SLEEPY LA BEEF
ROOTS
Ponk (CRPM004)
And, as if by magic, you can not only get some great old recordings by Sleepy LaBeef but a brand new record too and it's an absolute corker.
Now in his mid seventies and recording without his trademark steamroller electric guitar, you might be forgiven for approaching this CD with some trepidation. Any such concerns quickly melt away as Sleepy's booming Old Testament voice kicks in and takes command. With an ‘unplugged' feel throughout (instrumental support to his own strummed guitar, bass and drums is limited to the occasional piano and accordion), the focus is always on Sleepy's majestic ability to carry the eclectic range of material - blues, country, folk, old timey, rock and roll and gospel - and shape it into a coherent and unified collection of American roots music.
Drawn from Sleepy's reputed 6,000 plus song repertoire, standards ‘Amazing Grace' and ‘Cotton Fields' bookend the remainder of the set that consists of less familiar songs of love, loss and the need to save your soul. And, as well as the superb performances and song choices to marvel at, he also produced and mixed this to perfection, providing an intimate sound to the whole affair. It is as if he is there in the room with you, strumming his guitar and living and breathing his stories just for you.
There aren't too many authentic voices left but Sleepy definitely has one of them. He is a true original and a remarkable man and I, for one, just love his new CD.
Ask for CRPM004
Special Red Lick price only £13.15 plus p&p
Review Date: November 2009
