The 13 tunes on the Red Stick Ramblers' 2009 live record MY SUITCASE IS ALWAYS PACKED are mostly band originals, most road tested, and all laid down live in the studio with minimal edits or overdubs. Blake Miller's exuberant accordion pushes "Je T'aime Pas Mieux" out of the gate at a gallop as Kevin Wimmer and Linzay Young trade hot fiddle solos while delivering a tongue-in-cheek lyric about a no-good woman. Bob Wills was the obvious inspiration for the title track, an easy swinging tune with fine ensemble work, with Chas Justus' chiming guitar standing out. The Ramblers pay tribute to their roots with the Touchet Brothers' "Old Fashion Two Step," a showcase for Miller's accordion and the twin fiddles of Wimmer and Young. While the band marked less than a decade of playing together before MY SUITCASE IS ALWAYS PACKED, they sound like seasoned vets capturing all the fire of their live gigs on this fine disc.
Professional Reviews
Dirty Linen (p.52) - "Almost everything on the first of of MY SUITCASE is vintage hardcore country that would fit snugly and comfortably on a neon-encrusted Wurlitzer jukebox ensconced in the corner of a dimly lit, smoky roadhouse..."
Billboard (p.54) - "[T]hey take cheerful excursions into barroom string, Texas swing and even the Johnny Mercer-influenced pop of 'Lay Down in the Grass.'"
