Singer/songwriter Steve Conn mixes and matches moods and musicians on this New Orleans-mooded album. He’s an excellent spinner of yarns, and puts them in various frames, accompanying himself on keyboards, accordion and alto sax with guests coming and going like actors in an Agatha Christie novel.
The songs can range from a Doctor John-ish bluesy “Famous” or a funky with extra grease “You Don’t Know” to a Cajun two stepper “Around and Around” complete with wheezing accordion. With simple support, he’s reflective on “Doing The Best I Can” and laconic for “Sing Me To the Other Side” before giving a harrowing “Without a Trace.” His voice is rich and avuncular, and he uses it well as he tells stories such as “Annalee” or slinking a blues on “Let Me Cry.” Crescent City hues in a wide banquet.