The Country
Blues Collection
(2008)
"I
still have a very clear memory of sitting around the kitchen one night
when i was about eight years old; dad came home with an old beat up Stewart
f-hole and using open tuning started playing and singing a Floyd Tillman-Jimmie
Davis song called "It Makes No Difference Now."
And that's the time and place this collection of songs seems to have come
from — the familiar country and blues song forms and harmonies Jim
heard and learned to play during his childhood in rural Quebec. In this
fourth collection and collaboration with Jason Lang, we hear yet another
example of their creative process: Jim brings his distinctive voice and
storyteller's sense of humour to the project while Jason offers us imaginative
slide motifs and a spirited set of acoustic and electric guitar solos.
Whether addressing the specifics of a particularly bad day (BAD MOOD), railing at an obsession that won't let go (RUINING MY LIFE), just keeping ahead of the BIG BLACK DOG or dealing one more late night hand of solitaire (NIGHT TRAIN), many of these songs have the feel of two guys sitting around the kitchen playing guitar and singing. There's some funk (DOING TIME), a golf tale (IF THINGS CAN GO WRONG), an oldie (ALL THE WAY TO TEXAS), an anthemic toe-tapper (ROLL WITH THE THUNDER) and the sublime BULWER BROOK.
Attentive to detail as always, relaxed in tone and delivery, the combination of traditional sounds and current sensibilities on the album make for a contemporary COUNTRY BLUES COLLECTION that's both engaging and easy to listen to.
Bad Mood
Mama Mama
Mean Mother Blues
Bulwer Brook
If Things Can Go Wrong
Black Dog
Night Train
All the Way to Texas
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