"The beast in 'King Kong Serenade' really came out of the beast in me," says Allen Shadow. "I was in Nashville stale on writing formula songs for the machine. So I returned to my voice as a poet, with a vengeance. The monster in me was awakened. So, in retrospect, it was no surprise that I subconsciously chose our beloved Kong as the symbol for my album adventure."

 A poet first and foremost, Shadow had come to Nashville to pursue a songwriting career, but it was always meant to be a stop along the way - the way to ultimately marrying his voice as a poet with music. After a decade in the song trade, Shadow had honed his skills as a tunesmith and was ready to take that next step - the convergence of the poet and songwriter.

 "It was kind of like the Jekyll and Hyde movie, where Spencer Tracy drinks his long sought after chemical concoction and goes mad," says Shadow. "I didn't know whether it was going to be a success or a colossal monstrosity, but I went at it full bore."

 What emerged was a raw, rich portrait of New York City, Shadow’s hometown and the backdrop of most of his poetry. And with the help of his formidable band — which included Bob Dylan and Lucinda Williams guitar alumnus John Jackson, John Prine drummer Paul Griffith, and Janis Ian keyboard player Randy Leago — the beast had come to stunning reality.