One of the more original and underappreciated acoustic blues revivalist acts,
Ball and
Sultan have developed an engaging repertoire with an emphasis on "good-timey" folk-blues, including guitar-and-harp adaptations of songs from a wide range of blues, R&B, jazz, country, and Tin Pan Alley sources. The sixth album by this Santa Barbara-based duo features more originals than usual, plus covers of tunes by Brownie McGhee and
Merle Travis -- two artists with whom guitarist
Sultan has great affinity. Whether doing their own or others' songs, they prefer wry lyrics that offer tongue-in-cheek observations about money, women, luck, and such, making them the unplugged equivalent of
Little Charlie & the Nightcats among today's blues acts. This is toe-tapping rather than foot-stomping blues, even on the handful of amplified cuts. ~ Steve Hoffman