Ancestor Worship

Gerloff and his four-man band, long a popular mid-Atlantic bar fixture, make an impressive foray into recording with this eclectic and utterly delightful collection. Fans with hearts in seminal American blues and country -- and memories and affection for such latter-20th-century roots renovators as Hot Tuna, Dr. John, and Ry Cooder -- will be thrilled to find that someone is indeed still making records like this. Such well-chosen standards as "Nobody's Fault But Mine," "Ragged But Right," and "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times" are rethought with both reverence for honored tradition and very modern, hip sensibilities. The classics sit snugly alongside several stout Gerloff-and-associates originals ("Deep Blue Sea," "Hawaii"); Charles Arthur's lap steel and dobro and Steve Bassett's letter-perfect Hammond B-3, in particular, lend jaw-droppingly impressive support to Gerloff's duly rough-but-right vocals. While their sense of humor is obvious, these guys take their music seriously, and their profound fondness for it radiates throughout. Tired of tightly formatted, predictable fare? This is the perfect antidote. Contact 804-340-0729.