Roots

Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham: Moments From This Theatre (Proper)

Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham: Moments From This Theatre (Proper)

Perhaps it is the surprise that makes them the sweetest of shows. You have no preconceptions as these two men of advanced middle age, one thin as a rake, the other heaving an acoustic guitar over a well-rounded paunch, proceed to spread the gospel of great American music to an ever more rapt audience. We are here to see Nick Lowe but these two legends of r'n'b and soul, working with just Oldham's electric piano and Penn's acoustic guitar and warm, seasoned voice, fill Vicar Street with snippets of understated southern charm and some of the greatest songs in the Americana canon - I'm Your Puppet, Sweet Inspiration, Dark End of the Street, Do Right Woman, Do Right Man. It is front porch song-time and all around everybody is smiling. This is the unvarnished story of that night.

- Joe Breen

Joe Henry: (Mammoth)

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It can't be any fun being the brother-in-law of Madonna, especially when you were a thoughtful, respected American singer/songwriter before the connection. Suddenly, your claim to fame is the aforementioned connection. It must be frustrating but Joe Henry shows no sign of it in this adventurous collection of moody, intriguing songs. In previous outings he adopted a "man of the people" role, but here he allows his imagination, both musical and lyrical, more scope. Assisted on production by the excellent T-Bone Burnett, Henry shows on songs such as the opening Monkey and the graphic Skin and Teeth that his material is worthy of a more layered and densely textured approach.

- Joe Breen