As one of the albums here says on the front cover, “Blues Is A Beautiful Landscape.” Here, you get it on the back porched and plugged in.
Eric Bibb plays 6 & 12 string guitar, 6 string banjo and guitalele as well as delivering vocals in a wonderfully sandied voice. He’s teamed up with in a mix and match collection here with Danny Thompson/b, Olli Haavista/dobro-g, Petri Hakala/mand-g-fid, Janne Haavista/dr and a handful of cameo guests on mostly originals and a ringer. You get country pickin’ delights on the title track and cheery “Tell Ol Bill” while you’re sittin’ on a cozy swing to the delightful “Toolin’ Down The Road.” The strings twinkle on “Rison of Time” and the team picks and grins on “King Size Bed. “ A couple instruments such as “1912 Skiing Disaster” has some wonderful steel guitar, but the clincher is the closing piece; a remake of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” along with Pepe Ahlquist’s harmonica and bluesy guitars that put the British Invasion classic into blue overalls. YEE HAW!!!
Paul Reddick sings and plays a nasty harmonica along with plugged in friends Greg Cockerill/g, Steve Marriner/g-key, Colin Cripps/g, Anna Ruddick/b and Derek Downham/dr-p. You get some raucous Bo Diddley sounding blues with Reddicks’ earthy voice on “Shadows” and “Living In Another World.” The guitars boogie till they puke on “I Tried To Tell You” and “It Goes With You” while the laid back “Watersmooth” and “Diamonds” saunter and let Reddicks’ harp blow a mean wind storm. Slinky guitar and bass douring “Mourning Dove” is a treat-these guys take you back to the sugar shack!
Stony Plain Records