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 02/2014

    JOHN MCVEY
    MEET ME IN HOUSTON

  • reviewed 03/2009

    DAMON FOWLER
    SUGAR SHACK

  • reviewed 03/2009

    SHEMEKIA COPELAND
    NEVER GOING BACK

  • reviewed 01/2017

    THE KNICKERBOCKER ALL-STARS
    TEXAS RHODY BLUES

  • reviewed 02/2014

    SANDY CARROLL
    Unnaturally Blonde

  • reviewed 05/2008

    ALBERT COLLINS
    LIVE IN MONTREUX, 1992

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.