The amount of excitement surrounding Kelly Joe Phelps spilled over into blues some time back and why can be understood by listening to some of his work. His recent "Sky Like A Broken Clock" disc offers up close to an hour of deftly fingerpicked guitar and smoky vocals that have firm footing and audible influences rearing back to decades past. All ten songs are crafted originals written in a visual style and while instrumentation is at a minimum, the overall effect is well-balanced and pleasing. "Taylor John," the opening track, kicks things off in solid fashion with cleanly played acoustic guitar, crisp drums creeping into the mix, and upright bass holding the low end, while "Beggar's Oil" will offer interest to those who take particular in the work of Mississippi John Hurt or others that detoured from the oft-traveled path of many Mississippian's slashing Delta slide, a more violent form of music. Phelps' guitar plays a fine unison line to his somewhat limited, yet satisfying voice which then charges "Gold Tooth," a seven-minute romp with Billy Conway's (ex-Morphine) brilliantly recorded drums helping to propel the track ahead. Phelps manages highly-skilled guitar throughout, shown particularly well on "Tommy," a soft and gentle piece where no accompaniment is needed and he shows a keen ability to make the imagination wake up and take notice, perhaps no more evident than in "Mr. My Go," a dark and brooding piece which tosses memorable lines about with ease;
"It's a hundred degrees, my boots are
soaked to the tongue
Covered in misty aberration
Souls are soles are holes in the frame
of a
picture of a madman hanging on a
dusty wall..."
The extended-play 6-song "Beggar's Oil" disc is a fine companion to the above CD as it offers 5 previously unreleased performances along with the two versions of the title track, one which appeared on the album, and a second band-arrangement that clocks in over a minute longer than the issued track complete with help from Taylor and Conway. "Frankenstein Party Of Three: Your Table Is Ready" is a seven-minute journey that will please even the hardcore blues purists with its decidedly Delta flavor, courtesy of Phelps' incredible work on guitar, the lowdown acoustic bass, and simplistically correct drumming. "Lass Of Loch Royale (If I Prove False To Thee)" is a delicately beautiful slice of music where KJP serves up brilliant slide work that receives added depth, thanks to the amount of instrumental reverb, which could stem from the location of this recording, done as it was at the Kuumba Jazz Center, and while not blues by any stretch, it certainly deserves listening. "Tommy," while on the "Broken Clock" disc, gets a band arrangement here as well and works fine in either format and "Don Quixote's Windmill" would have fit comfortably alongside everything else on the full-length CD.
Both sets were recorded at Long View Farms in February of 2001 and produced by George Howard, basically all 'live' as you hear it. Howard points out in his brief liner notes for the "Broken Clock" disc that there were no overdubs and if a mistake was made, they simply went back at it again, as a unit. Considering that Phelps, Taylor, and Conway had never played together prior to these sessions, they work seamless magic, sounding like gears meshing perfectly.
Had Kelly Joe Phelps been around during the 1960's when folkies were at the height of popularity, he'd have been regarded as a key player. His background traverses similar territory as Dylan and others; an obvious debt to acoustic blues masters, writing which conjures thoughts and visions, and a desire to sidestep popular convention. Larry Taylor, a name familiar to many blues fans, holds down acoustic bass chores as Tom West and Dinty Childs handle keyboard activities, and a few others guest as well. For more information, check out www.rykodisc.com or www.kellyjoephelps.com - while most of the world clamors for manufactured drivel with talent that wouldn't fill a water-saver toilet, take a trip with Kelly Joe Phelps and grab a taste of honest-to-goodness, heartfelt, sincere music.
Simply click on the CD cover at left to order this CD NOW!
Simply click on the CD cover at left to order this CD NOW!
This review is copyright © 2002 by Craig Ruskey, and Blues On Stage at: www.mnblues.com, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission.
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