Dave Alvin and The Guilty Women

Last fall, Dave Alvin appeared at San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival fronting an all-star female group soon to be known as The Guilty Women. “I wanted to do something that would make me giggle,” he said. I don’t know about his giggle factor but the musicianship of this band is beyond reproach. They are Cindy Cashdollar, Nina Gerber, Laurie Lewis, Sarah Brown, Christy McWilson and Lisa Pankrantz; all marvelously talented musical veterans of “the Americana scene.” Recorded in Austin, Texas, shortly after their October debut, things here get off to a rousing start with “Marie, Marie;” long a favorite by the Blaster’s (Alvin’s first band) that’s given a new twist here thanks to Cashdollar’s steel guitar, which—along with her lap steel guitar playing—animates much of this disc’s music. “California’s Burning” is a superb example of Alvin’s ability to tell a (cautionary) story. On “Downey Girl” his deep rich voice simply oozes the lyrics. Guest pianist Marcia Ball boogie woogies her way through an ode to Big Joe Turner (“Boss of the Blues”) and a superb “Jambalaya”-like “Que Sera, Sera.” Medals all around!