stones and the Eagles, the Beach Boys, Steely Dan, Charlie Mingus, Monk, Sheryl Crow, Shaun Colvin and more names than he can remember. The last song on Nothing Changes features the Caring Kids of Cape Elizabeth (ME), a group of 14 young (eight and nine year old) singers who formed the outro chorus along with Margaret Logan (Happel) in Take Me Away. They include: Alicia Davis, Caroline Garfield, Monica Planinsek, Zoë Gillies, Julia Ginder, Claire Zimmerman, Aphrodite Makridas, Christie Gillies, Elise Mullen, James Planinsek, Anna Davis, Ellie Garfield, Emma Schoonover and Kate Ginder. REVIEW ‘Nothing Changes’ by Ted Sink Seacoast singer-songwriter and guitarist Ted Sink begins his latest CD with the enigmatic song “Blind Spot.” “Just when you think the coast is clear, / My spies are everywhere. / I’m standing in the blind spot / Of your periphery.” Lyrically, the song reminds of the stalking, love-obsessed warning so often misinterpreted in Sting’s “Every Breath You Take.” Musically, “Blind Spot” reflects the jazz and pop-influenced style of pioneers like Steely Dan. It’s an impression that lasts throughout Sink’s third and latest solo album, “Nothing Changes.” Sink aptly blends the Steely style with his own acoustic folk proclivities throughout the disc, showcasing a gentle, authentic and somewhat haggard voice complemented by a rotating cast of instrumentalists. The artist changes course on some tracks, adopting a slight reggae tinge a la The Police on “Upstairs Room” and putting an R&B finish on the title track. The words often include nostalgic reflections on past love affairs or meditations on life’s assorted trials. “In the absence of whiskey, / The feeling grows stronger today / That the price of admission to heaven / Can be hell to pay,” Sink croons in the country inflected “Absence of Whiskey.” Sink wrote nine original songs for the album and also did two covers: “Do Nothin’ ’Til You Hear from Me,” by Duke Ellington and Bob Russell; and “Come Rain or Come Shine,” by Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen. Two of the songs, “Do Nothin’ ’Til You Hear from Me” and the bonus track “Midnight Angel Unplugged,” were recorded live with an acoustic trio. Released by Absolutely Marvelous Records, the disc was mixed and mastered in Portsmouth and Scarborough, Maine, by Andy Happel, who also appears on violin, keyboards and some vocal harmonies. Various tracks also include guests Kent Allyn on bass, guitar and piano; Robbie Coffin and Wayne Brewer on guitar; Jim Rioux and Sean Daniels on drums; Tim Sink on saxophone; and Carri Coltrane on vocal harmonies. A group of 14 children from Caring Kids of Cape Elizabeth pitched in a chorus on “Take Me Away.” Visit www.tedsink.com.