Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore – Downey To Lubbock (Yep Roc)

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Two venerable Americana veterans team up for the first time.

If you’re not familiar with Dave Alvin or Jimmie Dale Gilmore, all you have to do is listen to the lyrics to the title track of this, their first corroboration and all will be revealed. The autobiographical tune finds Alvin namechecking his former band, The Blasters, while remembering the life changing moment het met bluesman Lightnin’” Hopkins. Meanwhile Jimmie Dale brings up his old band The Flatlanders, while noting that “West Texas wind flows through my veins”.

The two have plenty of history and that history is laid out in the 12 songs assembled here.

Two are originals…the aforementioned title track, and Billy The Kid And Geronimo, an Alvin-penned tune in which Dave takes on the role of Billy while Jimmie sings for Geronimo.

The remainder of the tracks are covers of tunes….some dating back to the 1920s, some more contemporary.

Among the highlights are John Stewart’s July, You’re A Woman, a beautiful, sentimental ballad graced by Alvin’s rich baritone, and The Gardens, another Alvin-sung beauty written by Dave’s former bandmate Chris Gaffney, who died a few years back. And check out the gorgeous accordion playing by Van Dyke Parks.

Gilmore takes the lead on 50s rocker Lawdy Miss Clawdy…powered by Alvin’s stinging Strat…and Lightnin’ Hopkin’s Buddy Brown’s Blues that starts out acoustic, then breaks out into a rocker.

Alvin’s deep voice and Gilmore’s thin drawl (think Willie Nelson), complement each other nicely and the backing band sounds live and lively.

A few of the song choice are questionable…I’m not sure I needed to hear another version of Get Together (the 1969 hit by The Youngbloods) or Woody Guthrie’s Deportee, but overall this is an album that rocks with a steady roll.

Marty Duda

Marty Duda
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