CAL WILLIAMS JR. "Morning Star".
Cal has drawn upon some rich folk and roots music sources to construct an eclectic mix of breezy songs and evocative instrumentals all employing his excellent acoustic and slide guitar playing. The preview copy came with no sleeve design and liner notes so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Track one hooked me right in. After a frustrating day at work this instrumental managed to sweep me away on a musical journey that left my woes far behind!  Flamenco strains took me through Moorish spaces of southern Spain. A slide guitar passage transported me to the Ry Cooder ‘Southern Comfort” swamps of Louisiana. My journey finished in a jaunty realm cohabited by Leo Kottke.

Some country blues is so damn uppity that you just have to clap your hands to it! Track 2 is one such number. It’s country blues Mississippi John Hurt style with a dash of TexMex and Cajun along with Cal’s Skip James-ish vocals.
Track 3 takes you to The Appalachians. Its fiddle time folks! This is one where you join the congregation and sing along! Track 4? Well it’s not Americana, nor does it have the angst of Alt Country. What it offers is some light breezy folk that has a British feel to it!

Track 5 is another instrumental that exudes the guitar virtuosity of Leo Kottke.
Now track 6 is interesting. It’s a Dylan track that some say has been done to death. “I shall be released” has indeed been released from the staleness of “over kill” with this engaging and fresh interpretation. Cal’s frail Bon Iver-ish vocals are offset by those of  Emily Davis while in the background a violin adds a haunting atmosphere. Strings: violin, viola and cello played by Tori Phillips offer a richness and broodiness to the music. Take track 7 for example. Viola and acoustic guitar combine beautifully. It is a track where an Americana oeuvre’ gives way to one that is decidedly British. It has a delightful Donovan delicacy about it.

Track 8? Why it’s “Cocaine …running round my brain!” This is the Nick Drake take not the JJ Cale variety that Mamma don’t allow! This track is so damn delightfully lyrical, rhapsodic and randy that that the by-line ‘this old cocaine's gonna make me sick’ gets lost in the effusion and offers no deterrent at all!

Track 9 starts off with a delightful call and response between bass and acoustic guitar, an interplay that leads you into a version of Son House’s Death Letter Blues. Cal’s vocals are soft, smooth and understated with a hint of melancholy. They stretch and strain in the upper registers evoking a hint of gloom like those of Skip James and Bon Iver.

Track 10 is a sheer delight. This guy should be doing movie soundtracks because this track is richly evocative, conjuring visions of strange, spacious and shadowy landscapes.

Here is an album that you will need to add to your collection, especially if it includes the likes of  Ry Cooder, Leo Kottke, Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt, Nick Drake, Donovan …
DS