BOB DICK, LIFE’S HIGHWAY

BOB DICK
LIFE’S HIGHWAY

Appleland Records
2014

This new project from a talented New England musician is a retrospection of his extensive music career. The project contains selections from some of the groups and individuals he’s played and recorded with over the years, including Front Range, the Seldom Scene, Tom Gray, Roger Williams, his brother Dave, friend Rick Lang, and his own band, SloGrass. Other musicians include Dan Nowlan, Ken Taylor, Chuck and Mud Demers, Walter Crockett, Mark Manuel, and Joe Holovnia.

Bob is primarily a bass player, but he is equally skilled on guitar, mandolin, resonator guitar, and fiddle. Selections include a couple of originals from Bob. “With Your Eyes And Your Smile” was written for his wife, and “Appleland Breakdown” is an instrumental featuring Bob on mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and bass, with brother Dave on banjo and Roger Williams on resonator guitar. “Rose Among The Thorns” was written by his friend and songwriter Rick Lang and “My Lord Will Comfort Me” was co-written with Lang. From the Seldom Scene repertoire comes “Rebels Ye Rest,” and Scene members help out on “Thursday.” Bob teams up with bassist Tom Gray on Gray’s “Walking The Blues” and “Silence Or Tears.” Bob performs a bass medley with “Over The Waterfall” and “Ragtime Annie.” There is also a haunting version of Richard Marx’s mystery tale “Hazard,” and the title cut “Life’s Highway” is a fitting theme for a look at the life of a talented and working musician. (Appleland Records, P.O. Box 366, Sutton, MA 01590, www.applelandmusic.com.)BF