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Friends is the accurate and revealing title for New York bluesman Eric Bibb's tenth album since 1997. There are 15 cuts here, each of them featuring rootsy folk and blues collaborations with different "friends" in differing small group settings. The set starts with a killer acoustic slide duet between Bibb and Guy Davis on the nugget "99 ½ Won't Do." The contrast between Davis' sweet and smoky delivery and Bibb's husky wail -- akin to Blind Willie Johnson's in places -- offers a double-sided dimension in interpretation for the listener, as well. Elsewhere, Charlie Musselwhite gives a killer snaky harmonica performance on "Six O' Clock Blues." Taj Mahal makes two appearances; one in a duet on "Goin' Down Slow," and one in a trio with Bibb and Malian guitarist Djelimady Tounkara on a medley of the traditional "Kulanjan" and Bibb's own "Sebastian's Tune." Speaking of Mali, and Mahal, Bibb also covers the elder bluesman's classic "Lovin' in My Baby's Eyes," with the great kora player Mamadou Diabate that rivals the original. There's also a gorgeous version of Guy and Susanna Clark's "The Cape," with guitarist Martin Simpson, Bibb's moving "For You" with Ruthie Foster, and "Tain't No Such Thing," a bright new folk song written and sung with legendary folksinger Odetta. Mohan Veena ace Harry Manx performs with Bibb on the high lonesome, droning blues of "Needed Time," and with Kristina Olsen on her "If I Stayed." The set closes with the tender "Dance Me to the End of Love," (an original, not the Leonard Cohen tune) with the Lovin' Spoonful's Jerry Yester playing piano. In addition to the many performers on this collection, there are 15 different engineers! Given that most records of this type are mixed bags at best, with "star-studded" collabs serving to muck up or water down rather than enhance performances, Friends is an anomaly. There is nothing that's obvious or overblown here, everything is subtly shaded, and the performers serve the songs and not themselves. The listener gets no sense of back-patting or self-congratulation, only the great pleasure of hearing this music in a revealing, emotionally honest way. Bravo.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
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Traditional, Lyricist - Eric Bibb, Composer, MainArtist - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Guy Davis, FeaturedArtist - David Eric Bronze, Composer
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Charlie Musselwhite, FeaturedArtist - Eric Bibb, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - David Eric Bronze, Composer, Lyricist - Levi B Saunders, Composer, Lyricist
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Taj Mahal, MainArtist - Eric Bibb, MainArtist - James Oden, Composer, Lyricist - Universal, MusicPublisher
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Taj Mahal, Composer, Lyricist - Eric Bibb, MainArtist - Mamadou Diabate, FeaturedArtist - Sony/ATV, MusicPublisher
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Eric Bibb, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Ruthie Foster, MainArtist - BMG, MusicPublisher
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Susanna Clark, Composer, Lyricist - Eric Bibb, MainArtist - Guy Charles Clark, Composer, Lyricist - Martin Simpson, MainArtist - James Walter Janosky, Composer, Lyricist - EMI/Bug, MusicPublisher
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Eric Bibb, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Odetta, FeaturedArtist - Felious Gordon, Composer, Lyricist
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Eric Bibb, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Harry Manx, FeaturedArtist
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Eric Bibb, MainArtist - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Kristina Olsen, Composer, Lyricist, FeaturedArtist
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Eric Bibb, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Michael Jerome Browne, FeaturedArtist
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Eric Bibb, MainArtist - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Tom Phillips, Composer, Lyricist - Byron Myhre, FeaturedArtist
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Eric Bibb, MainArtist - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Michael Jerome Browne, FeaturedArtist - Michael Browne, Composer, Lyricist - Beverley Markus, Composer, Lyricist
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Eric Bibb, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - BUG MUSIC, MusicPublisher - Led Kaapana, FeaturedArtist
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Taj Mahal, MainArtist - Eric Bibb, MainArtist - Toumani Diabate, Composer, Lyricist - Djelimady Tounkara, FeaturedArtist - Rykomusic, MusicPublisher
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Jerry Yester, FeaturedArtist - Eric Bibb, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
Album review
Friends is the accurate and revealing title for New York bluesman Eric Bibb's tenth album since 1997. There are 15 cuts here, each of them featuring rootsy folk and blues collaborations with different "friends" in differing small group settings. The set starts with a killer acoustic slide duet between Bibb and Guy Davis on the nugget "99 ½ Won't Do." The contrast between Davis' sweet and smoky delivery and Bibb's husky wail -- akin to Blind Willie Johnson's in places -- offers a double-sided dimension in interpretation for the listener, as well. Elsewhere, Charlie Musselwhite gives a killer snaky harmonica performance on "Six O' Clock Blues." Taj Mahal makes two appearances; one in a duet on "Goin' Down Slow," and one in a trio with Bibb and Malian guitarist Djelimady Tounkara on a medley of the traditional "Kulanjan" and Bibb's own "Sebastian's Tune." Speaking of Mali, and Mahal, Bibb also covers the elder bluesman's classic "Lovin' in My Baby's Eyes," with the great kora player Mamadou Diabate that rivals the original. There's also a gorgeous version of Guy and Susanna Clark's "The Cape," with guitarist Martin Simpson, Bibb's moving "For You" with Ruthie Foster, and "Tain't No Such Thing," a bright new folk song written and sung with legendary folksinger Odetta. Mohan Veena ace Harry Manx performs with Bibb on the high lonesome, droning blues of "Needed Time," and with Kristina Olsen on her "If I Stayed." The set closes with the tender "Dance Me to the End of Love," (an original, not the Leonard Cohen tune) with the Lovin' Spoonful's Jerry Yester playing piano. In addition to the many performers on this collection, there are 15 different engineers! Given that most records of this type are mixed bags at best, with "star-studded" collabs serving to muck up or water down rather than enhance performances, Friends is an anomaly. There is nothing that's obvious or overblown here, everything is subtly shaded, and the performers serve the songs and not themselves. The listener gets no sense of back-patting or self-congratulation, only the great pleasure of hearing this music in a revealing, emotionally honest way. Bravo.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 15 track(s)
- Total length: 00:57:45
- Main artists: Eric Bibb
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: BConnected Records
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Blues
2004 BConnected Records 2004 BConnected Records
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