Personnel: Chris Smither (vocals, guitar); Stephen Bruton (guitar, banjo); Mickey Raphael, Hook Herrera (harmonica); Mark Rubin (tuba); Riley Osbourn (piano, keyboards); Chris Maresh (bass); Brannen Temple (drums, percussion).
Recorded at The Hit Shack, Austin, Texas on September 14-28, 1996.
All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology.
Personnel: Chris Smither (vocals, guitar).
Recording information: Hit Shack, Austin, TX (09/14/1996-09/28/1996).
Chris Smither's reflective, lyrical songwriting, richly textured singing voice and bluesy acoustic-guitar playing serve him well on SMALL REVELATIONS. Smither is especially adept at country-inspired, toe-tapping tunes spiked with skeptical wit and wisdom, like "Winsome Smile" ("Listen to me now, you suffer from a sad misapprehension/That if she could read your mind she'd see just how it oughta be/But she's read it all by now/And your style don't get a grip on her attention.") Equally impressive are Smither's all-out blues tracks (including an outstanding cover of Robert Johnson's "Dust My Broom"), and his brooding, poignant near-ballads, especially the leisurely, contemplative title track. Smither once again proves himself worthy of his fine reputation, especially among fellow musicians, as a plain-speaking, original and supremely talented guitarist, singer and songwriter.
Professional Reviews
CMJ (3/29/99, p.31) - "Chris Smither is a master at combining folk and Southwestern blues into brooding, introspective roots music. His pensive yet edgy voice, stellar finger-pick guitar plaing, and foot-tapped rhythms nearly make him a one-man acoustic band..."
JazzTimes (8/97, p.76) - "...accomplished student of American roots music, singer-songwriter Chris Smither crosses over into folky territory on SMALL REVELATIONS....this collection of upbeat originals recalls other understated troubadours....a nice change of pace."
