Jimmy Carpenter

Toiling in Obscurity

2009-10-23

This album feels like an emotional joy-ride; stealing his feelings for an hour or so, just to drive around with them. It's an impressively solid debut album. The liner notes say it's like a "soundtrack to [his] career." I can agree to that, the main thing holding these songs together is guy who wrote them; the songs on this album have a range of styles. I didn't mind. From the danceable bebop of “Upswing”, to the folk-poppy “On the Skids”, to the near-gospel style of “Shine a Light,” to the purely instrumental jazz of “Sinner Street” and “Prisoner of Love”, to the Latin-based sound of “Screeching Halt”, Carpenter pulls off every style of music he tossed on here, with excellent musicianship. Let's hope this first isn't also his last solo effort. Recommends: ( 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 ) ~ Chris Thomas

Quick Links:

More reviews tagged #Blues

  • reviewed 04/2015

    Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King
    Fat Man's Shine Parlor

  • reviewed 04/2018

    NICK MOSS BAND FEATURING DENNIS GRUENLING
    THE HIGH COST OF LOW LIVING

  • reviewed 05/2012

    STUDEBAKER JOHN
    OLD SCHOOL ROCKIN'

  • reviewed 09/2009

    GEOFF MULDAUR AND THE TEXAS SHEIKS
    TEXAS SHEIKS

  • reviewed 10/2010

    DUKE ROBILLARD
    PASSPORT TO THE BLUES

  • reviewed 10/2013

    DANA FUCHS
    BLISS AVENUE

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.