Rating:
Genre:
Folk
Release Date: 06/09/1998
Singer/songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire
Steve Goodman was only on this earth a short time. But when he died of leukemia in 1984, he left his many fans a legacy of outstanding recordings. One of these is
Jessie's Jig & Other Favorites. Originally recorded on the
Buddha label in 1975, the LP was remastered and released as a CD in 1998 by
Red Pajamas. The warm voice of
Steve Goodman immediately envelops the listener, just like back in the '70s and '80s when
Goodman would perform with his good friend,
John Prine. The CD opens with the humorous
"Door Number Three." One hears that characteristic good nature of
Goodman's again on
"This Hotel Room." Some of the songs are shaded with melancholy, such as
"Blue Umbrella," "Spoon River," " I Can't Sleep," and
"Lookin' for Trouble." But many of the best tunes on the album are the upbeat numbers, such as
"It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" and
"Jessie's Jig." The title cut is a rousing number on which
Goodman is joined by a stellar cast of musicians. These include
Vassar Clements,
Winnie Winston,
Carl Martin, and
Jethro Burns, to name just a few. The ensuing musical celebration -- featuring fiddles, mandolins, and guitars, with a cello and trumpet thrown in -- sounds like an
old-timey hoedown. It did
Steve Goodman proud and is a fitting way to remember this ephemeral, but brilliant shooting star in the musical firmament.
~Rose of Sharon Witmer, All Music Guide
;)
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