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 03/2012

    MAC ARNOLD
    Mac Arnold's Blues Revival; Live at the Grey Eagle

  • reviewed 04/2010

    GUITAR SHORTY
    BARE KNUCKLES

  • reviewed 04/2009

    VARIOUS- TRIBUTE TO DOUG SAHM
    SAVE YOUR SOUL

  • reviewed 09/2014

    BENJAMIN BOOKER
    BENJAMIN BOOKER

  • reviewed 01/2016

    Bob Margolin
    My Road

  • reviewed 12/1969

    JIMMY THACKERY AND THE DRIVERS
    Inside Tracks

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.