CD Review - By Bob Silvestri
bobsilvestri@bestofwny.com

Gary Heffern has been banging out music since the late 70's. He sang with The Penetrators in San Diego that also boasted Country Dick Montana as a member and has made stops in Seattle and other places along the way. He has now settled in Rovaniemi, Finland, don't ask me why or how, and has released a new disc stateside titled Consolation a blend of Americana/folk music that recalls Jimmie Rodgers, Johnny Cash and Gram Parsons at times. While not a household name he is known through out the music world and calls in some heavy hitters to help here. Alejandro Escovedo, Los Lobos' Steve Berlin, Scott McCaughey from Minus 5 and our own Buffalo Music Hall of Fame member Peter Case among many others. A collection of beautiful sounding songs with a hint of sadness Heffern penned nine of the thirteen tracks on Consolation. Keepers include 'Ghosts on the Screen", a cover of the Henry Mancini/Alan and Marilyn Bergman penned "All His Children", Merle Travis' "Dark as a Dungeon" and the originals "That's the Beauty of Little Things" and "(I Am Your) Destroyer". The disc closes with a brilliant version of Springsteen's "Growing Up" that Heffern turns into a Leonard Cohen style dirge. Check him out at www.myspace.com/garyheffern