D for Dobro
Chris Eaton’s solo release D for Dobro is a collection of nine solo instrumentals in Open D tuning and is a follow-up to the collaborative recording he released last year The UK & Ireland Dobro Celebration. He stated that, “There’s not very much repertoire for Open D lapsteel, certainly not many solo unaccompanied arrangements.” So, he came up with the idea for doing a solo recording and doing multi-angle video recordings with tab for players that might be interested in learning the songs.
Eaton presents the listener with memorable arrangements of a variety of songs and styles. The recording opens with the traditional hymn “Be Thou My Vision” and it is a lively and heartfelt interpretation. Included is a version of “The Tennessee Waltz” normally played in G tuning with accompaniment. Eaton’s solo version won him first place in the Dobro category at the Battlefield Bluegrass Festival. He goes beyond standards and traditional songs and includes the Allman Brothers classic “Midnight Rider,” James Taylor’s “Carolina in My Mind” and the pop song “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers. Eaton does a noteworthy job in his arrangements of staying true to the songs, while also allowing room to add his own artistic interpretation. Other songs included are “Shenandoah,” “Key to the Highway,” “Always on My Mind” and “The Leaving of Liverpool.”
Eaton is a creative player possessing both touch and tone and he puts them to good use on this recording. Highly recommend this project for resonator enthusiasts and those curious about the wide-ranging capabilities of a resonator.
