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As a full-time carpenter and a single parent, L.J. Booth has still managed to leave Wisconsin and play a smattering of shows...over the past several years. But all of that is about to change. With his daughter graduating from high school, L.J. has pulled a startling collection of songs onto his new CD release...THE OX THAT PULLS THE CART.
Diverse in style and resonant in it’s poetic voice, THE OX... is a career defining work. If an ambitious touring schedule and early reviews are any indication, his small yet faithful fanbase is going to grow quickly. In 1987, L.J. came out of the woodwork with YARNS. SING OUT described this debut as “simply, great music”, and added, “I don‚t know how far he has strayed from Wisconsin thus far, but L.J. Booth is one hell of a Yarnspinner and singer...”.
In the years following, L.J. was indeed traveling---playing clubs (from Passim, to the Cactus Cafe) and festivals (including Falcon Ridge, Edmonton, Kerrville, Telluride, and the Rocky Mtn. Folks Fest)---building a stage presence that has become his trademark. He has entered three songwriting “competitions”... Kerrville‚s New Folk, Telluride‚s Troubadour, and Falcon Ridge‚s Showcase.... and won all three--invited back to a main stage performance the following year. Quickly, other performers were eager to include his songs in their sets and recordings...including David Wilcox, Anne Hills, Chuck Pyle, Sally Rogers, and Carrie Newcomer. In 1992, when L.J. released his second C.D. , BIG HOURGLASS, Dirty Linen called Booth “a crack songwriter with a cinematic flair in his lyrics and a keen eye for the small details of everyday life”.
Born in the Philippines, most of L.J.s childhood was split between India and Idaho. With traveling in his blood, L.J. hitchhiked extensively in the States and in Europe after leaving home...working a variety of jobs; oil rigs in Wyoming, a lumber yard in Portland, planting trees in Idaho, playing street music in Germany and Switzerland, maintenence work at Crater Lake. ACOUSTIC GUITAR said “this gifted singer-songwriter skillfully connects the dots between his own past, present and future with succinct, often powerful lyrics, appealing melodies, and agile fingerpicking...his keen fascination with life‚s journey draws listeners closer to the memories and revelations that make it worth traveling”.