Tom Russell
(Shout Factory)
Over the course of his prolific career, Tom Russell has documented the often heartbreaking history of America's western environs, sharing sobering stories from the viewpoint of dusty characters and unheralded heroes. With his craggy vocals and squinty eyed perspective, he's risen in the ranks of genuine American troubadours, one who reveres tradition while lamenting its skewered promises. Like Johnny Cash, Dave Alvin, John Stewart, Jerry Jeff Walker and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, he possesses a rugged narrative style that fills his material with both resilience and reflection.
Mesabi, Russell's latest release, follows suit, and with references that run rampant - Dylan, James Dean and Liz Taylor are all name-checked within geographical fall lines that stretch from squalid south of the border tourist traps to the distorted haze of L.A. and the Minnesota iron range which gives the album its title - the progression sometimes seems random. Even so, these true-life chronicles detailing Disney's ill-fated child stars Ukulele Ike and Jimmy Driscoll and the cursed career of character actor Sterling Hayden remain emotionally engaging. Time may have obscured their stories, but Russell's resolute delivery boasts an urgency and intimacy that bring their tales to life.
As always, Russell's articulate arrangements embolden the material and give them the grit it deserves. An all star line-up - Lucinda Williams, Van Dyke Parks, Will Kimbrough, Calexico and Augie Meyers among them - provides backup support, but the most prominent presence comes in the form of Mexicali horns used to detail the distinctive soundscapes. The mariachi brass of "Farewell Never Never Land" and "And God Created Border Times," the jaunty vaudeville croon of "The Lonesome Death of Ukulele Ike," and the gypsy flamenco strum that swirls through "Jai Lai" provide an authenticity that reflects Russell's exotic environs. Yet, much of Mesabi is mournful - check his somber cover of Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" with Lucinda Williams - making for a fitting reflection of somber circumstances.
Die-hard devotees will also want to investigate a new limited edition DVD entitled Don't Look Down, which details Russell's rich career. Yet as his fans realized long ago, Russell's music is as expressive as it is exacting.
DOWNLOAD: "Jai Lai," ""The Lonesome
of Ukulele Ike," "Farewell Never Never Land" LEE ZIMMERMAN
