Friends is the accurate and revealing title for New York bluesman
Eric Bibb's tenth album since 1997. There are 15 cuts here, each of them featuring rootsy folk and blues collaborations with different "friends" in differing small group settings. The set starts with a killer acoustic slide duet between
Bibb and
Guy Davis on the nugget "99 ½ Won't Do." The contrast between
Davis' sweet and smoky delivery and
Bibb's husky wail -- akin to
Blind Willie Johnson's in places -- offers a double-sided dimension in interpretation for the listener, as well. Elsewhere,
Charlie Musselwhite gives a killer snaky harmonica performance on "Six O' Clock Blues."
Taj Mahal makes two appearances; one in a duet on "Goin' Down Slow," and one in a trio with
Bibb and Malian guitarist
Djelimady Tounkara on a medley of the traditional "Kulanjan" and
Bibb's own "Sebastian's Tune." Speaking of Mali, and
Mahal,
Bibb also covers the elder bluesman's classic "Lovin' in My Baby's Eyes," with the great kora player Mamadou Diabate that rivals the original. There's also a gorgeous version of
Guy and Susanna Clark's "The Cape," with guitarist
Martin Simpson,
Bibb's moving "For You" with
Ruthie Foster, and "Tain't No Such Thing," a bright new folk song written and sung with legendary folksinger
Odetta. Mohan Veena ace
Harry Manx performs with
Bibb on the high lonesome, droning blues of "Needed Time," and with
Kristina Olsen on her "If I Stayed." The set closes with the tender "Dance Me to the End of Love," (an original, not the
Leonard Cohen tune) with
the Lovin' Spoonful's
Jerry Yester playing piano. In addition to the many performers on this collection, there are 15 different engineers! Given that most records of this type are mixed bags at best, with "star-studded" collabs serving to muck up or water down rather than enhance performances, Friends is an anomaly. There is nothing that's obvious or overblown here, everything is subtly shaded, and the performers serve the songs and not themselves. The listener gets no sense of back-patting or self-congratulation, only the great pleasure of hearing this music in a revealing, emotionally honest way. Bravo. ~ Thom Jurek