Published on Oct 27, 2005
Rig The Jig is my second favorite Celtic-ish band. I can say
this now with some firmness, having finally heard more than their
great 2004 release
Passing Through
. It is with much cheer that I present
Finding The Gold, their latest CD — and in some ways, it’s
even better than
Passing Through.
Starting off with the basics,
Gold is a mixture of traditional tunes, covers, and a few
originals. The hallmark of Rig The Jig’s work seems to be their
covers of American folk singers. Last CD it was Arlo Guthrie; this
time John Prine takes a turn, as well as covers of Irish
folksingers like Mickey McConnell and Luka Bloom.
The production on the CD is tight and spare, perfect for the
varying musical styles inherent in Rig’s work. Musicianship is
excellent, especially Rig The Jig’s work with acoustic guitar. (The
band has four members listed as guitar players. It shows.)
There are a lot of stellar moments on
Finding The Gold. The cover of John Prine’s “Please Don’t
Bury Me” is truly brilliant; Rig The Jig handles the mix of pathos,
humor, and irony in the lyrics with perfect skill, matched
elegantly with Jimmy Flanagan’s banjo. (Incidentally, this track
proves Steve Martin’s Law: “Nothing can sound depressing when
accompanied by banjo.” This song is about being dead, not wanting
to be buried, and being dismembered and shared, yet is oddly
perky.) Glen Reid’s “Green Valley” is beautiful, a cover of Prine’s
“Mexican Home” is hauntingly lovely, and Luka Bloom’s “An Irishman
In Chinatown” is funny as hell.
Original tracks are just as good, especially the instrumentals
“Man Of The House Set” and “Banjo Hornpipes.” “The Line” is a
heartbreaking track, reminiscent of John Mellencamp’s “Rain On The
Scarecrow,” with its tale of a loss of a family farm and a family
legacy. “Inishbofin” is remarkable as well.
And after all this, you get Rig The Jig’s take on Mickey
McConnell’s “Supermarket Wine,” which just plain makes me cry —
and that takes an awful lot.
Finding The Gold is just that — golden. Fans of Celtic and
folk music should — no, must — grab it as soon as they can.