From the opening guitar note of "No Substitute For Love" to the closing harmonica ring of "Tears of Joy," songwriter Ben Sage's new CD In Word and In Deed 2: Troubadour takes you on an emotional journey through life. It's the life of a contemporary bard, wandering through the often perplexing landscape of existence today, which listeners with insight will appreciate and relate to. The evocative "The Cool High Wind" exemplifies the richness and depth of Ben Sage's artistry. The impressionistic stream of images it blows through your mind as you listen to it can transport you from the ordinary to a place far from the madding crowd. It's one of two tracks on Troubadour on which Ben Sage is joined by fiddle great Byron Berline, whose credits include albums with Bob Dylan, The Byrds, and the Rolling Stones. Another renown musician appearing on Troubadour is Phil Leavitt, percussionist for Dada. The other accomplished players on hand helping Ben Sage bring his creations to life, while not so well known, make no less of a contribution. Still, it's Ben Sage, balladeer, who comes to the fore throughout. Whether it's the rollicking bluesy "Just Enough Rope," the darkly beautiful "City Girl Gone Country," the quizzical "If I Were a Hundred Feet Tall," or the anguished "Gimme Back My Wings," Ben's songs capture slices of life from a unique perspective. As Ben says in the CD's liner notes: I'm just a guy with a guitar, a harmonica and a point of view summed up in a single statement by a great American revolutionary: Of more worth is one honest man, to society and in the sight of God, than all the crowned ruffians that ever lived. - Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776. Troubadour shows the artist at his most honest. Order it today and let your mind go wandering through this great set of songs again and again. ©2005 Ben Sage. All rights reserved. All songs BMI.