I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Phantom Threshold, from Steve Dawson, and it's an interesting blend of blues and country. Opening with Cozy Corner with a meandering melody somewhat like a movie soundtrack, Dawson blends acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, and marxophone with Jay Bellerose on drums, Jeremy Holmes on bass, Chris Gestrin on keys and Daniel Lapp on violins providing a supple background for his solo pedal steel explorations. Very cool. Ol' Brushy has a funky bottom with Gestrin on Wurlitzer, clavinet and organ, Bellerose on snare and Homes on bass providing a really strong framework allowing Dawson's steel guitar soloing in contrast with Gestrin's own melodic work. The Waters Rise is a pure C&W style melody with steel guitar lead over a rhythm strum on a National tricone and with really smart accordion work by Fats Kaplan. One of my favorites on the release. Lily's Resistor is a really nice track in 3/4 time. Full melody lead by Dawson on pedal steel, with accents on baritone guitar with reverb, clean electric six string and pure country style backing by Gestrin on organ, moog, meletron and wurlitzer, Holmes on bass and Bellerose on drums sets a very relaxing pace. Wrapping the release is Whirlwind, featuring Dawson alone on Weissenborn. Alternating back and forth between flat picked melody and slide, Dawson really works the melody for a solid closer for a cool release.
Black Hen Music
×