The revival of rootsy blues continues with these three strong outings…
Matt Patershuk plays guitar and sings with a richness reminiscent of Barry McGuire as he teams with Steve Dawson/g, Gary Craig/dr, Jeremy Holmes/b, Chris Gestrin/key, Charlie McCoy/harp, Kristin Weber/vi-voc and Larissa Maestro/cel-voc for a collection of Nashville skylines. He’s able to tell amusing stories as on “Ernest Tubb Had Funny Slippers” and takes you to the Grand Ol’ Opry on “The Blues Don’t Bother Me” and adds some steel guitar for “Lets’ Give This Bottle A Black Eye.” A trip to the VFW takes place on “Walkin’” while he shows his darker side on the gritty “Velvet Bulldozer” and “Bear Chase.” Dusty boots.
Big Dave McLean sings like a truck driver and plays a tone of guitars as well as harmonica as he picks you up in his Mack along with Steve Dawson/g, Gary Craig/dr, Jeremy Holmes/b, Chris Gestrin/key and a horn team of Malcom Aiken/tp, Jerry Cook/bs and Dominic Conway/ts. The saxes swing along with McLean’s harp on a bluesy “Backwards Fool” and add richness to McLean’s swampy take of Greg Allman’s “Midnight Rider.” Rural back roads are taken with acoustic guitars on “When I Was Young” and “You’ve Been Told” and the team swings on the shufflin’ boogie of “All Day Party” with McLean growling out a South Sider on “Just To Be With You.” Well worn blue jeans.
Jennifer Gillmore plays cello, didgeridoo, bass, flute and sings along with co-leader Dennis Gaumond who’s on a plethora of guitars, dobro, harmonica, banjitar, wazinator and lead vocals along with Tom Wolf/dr, Chris Dahmer/acc-key, Oisin Hannigan/bodhran and backing vocalists Tannis Slimmon and Shannon Kingsbury. The intriguing thing here is how a reggae pulse is injected into many of the pieces, such as the harrowing “You’ll Never Know” and up to the closing Marley anthem “Get Up, Stand Up,” complete with banjo-toned strings. Cool guitar swings up “Mountaintop” While a trip to the delta gets muggy for “Prison For Myself” and There’s Only Love.” Stark moods with bowed cello on “Sneak Past The Mirror” or accompaniment of flute on ”There In your Bubble” mix Cumberland Gap red clay with modern tones, with travellin’ shoes worn along with the digeridoo for “Go Viral” and the rural “Wide Awake. Side roads on the hitch hiking path.