CD Reviews for 08/07/08 – Laura Cantrell, New Guitar Summit
Compact Capsules for 8/7/08
by Dan Ferguson
by Dan Ferguson
Laura Cantrell
Trains & Boats & Planes
Diesel Only Records
While it has been only three years, it seems like an eternity since the last record from NYC-based songstress Laura Cantrell. First-time motherhood will do that to you. The all-covers Trains & Boats & Planes is an all-of-a-6-song EP, but very welcome despite its brevity. Consider it an easing-back-into-things sort of affair where Cantrell, in fine voice, displays her usual keen sense for song picking (the tile track, Roger Miller, Merle Haggard, et al) with a top shelf crew accompanying her on the musician side of things. Welcome back Laura! (Visit www.lauracantrell.com.)
Laura Cantrell performs at the Narrows Center for the Arts on Saturday, August 16 at 8 PM. check out www.ncfta.org for information.
New Guitar Summit
Shivers
Stony Plain SPCD1328
Shivers is exactly what’s in store from this all-star guitar trio featuring local hero Duke Robillard with fellow New England six-stringers Jay Geils and Gerry Beaudoin. Together they make beautiful music on this nearly all instrumental sophomore outing that touches blues, jazz, and swing. (Randy Bachman of BTO fame guests on vocals on two tracks.) Mixing tasty original compositions with covers ranging from Lionel Hampton & Benny Goodman to Mose Allison to Fats Waller to the Charlie Christian–crafted title track, the near flawless Shivers finds the trio clicking on all cylinders. (Visit www.stonyplainsrecords.com.)
(Dan Ferguson is a free-lance music writer and host of The Boudin Barndance, broadcast Thursday nights from 6 – 9 pm on WRIU-FM 90.3. He lives in Peace Dale and can be reached at [email protected].)