This is an eclectic collection of artists and songs that is loosely (very loosely) tied together by the interstate highway I-10. The interstate stretches clear across the country from Jacksonville, FL, to Santa Monica, CA. This collection is supposed to be the music found along that road. Actually it skips some areas of the country that are very fertile musically, such as the New Orleans to Houston stretch, home to funk, jazz, Cajun, and Zydeco, and, of course, blues and swamp music. It does include something that doesn't quite seem to fit into this compendium, in any sense, either musically or geographically: "Yipi." It is partially a collection of the cross-pollination of music of the borderland, the melding of the American folk song, and the Mexican folk tradition. Aside from those reservations about the title, this is a fantastic collection of artists doing great work on an exceedingly diverse collection of songs, with some startling combinations.
Willie Nelson and
Emmylou Harris sing backup vocals to
Bill Hearne (on different songs),
Bill Hearne plays with
David Hidalgo and
Sergio Gonzales, and a great version of "Carmilita" is sung by
Adam Duritz with
David Hidalgo playing Dobro. Should it sound odd on the printed page, do not be put off by that. It is tight, exciting music, done with many wonderful surprises and twists and turns. It includes a wonderful version of
Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'" with
Willie Nelson doing lead vocal, songs by Guy Clarke,
Warren Zevon, and Peter Green to name only a few of the outstanding collection of writers. This is as eclectic as can be and a great mix that holds up very well. One of the most wonderful things in this collection is that there are several lesser-known artists showcased with a very good result. Eclectic and diverse, it makes for an out standing collection of music. Do not miss this one. ~ Bob Gottlieb