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 ThomasJAMES BLOOD ULMER
Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions
JOHN NEMETH
Name the Day
THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
LIVE IN NEW ORLEANS
REVEREND RAVEN AND THE CHAIN SMOKIN' ALTER BOYS
SHAKE YOUR BOOGIE
DUKE ROBILLARD AND FRIENDS
BLUES BASH
SHEMEKIA COPELAND
AMERICA'S CHILD
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