Though Kelly Joe Phelps initially attracted attention for his virtuosity on slide guitar, he continues to extend his musical dimensions with each release. Once a solo troubadour, here the singer-songwriter features his richest arrangements to date, as producer Lee Townsend enlists stellar support from guitarists Bill Frisell and Steve Dawson, violinist Jesse Zubot, percussionist Scott Amendola (who's worked with Charlie Hunter), accordionist/keyboardist Chris Gestrin, vocalist Petra Haden (daughter of jazz great Charlie Haden), and bassists Andrew Downing and Keith Lowe. The musical atmospherics occasionally invite comparisons with kindred spirits such as Bruce Cockburn (the opening "Jericho"), Mark Knopfler ("Window Grin"), Richard Thompson ("Not So Far to Go"), and even a hint of Tom Waits ("Waiting for Marty"), but in the end Phelps defies categorization. A singer of bluesy grit, he remains a great guitarist, yet he plays with an understatement that enhances the material, rather than overwhelming the listener with hot licks. --Don McLeese<I>
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