Great follow-up to "Down Home"
Douglas T Martin | Alpharetta, GA USA | 02/12/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Joey Baron keeps the same band for "We'll Soon Find Out", a follow-up to his 1997 release "Down Home". As on the previous recording, Baron continues to explore his Southern roots with this line-up. Arthur Blythe, alto sax, finds many ways to express the blues over the start/stop rhythm of "Slow Charleston". It's also a good chance to hear Bill Frisell playing the blues, something I haven't heard since "Love Motel" from Frisell's "Before We Were Born" recording. "Closer Than You Think" starts off with some atmospheric exploration-type chords before taking off into a leaping-and-loping riff. The band jumps into a semi-Latin groove on "Junior" with Baron showing why he is one of the best drummers in the business. "Time to Cry" is exactly that - a mournful country-blues song that just drips she-done-run-off-and-left-me with Blythe's alto providing the bright side to Frisell's despairing guitar. "Wisely", like "M" & "Contact", is a Frisell-type ballad, but with a more tuneful melody line; with Frisell's guitar being such a prominent instrument in this band most of the accompaniment sounds like it came out of the Bill Frisell songbook but the melodies are different than ones Frisell would normally write. "Bit o' Water" is an uptempo Caribbean-style number with Ron Carter getting in a good solo with back-up from Baron (like the Baron/Cohen breaks duets in Masada). "Equaled" is a straight-up bop number with excellent performances from everyone. "We'll Soon Find Out" is a little slower-paced than "Down Home" but finds the band more cohesive than on the earlier recording. It's a great follow-up and should appeal to fans of Joey Baron, Bill Frisell, and maybe Dave Douglas."
Beautifully recorded and executed!
T. Klaase | Orange Park, Florida United States | 08/20/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The line up says it all really. Frisell, Baron, Ron Carter and Blythe... Most of the CD is laid back and has the musicians working more for the song than the solo. Inspiring effort by Baron. "Down Home," the first album featuring this line up is good - but this one has more Baronisms. I don't think there is a single drum solo on "Down Home" but that album still works too... Anytime Frisell and Baron get together - something magical happens... Check it out!"