Sourdough Slim & Robert Armstrong

It’s fair to say I’m a Sourdough Slim devotee; even “addict” is not too strong a word. And when the singing, yodeling, accordion-playing, joke-crackin’ Slim teams up with banjoist/National steel-guitarist/saw player Robert Armstrong, as he has been doing of late—both in live shows and on his 2010 CD, Live From the Strawberry Music Festival—it’s almost enough to make a person pee her pants (in a good way). This new collection of 16 songs is like a box of fine chocolates. The seductive “Women Women Women” shows off Armstrong’s extra-fine banjo plucking, as well as Slim’s sweet, slithery accordion lines. Their bouncy version of the classic “Hesitation Blues” (“Tell me, how long will I have to wait? Can I get you now? Must I hesitate?”) is utterly infectious; Armstrong’s back-up vocals add just the right touch. The 1923 waltz-time ballad “Mexicali Rose” features Armstrong on musical saw, and his saw-playing, as always, is eerily beautiful. Hard to believe he can get such lovely sounds from a carpenter’s tool. “Take My Boots Off When I Die” is classic Slim—check out the awesome, extended yodel at the end of it. Oh, Sweet Mama! is Americana roots- reverence to the max. Get it at www.sourdoughslim.com.