Cactus Blossoms: old-style country crooners

At the heart of some of the finest country music there are two brothers making beautiful harmonies.

The Delmore Brothers, the Louvin Brothers, the Everly Brothers...and now, the Cactus Blossoms, featuring brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum.

[image]

Jack Torrey and Page Burkum of the Minneapolis band "The Cactus Blossoms."

Photo courtesy Quillan Roe

MPR's Chris Roberts met up with the brothers, who talked about their harmonizing:

"Your voice is the most expressive thing that you have, if you let it be," Torrey said. "It can also be the most contrived thing you have, if you choose to use it that way."

Creating immaculate harmonies comes easily. The two brothers come from a musical family, where a rendition of "Happy Birthday" sounds like a choir. But Burkum says that's not the only reason they've chosen to be old-style country crooners.

"There's a lot more sentimentality in old music, and that is another thing I like," he said. "There aren't songs like that now on the radio."

You can hear the rest of the story, and the music of the Cactus Blossoms, by clicking on the link below:

• After five years, State of the Arts comes to a close
• Park Square’s second stage to open Friday
• Most critics find ‘Romeo and Juliet’ a dreamy delight
• Michael Kareken fills two galleries with ‘Parts’