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Reviews
of Ladies on the Steamboat
From
the: FRETS
Review by: Jim Hatlo
Work Reviewed:
Bob Black ~ Ladies On The Steamboat
They say
you can tell a lot about a man by the company he keeps. Assisting 5-string
banjo whiz Bob Black on his first solo album are Norman Blake, Kenny Baker,
Buck White, Blaine Sprouse, and Nancy Blake, among others. But the artist
who really puts the gilt edge on this disc is Black himself, with playing
that is clean, powerful, and eminently tasteful. Black is a fiddle-tune
stylist, and a good one, tossing off the fast triplets on his arrangement
of “Limerock” as though he had a bionic right hand. His scope takes in
much more than fiddle music, however, and his version of White’s jazzy
“Saratoga Blues”—with White joining in for a stunning banjo/mandolin duet—is
just one case in point. The crème de la crème selection is the old Irish
tune “Star Of The County Down,” a beautifully melancholy minor-key melody
that Black renders with exquisite simplicity. On slow tunes, the banjo’s
limited sustain can create a spare, poignant eloquence, and Black exploits
that to the fullest. Nancy Blake’s cello provides a sweet backdrop, Norman
Blake contributes a moving guitar solo, and Baker, Sprouse, and James
Bryan team for a gorgeous three-fiddle break. “Little Black Mustache”
features Black and Alan O’Bryant doing some bright, perfectly synchronized
twin-banjo work. Recommended.
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