The Wood Brothers: Ways Not To Lose (Blue Note/EMI)

 |   |  <1 min read

The Wood Brothers: Luckiest Man
The Wood Brothers: Ways Not To Lose (Blue Note/EMI)

The trio Medeski, Martin & Wood have been one of the most innovative and consistently interesting jazz (and beyond) bands of the past decade or so.

But here upright bassist/singer from the band Chris Wood teams up with his singing/guitar playing brother Oliver (a dab hand on slide among other things) for an album of lowkey acoustic charm which slips easily between a modern take on rural blues, American folk, and some supple back porch country sounds.

There's a ring-in drummer in a couple of places to hold things down, but mostly these are lazily delivered songs with hints of Dylan and the Band, weekend country-lovin' outfits like the Little Willies (which features Norah Jones and Richard Julian), and oldtime Neil Young in folk mode.

Slightly world weary songs, and a sense that this is the most natural thing in the world for these guys.

A charmer.

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Music at Elsewhere articles index

RECOMMENDED REISSUE: Free; Live! (Universal)

RECOMMENDED REISSUE: Free; Live! (Universal)

By the time this album was released in late '71 the original band had broken up. But theirs had been a remarkable run with four studio albums in two years, an appearance at the Isle of Wight... > Read more

The Clientele: Bonfires on the Heath (PopFrenzy)

The Clientele: Bonfires on the Heath (PopFrenzy)

The charming, wispy and intimate pop of this London outfit has long been an Elsewhere favourite: their album God Save the Clientele was among The Best of Elsewhere 2007 and they share the same... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

THE BARGAIN BUY: The Real Count Basie; The Ultimate Collection (Sony)

THE BARGAIN BUY: The Real Count Basie; The Ultimate Collection (Sony)

The Count Basie Orchestra -- which plays a short New Zealand tour in a fortnight -- must be one of the longest running jazz outfits anywhere. In the current line-up they have players appointed by... > Read more

THE FAMOUS ELSEWHERE WRITERS QUESTIONNAIRE . . . JEFFREY PAPAROA HOLMAN

THE FAMOUS ELSEWHERE WRITERS QUESTIONNAIRE . . . JEFFREY PAPAROA HOLMAN

Christchurch-based writer Jeffrey Paparoa Holman was born In London but from the age of 10 was raised on the West Coast, has published a number of books of poetry and prose (he profiled his... > Read more