Rose, Jack & Black Twig Pickers, The – “Jack Rose & The Black Twig Pickers” – [Klang Industries]

The Black Twig Pickers have been playing old-time traditional (and new songs in that style) for a few years. Although known for his solo work in improv-oriented expansions of John Fahey’s “American primitive” approach, Jack Rose has also played a more traditional repertoire with Twigs member Mike Gangloff for both recordings and gigs, and in this recording (made in 2008), he integrates himself into the Black Twig Pickers lineup, adding his solid fingerpicking (with some slide work). They do several trad. blues and old-time tunes here, along with a few new versions of Rose’s original instrumentals… but nothing too exploratory; they play his tunes largely as if they were traditional. Not all the songs are done with vocals, but the vocals that are here are very much done in an old-time style as well (although the first track has a somewhat distorted vocal sound that could have been intentional). Rose has always been a forceful player in his solo work, but it’s also interesting to hear him serve as the rhythm section much of the time here. (((crimes)))