Fur Dixon / Steve Werner Songs of the Open Road - Volume One Grass & Gravel

This well travelled duo have celebrated their troubadour lifestyle on this, their third, album by recording a set of songs themed to the open road. The songs are all favourite songs from the traditional cannon or from writers they admire. The duo are essentially know for the blend of their voices, his deep and hers hitting the higher register, a combination that works well and allows each to take the lead or to harmonize together. Their sound is Americana folk music that sees them bringing in various flavours from the open prairies, open skies, open roads to closed roads and dead-end options. They add to each song a flavour of the songs location with additional players like Brantley Kearns on fiddle, John McDuffie on pedal steel, Otono Lujan on button accordion and Paul Marshall on bass. They use these instruments to add subtle but telling textures to these songs that give the songs greater scope for telling the stories. These range from Woody Guthrie's Do Re Mi to Southbound by Doc and Merle Watson and Clay Pigeons from the late Blaze Foley through two Mary McCaslin sounds and the traditional De Colores and Dreary Black Hills. The journey you take with them is a pleasure and they mass the metaphorical hours with ease. The arrangements and their captivating singing and choice of songs will leave many looking forward to the (possible) next installment of their American journey. May the road rise with you.