Blue Nightfall
ThoughBob DylanandWoody Guthriehave long served as the major musical touchstones for veteran folk-rocker Jimmy LaFave, the shimmering atmospherics of this release's title track suggest a chicken-friedVan Morrison, while the reckless rock 'n' roll of "Music from the Motor Court" conjures comparisons to a renewedJerry Lee Lewis. From the delicate balladry of "Rain Falling Down" to the Jack Kerouac homage of "Bohemian Cowboy Blues," LaFave remains an uncommonly emotive vocalist, with his tremulous tenor always on the verge of a soulful sob. But where his voice has long been more memorable than much of his original material, he establishes himself here as a songwriter of maturity, reflection, and range. The arrangements are as subtle as the musical backing is superb, putting the focus on LaFave and the way that his voice enhances his songs of all-American wanderlust.--Don McLeese