Chris Smither
Album: Still On The Levee
Label: Signature Sounds
Tracks: 25
Website: http://www.smither.com

A full half-century of music-making sure is something to celebrate, and it's real hard to believe Chris's recorded debut was as long ago as 1970 (the LP I'm A Stranger Too). Nowadays, of course, Chris is no stranger to the UK, and his involving and stylish mix of rootsy blues, country and folk is as distinctive as it is tasty. His performing style is unmistakable, with his rich, lived-in drawl of a vocal so closely complemented by his idiomatic and sensitive guitar playing - a miracle of all-in-one symbiosis. And then there's Chris's songwriting, a very impressive catalogue indeed, with his creations having been covered by a whole legion of other artists from Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris through to blues king John Mayall.

Still On The Levee alludes to the sheer longevity and consistency of Mr Smither's career to date, in presenting two dozen remakes, revisits, reinventions (NOT rehashes!) of highlight songs from that massive catalogue, not exactly a "best-of" (that would entail considerably more than two discs!) but a decently representative selection that could as easily be a primer-cum-sampler for the newcomer as a connoisseur's anthology of some great songs in brand new spot-the-difference renditions that in the majority of cases present genuinely fresh perspectives and additional insights. Altogether, this retrospective collection can be viewed as a journey through Americana, the history of that blanket genre-tag that takes in delta blues, gospel, rock'n'roll, rockabilly, country blues, R&B, folk and singer-songwriterdom. All human life is there - and expertly portrayed and judged.

Under the guiding hand of producer David Goodrich are deployed four specific backing crews to augment Chris's own trademark "guitar, feet, vocals" billing. Allen Toussaint and his signature piano head up the ensemble Mo' Motivation (within whose ranks are also included Loudon Wainwright III, Kris Delmhorst, Ian Kennedy and Chris's own young daughter Robin); that piano imparts an almost epic cinematic quality to Train Home and No Love Today, which takes a bit of getting used to but in the end is surprisingly convincing in this context. The trio Rusty Belle (Kate and Matt Lorenz with Zak Trojeno) grace a handful of tracks, including a lovely, measured treatment of Leave Your Light On to close the second disc (another take on the same song, with different supporting personnel, closes disc one). Small Revelations gains an extra wistfulness in this set's small-ensemble arrangement; Kate's duet vocal tellingly augments Chris on occasions, while Dana Colley's baritone sax adds a soulfulness to Shillin' For The Blues and Devil Got Your Man.

The set's procession of fine songs accentuates the quality and consistency of the original songwriting, and it must be admitted that some of Chris's albums suffered from an over-production that detracted from that quality, therefore Still On The Levee's revisits are undoubtedly welcome. Even so, I'm not entirely sure that each and every one of these reworkings hits the spot or improves on the earlier recordings. Rosalie, though maintaining a sense of dreamy ethereality, finally goes on a bit too long, while Don't It Drag On rather tempts fate by introducing a backbeat and being converted into a duet. However, Seems So Real hits a neat gospel groove, and the transformation of Winsome Smile into a somewhat gruffer, rockier beast than hitherto proves an unexpected success, while What They Say is another tune that benefits from being propelled along the track. Even the inevitable inclusion of Bonnie Raitt-covered smash-hit Love You Like A Man doesn't disappoint in this latest vibrant, vigorous romp. The Dylanesque phrasing that features heavily on songs like Devil Got Your Man engages with newly reflective demeanour, and the more primal rootsiness of Ain't No More Cane On The Brazos retains its power in this pithy solo version, and comparatively pared-down classics Can't Shake These Blues, Up On The Lowdown and Link Of Chain remain every bit as persuasive as ever. The set comes in a dvd-sized slip-case with 60-page booklet containing musician credits and song lyrics (although completists will also want to invest in the companion complete-lyrics book!).

Still On The Levee may not completely satisfy those Smither fans who are still overwhelmed by his discography, and there are doubtless many gaps still to be plugged, but it's nevertheless an illuminating collection that's well worthy of a place on your shelves.

David Kidman