THE
PHOENIX
"Tunesmith
Retrofit"
(Rounder
Records)
By
TED DROZDOWSKI
August 21, 2006
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is it too much to call this Oregon singer-songwriter and guitarist the
quiet genius of contemporary American folk? Full of images and turns of
phrase, his writing — the love song “Spanish Hands,” the
story of ruin “Red Light Nickel” — stands alone as poetry.
And his drumless studio band’s blend of acoustic and steel guitars,
banjo, violin, and organ creates a melodic architecture full of air and
grace. Phelps’s own acoustic six-string work is as masterful as ever — even-toned
and sweet on both solo and ensemble pieces, though there’s little
of the slide expertise that earned him early recognition. His melodies
are a bit slower and more boldly chiseled, eschewing flash in favor of
supporting the songs. On stage, however, I suspect, he still exhibits the
same wild improvisational instincts, honed from years of playing free jazz,
as did the late Chris Whitley. His tribute “Handful of Arrows” extols
Whitley’s guitar skills, using a gun as a metaphor for both Whitley’s
slide and the violence and passion of his tunes. The several instrumentals
include the title track, which is driven by Phelps’s melodica, and “McDougal,” a
gentle guitar rag for the late Greenwich Village folk kingpin Dave Van
Ronk.
<
BACK |
