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 09/2007

    JAMES BLOOD ULMER
    Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions

  • reviewed 06/2010

    JOHN NEMETH
    Name the Day

  • reviewed 03/2009

    THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
    LIVE IN NEW ORLEANS

  • reviewed 01/2011

    REVEREND RAVEN AND THE CHAIN SMOKIN' ALTER BOYS
    SHAKE YOUR BOOGIE

  • reviewed 11/2020

    DUKE ROBILLARD AND FRIENDS
    BLUES BASH

  • reviewed 09/2018

    SHEMEKIA COPELAND
    AMERICA'S CHILD

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.