Hang on It’s a Wild Ride

This is a disc that can easily slip by you if you haven’t seen or heard of him,  in this crazy world of everyone and their 3rd assorted untalented brother releasing a disc, however this is one if you like stellar playing slide guitar that is tasteful and brimming with new ideas, grab it.  This is a big leap forward for slide master Jeff Plankenhorn (AKA The Plank).  I will gladly admit my enthusiasm for this disc was wetted by seeing Jeff back Joe Ely at an intimate show in Tucson that left the audience gaping with his elegance on the instrument.  We got to hear plenty of Mr. Plankenhorn as Mr. Joe Ely generously gave him ample time to put his exceedingly great talents on display. On this piece as at the show, he is powerful and yet elegant, soulful and bluesy, heartfelt and yet soaring in his playing.   

This is disc which he either wrote or co-wrote 9 of the 12 songs, and they cover a very soulful side of the music he grew up with, there is rock, blues, touches of bluegrass, and the driving force is his exceedingly soulful and dynamic playing.  Just listen to the opening of the disc and how its haunting sound grabs your ear, and if someone tries to talk to you there is a good chance all your hearing will be concentrated on the music.

This brings in the backing musicians who give him room to shine and display his talents to the fullest while adding to the music.  Listen to what both Ruthie Foster, a duet with Plank on “Like Flowers,” and her backup on “Dirty Floor,” and Malford Milligan adding soulfully beautiful vocals on the Isaac Hayes/David Porter’s “You Got Me Hummin’.”  Then you have a plethora of Austin musicians such as multi-instrumentalist Dave Scher, bassist Yoggie, and multi-instrumentalist Miles Zuniga, adding their chops.

  Almost as a bonus on this disc is, as far as I could check, a never before released Willis Alan Ramsey cut, “Mockingbird Blues.”  Plankenhorn shows off his other talents as he is co-Producer of the disc, and his inventive streak with “The Plank”  a standup slide guitar he invented (www.empyrealinstruments.com).  This shows it best and as a bonus you can hear the sounds it is capable of.  A disc from a Musician you will be hearing a lot more from as he gets the recognition he deserves. If you get a chance to see him don’t miss it.