If you miss the old school singer/songwriter sounds of Kenny Rankin, you’ll feel like you just reached the oasis on this album by James Lee Stanley. He uses both acoustic and electric guitar here in a variety of settings, ranging from a living room casual “Any Other Way” through a mid temp walker on “ Gypsies in the Hallway.” Laid back but not lazy, songs like “Highway 23” have a feel like vintage America, as guitar strings and percussion meld well with Stanley’s rich and well worn voice on “Living The Party Life.” His picking is superb, aptly demonstrated on”Etude in E Minor” making this a thoughtful disc on a surfeit of levels. Understated, not flashy, he wins you over with quality. Remember that?
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