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Doug Wamble: Bluestate
ByWamble emphasizes his powerful guitar imagery throughout the album. While five of the ten tracks on Bluestate feature his vocals, the emphasis remains upon his storytellin' and on the instrumental mix that he achieves with the piano trio. Together, they forge ahead with spirit. "No More Shrubs in Casablanca" represents a progressive jazz guitar fury that's apparently tinged by politics. "Rockin' Jerusalem" and "Washing of the Water" represent the traditional literature. "Stevie Wonder's "Have a Talk with God" moves solemnly with heartfelt charm, while "The Bear and the Toad" toy with country music pickin' and grinnin'.
Bluestate comes from an eclectic session that features four devoted artists. Not even a cameo by Branford Marsalis, however, can elevate their performance beyond the ordinary. By attacking so many directions at once and attempting to leapfrog jazz past its current borders, Wamble's quartet has missed its opportunity to define a centerpiece. His theme seems to rest with scattering seeds to the four winds.
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Track Listing
If I Live to See the Day; Washing of the Water; The Homewrecker Hump; Antoine's Pillow Rock; Rockin' Jerusalem; One-Ninin'; No More Shrubs in Casablanca; Have a Talk with God; Gone Away; The Bear and the Toad.
Personnel
Doug Wamble
guitarDoug Wamble- guitar, vocals; Roy Dunlap- piano; Jeff Hanley- bass; Peter Miles- drums; Branford Marsalis- tenor saxophone on "Rockin' Jerusalem."
Album information
Title: Bluestate | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Marsalis Music