No newcomer to the scene, Jimmy LaFave is a veteran artist who has produced many albums. He has a distinct style and voice. His many fans are drawn to his expressive voice and songs as well as his choice of covers which nearly always include an interpretation of a Dylan song or two.
Perhaps more surprising is his version of John Waite's hit Missing You but here it fits perfectly into the album. The first of the Dylan songs is Red River Shore , a song believed to have been written for the Time Out Of Mind album but which surfaced on one of the officialBootleg Series and is here in an excellent, epic 9 minuets plus version which isboth tender and tight. The other Dylan songs are I'll Remember You and Tomorrow Is a Long Time, which show that LaFave is a master of putting his own slant onto the songs of others and making them fit right alongside his own songs. On this album he also delivers a fine version of Bruce Springsteen's Land of Hope and Dreams.
LaFave’s voice is an ideal instrument for this task and should be lauded with the likes of Willy DeVille. LaFave handles the production with perfect understanding of what he is looking to deliver. Helping him do that are a selection of musicians who bring the songs to the top of the game. They include Bill Chambers, Chip Dolan, John Inmom and Eliza Gilkyson amongst others.
His own songs are equally good and include Vanished, It Just Is Not Right or the more driving Red Dirt Night. Much of the album is delivered at a slower, more contemplative pace which draws the listener into the heart of the music.This is music that any fan of Jimmy LaFave will be quick to laud and music that, if you're new to his catalogue, is a pretty good place to start. What ever distance you are from LaFave's music it is something you should get closer to. Fine cover too, featuring some of LaFave's own evocative photography.