The face of modern folk, tempered with history

Reviewed May 2005

Recorded in San Diego's Jimmy Duke club, the new album from singer-songwriter Dan Connor and his cohorts in Little Big Men is a fun romp through folk history and present.

Withi Connor's vocals and guitar backed ably by harpist Dan Byrnes and percussionist "Bongo" Bob Goldsand, "Live at Jimmy Duke's" is a fun and listenable collection of classic covers and Connor originals. From the old-timey charm of "John Henry" and "Shenandoah" through Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" to Connor's own "Busted Love," "Out in California," "Green Light" and a few others, this collection of tunes is a celebration of acoustic music.

Connor's high tenor voice is clear and expressive, if a bit thin at times. The tempo is generally energetic, the crowd appreciative and the recording quality as good as that of a studio.

Review by Jim Trageser. Jim is a writer and editor living in Escondido, Calif., and was a contributor to the "Grove Press Guide to Blues on CD" (1993) and "The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Blues" (2005).