Tony Furtado & Dirk Powell
Tony Furtado and Dirk Powell wonderfully combine bluegrass, Cajun, old-time, and Celtic sounds to forge a melodic, eclectic, and vibrant album. A two-time Grand National Banjo Champion, Furtado also picks up the guitar on more than half of the dozen songs, with Powell accompanying him on either fiddle, piano, accordion, or banjo. The duo covers a lot of ground musically with a blend of moods and styles that results in an innovative yet lyrical pastiche. Listen forPrimuspercussionist Brain on the spoons for an example of such originality. The album benefits from the unique pairings of traditional tunes such as "Angeline the Baker/John Henry," "Roustabout/Jack Wilson," and the Irish medley "The Roscommon Reel/O'Rourkes'/The Famous Ballymote." However, it's at its best when Furtado plays slide guitar on a couple of swampy originals that make your mouth water for Cajun crawfish.--Andrew Scales