Steven Ross Jahn, South Texas Wind

Little did I know when I heard this song last holiday season that I had known the artist for many years. Recently, my son met him and we found out the wonderful connection (in fact my son was the ring bearer in his wedding). When I knew him previously he was a wonderful guy with a wonderful heart. I hope he does well and I look forward to hearing more from him both on a personal level and a professional level.

"My dreams went blowing in the wind," croons singer songwriter Steven Ross Jahn (http://cdbaby.com/cd/srjahn4) on "I Saw Your Picture in the Paper" as he pines away for a woman who took another fellow at the altar. It's a massive tearjerker of a tale, delivered with sobby-eyed regret and aching acceptance. Listening to Jahn's songs is like going back in time, when both country music and rock & roll were geared toward the common man.

There should be room for everything in the world of pop music, from the ordinary to the avant garde, but "South Texas Wind" ends up filling a void that has left older listeners overplaying their dusty 45's for too long. Jahn has that classic AM radio voice - hopelessly romantic, sentimental, and melancholy.

Summoning the best of '60's and '70's country pop, Jahn is the antithesis of many of today's artists, no matter what genre they're in. "It Had to Be You" is a throwback to the golden age of AM radio, especially the soaring background harmonizing. The crisp acoustic riffs of "Dusty Road" sound absolutely lovely on headphones. Is it a crime to create music this pretty?

"Santa Bring My Daddy Home," which should be sent to all of the Americans serving in Iraq, is a powerful song that leaves any other Christmas track in the dust.