Nashville based Canadian musician Steve Dawson is on a roll having released three exceptional albums within a year including the latest in his pandemic trilogy titled Eyes Closed, Dreaming an eleven song collection of Roots music. Dawson along with his Henhouse Studio and house band there are gaining quite the formidable reputation as the go to guys for the best sounding recordings. His solo work is just as outstanding as these records show. Helping Dawson (guitars/vocals and more) on Eyes Closed, Dreaming are the Henhouse Studio house band Gary Craig (drums), Jeremy Holmes (bass), Chris Gestrin (keyboards) and Kevin McKendree (Keyboards). Special guests include Allison Russell (vocals), Nashville legends Fats Kaplin (mandolin) and Tim O'Brien (mandolin), Jay Bellerose (drums), Keri Latimer (vocals) and Dawson's daughter Casey Dawson (vocals). Highlights among the tracks on Eyes Closed, Dreaming include a cover of Ian Tyson's "Long Time To Get Old" with outstanding vocals from Russell, the sweetly picked "A Gift", the string section sweetened "Hemmingway", a dulcet run through the traditional "House Carpenter", an easy laid back and soulful cover of Bobby Charles' "Small Town Talk", the refreshing instrumental "Waikiki Stonewall Rag", the reflective "Polaroid", a boozy sounding take on another traditional "Singin' The Blues", a greasy run through the Cowboy Jack Clement penned "Guess Things Happen That Way" most notably done by Johnny Cash and a cover of John Hartford's "Let Him Go On Mama" that closes the album and feature Dawson playing the Weissenborn. The latest from Steve Dawson Eyes Closed, Dreaming is a masterwork and satisfying selection of Roots music.
Black Hen Music
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