SELF[EN]TITLED
OMNIVORE RECORDS
OVCD-423
New York City’s Cole Quest (Rotante) is the grandson of Woody Guthrie and has assembled The City Pickers, who are a group of like-minded friends who also have a love for acoustic and bluegrass music. Quest, who sings lead vocals and plays guitar and resonator guitar, is joined by Larry Cook (bass), Christian Apuzzo (guitar), Mike Mulhollan (banjo), and Matheus Verardino (harmonica). Other musicians include Erik Alvar (bass), Sam Reider (keyboards), and Sean Trischka (drums). This six-song project showcases Quest’s originals and other tunes and are presented in up-beat arrangements and nice harmonies. Originals include “Ostrich Therapy,” “The Bitcoin Gambler,” and “My Sweet Little Girl.” Quest also wrote the “711” medley part of the Buck Graves classic “Foggy Mountain Rock,” which is backed by Trischka’s drums, Alvar’s bass, and has Reider offering a break on the Hammond B3 keyboard. This trio of bass, drums, and keyboards is also heard on “My Sweet Little Girl.” The band covers Woody Guthrie’s “Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key,” and guitarist Apuzzo offers his own “If I Still Had You.” This band is quite good and their production keeps fairly close to the acoustic-bluegrass arrangements.
