KIWR PSB - What's on Serial June 1, 2005

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Whats on PS Blues 06012005Wednesday, June 01, 2005
What’s On at Pacific Street Blues?
Volume # 5

Artist: Steel Train
Album Title: Twilight Tales From the Prairies of the Sun
Rating: Very Good

More and more the acoustic singer-songwriter ‘sound’ is becoming the soup d’jour of hipness. None-the-less there are bands within that genre that write really good songs and put out good albums. ‘Twilight Tales’ is a most interesting record that incorporates a blend between early Allman Brother’s sense of meandering panoramic songs combined with a not-quite-so-hippy kind of Grateful Dead layered vocals. Steel Train has a passive approach to presenting their songs much like Crosby, Stills, & Nash would do with this early albums; occasionally breaking into a very melodic tune. The more I play this album the more I enjoy it. It’s not yet half way through the year but this is probably a Top Ten 2005 album for me… and certainly a sound outside of what most listeners may have expected from me.

Artist: Corey Harris
Album: Daily Bread
Rating: Very Good

If you need a category to understand him better, Corey Harris is a modern Taj Mahal. Taj is an iconic Musicologist who’s recent career is bent on preserving and presenting the musical ties between early Black American slaves and the native African tribal sounds that later formed ‘The Blues.’ Mahal is quite good at it; however, I sometimes find his historical accuracy tiring. Harris on the other hand also reaches back into this bedrock of the blues and then ties in a strong melodic almost pop sensibility. He also reaches into island sounds to blend in more roots. While Harris’ other albums did not reach out to me, Daily Bread, is a very strong album that has unfolded after repeated listening. I really enjoy this record and I think most PS Blues listeners will too!

Artist: Tab Benoit
Album: Fever for the Bayou
Rating: Good

I have a great affinity for New Orleans rhythm and blues music. This extends to the outlying areas where Zydeco is king. Try as I might, after numerous listenings I simply cannot get this album to open up. To my ears it sounds, at best, like an average blues album: consequently it does nothing for me. Yes, we’re going to air it a couple of times to create awareness but I am saddened. My expectations for Benoit are to rock-it with a rich flavored album – you get none of that here. Tab’s a terrific player and clearly competent but I hear none of that on this release.

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