Casey Van Beek & The Tulsa Groove - Heaven Forever (2020)

If there’s certain familiarity that accompanies Casey Van Beek and the Tulsa Groove’s new album Heaven Forever, it’s no coincidence. Born in Holland but transplanted to Oklahoma after living in Los Angeles, Van Beek shares a sound that borrows heavily from his heartland environs and one of its musical mainstays in particular, JJ Cale.Van Beek possesses a lengthy resume — once that includes a tenure with several ‘60s bands (Peter and Gordon’s in particular as well as a group called the Vibrants that had opportunity to open for the Rolling Stones and the Dave Clark Five) — as well as early associations with Linda Ronstadt, Leon Russell, Don Henley and Glenn Frey. After playing with the Grammy nominated country group The Tractors, he found himself contributing to Cale’s album The Road to Escondido, which also found Eric Clapton playing alongside him. Van Beek continued to play with Clapton after that, and it’s clear that the blues groove and supple sway so identified with both Cale and Clapton left a lasting impression on him as well. Indeed, it’s a sound that translates well to aptly dubbed Heaven Forever. Songs such as “Sugar Bee,” “Roberta,” “Waltzin’ With My Shadow” and the title track take that same amiable, unhurried approach, resulting in an album that makes for the essence of easy listening affability. Consider Heaven Forever its own slice of pure paradise. ~Lee Zimmerman