BRUCE MOLSKY, IF IT AIN’T HERE WHEN I GET BACK

BRUCE MOLSKY
IF IT AIN’T HERE WHEN I GET BACK

Tree Frog Music
TF-1301

This is an intelligent, sensitive, and very well recorded effort from Molsky. He kicks it off with a fiddle-accompanied ballad from Australia, “Wreck Of The Dandenong.” Then jumps to some fine guitar picking on “Bimini Girl” from the Bahamas. From this eclectic start, we are then taken through a program of old-time tunes and songs and through a set of Celtic tunes. Along the way, he visits some titles most folks will recognize—“Cumberland Gap” and “Shady Grove.” But his versions are taken from perhaps more arcane sources than the average person has heard, so there is an additional freshness to his renderings.

There is some fine funky blues guitar on “Kentucky Blues” taken from Dennis “Little Hat” Jones. There are some great surreal lyrics in this funk fest. His reading of the late Craig Johnson’s powerful “Piney Mountains” is a fine reading with a great fiddle line. He tries his hand at Métis fiddling with an interesting reading of “Growling Old Man And Grumbling Old Woman.” The banjo appears on “New Cut Road” and “Johnny Booger.”

Molsky has broadened his approach from his first old-time recordings. We are afforded a clearer look at the range and depth of his talents and interests. The liner notes are extensive and insightful. This is another fine addition to his catalog of recordings. (www.brucemolsky.com.)RCB