From the first notes of Down Below, Ted Hefko’s new album with his band the Thousandaires, a sense of timelessness oozes like his gentle baritone voice through all ten songs on the album, which was recorded in the summer of 2020 amid the Delta wave of the pandemic.

Hefko is a songwriter with a wry sense of humor tempered with the experiences of a musician’s musician from deep in the trenches of the New Orleans scene. He first gained notice as a saxophonist, playing with one of the seminal New Orleans jazzy jam bands, Idletime. But after a stint in New York, he picked up the guitar again and began refashioning himself as a singer-songwriter.

The musicians on the album flesh out the songs, adding depth to tunes that are already quite deep lyrically. The jaunty “Hang On To Your Hat” will stick in your head long after the first listen. “They say you’re a seven; I see at least an eight/I want the keys to your penthouse and the code to your gate/Little mama, let’s get one thing straight/Well I’m a fool for your love, baby/I accept my fate.”

The album features special guests from across the musical spectrum of New Orleans. Trombonist Craig Klein and trumpeter Kevin Louis bring a trad-jazz feel to the Leadbelly tune “Ella Speed.” Lynn Drury and Jamey St. Pierre enliven a few tunes with backing vocals. Michael Skinkus fleshes out three cuts with some well-placed percussion.

The tunes on the album reflect a deep curiosity in a variety of genres from Americana, blues and country to roots rock and, of course, jazz. Yet they all coalesce into a powerful individual statement. This is an album from a songwriter fully inhabiting his creations.