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 06/2014

    Janiva Magness
    Original

  • reviewed 09/2015

    Shemekia Copeland
    Outskirts Of Love

  • reviewed 10/2015

    Anthony Geraci and The Boston Blues All Stars
    Fifty Shades Of Blue

  • reviewed 06/2009

    DUKE ROBILLARD
    STOMP! THE BLUES TONIGHT

  • reviewed 09/2010

    CHRIS JAMES/PATRICK RYNN
    Gonna Boogie Anyway

  • reviewed 10/2014

    JIMMY THACKERY
    EXTRA JIMMIES

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.