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 03/2011

    POPA CHUBBY
    ESSENTIAL

  • reviewed 06/2009

    BJ ALLEN & BLUE VOODOO
    HEARTLESS

  • reviewed 11/2015

    Deb Ryder
    Let It Rain

  • reviewed 11/2017

    Peter Ward
    Blues On My Shoulders

  • reviewed 12/2008

    PAUL REDDICK
    SUGAR BIRD

  • reviewed 08/2009

    JENNI MULDAUR
    DEAREST DARLIN'

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.