CD Review
Jim Suhler
Dirt Road
(TopCat Records TCD4022)
by Vasja Ivanovski
Review Date: May, 2005
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"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" Achievement for Blues on the Internet Presented by The Blues Foundation
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Jim Suhler is one of the best exponents of younger generation Texas blues guitarists along with Alan Haynes, Tony Vega and others. He has played with a number of blues greats in his time and is also known for helping out young talent whenever possible. His latest outing finds him exploring some new musical routes with a strong collection of songs based on blues and spiced with some moody, atmospheric instrumentals and a couple of country tinged roots tracks forming a beautiful sound landscape known as Texas music, with personal touch by the master himself. 10 originals and 5 covers make for great listening even to casual music lover.
This is very fine stuff indeed with kind of minimalist approach with plenty of emotion involved, very successful combination I would add.
Beside Jim’s vocal and flawless guitar playing, album features great support by his fellow musicians: Carlton Powell and Tim Alexander on keyboards, Buddy Mohmed on bass, Tom Morrell on steel guitar and percussion by Bobby Baranovski and Jamal Mohammed, while blues legend Sam Myers add some great harmonica on Jim’s original “Shake Hands With The Devil”. Personal favorites include Huddie Ledbetter’s “Out On The Western Plain”, also known for fine rendition by the late great Rory Gallagher. “Lauri”, “Holly Ridge”, “My Morning Prayer” and Mance Lipscomb’s “Spanish Fandango” are excellent instrumentals creating almost ambiental atmosphere, sliced on the CD between blues originals. Johnny Winter is big influence on generations of younger players and obviously on Jim too, who covers his “Dallas” with a version that should put a smile on Johnny’s face! Leroy Carr’s “Church bell Blues” sounds especially fine with added piano of Tim Alexander, reminding us how influential bluesman Leroy Carr was. “High Cotton” is Jim’s solo acoustic original influenced in parts by Tampa Red’s “It Hurts Me Too”, while his “Country Girl” would make every singer/songwriter happy with its simple beauty. “My Morning Prayer” is excellent acoustic instrumental similar to what Ry Cooder plays.
Each track stands on its own and music this simple and beautiful is rather hard to find these days in contemporary music production, it rewards the listener with every repeated play. For me, it gets rarely out of my CD player these days!
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