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 02/2011

    LYNWOOD SLIM & THE IGOR PRAD0 BAND
    BRAZILIAN KICKS

  • reviewed 09/2019

    RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS
    CONTEMPORARY

  • reviewed 05/2017

    Bobby G w/Curtis Grant Jr. & The Midnight Rockers
    Still Standing

  • reviewed 05/2011

    GINA SICILIA
    Can't Control Myself

  • reviewed 02/2014

    ANNIKA CHAMBERS & THE HOUSTON ALL-STARS
    Making My Mark

  • reviewed 11/2015

    Anthony Geraci And The Boston Blues All-
    Fifty Shades Of Blue

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.