Jon Rauhouse's Steel Guitar Air Show by Jon Rauhouse

Tracks:
Glow Worm
F86
World Is Waiting for a Sunrise
Circle the Wagons Babe
Who's the Baddie? Says Alan Laddie
Hula Blues
Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive
Lonely Bull, The
Beer & Lettuce
Summer Samba (Samba de Verao)
Perfidia
Choo Choo CH' Boogie
Homie's Parade
Agent Burns (Theme)
Can 'O' Corn
Million Dollar Mermaid Performer Notes
:

Personnel includes: Jon Rauhouse (pedal steel guitar); Neko Case, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan (vocals); Calexico.

Personnel: Jon Rauhouse (vocals, guitar); Neko Case, Sally Timms, Howe Gelb, Kelly Hogan (vocals); Calexico.

Personnel: Jon Rauhouse (vocals, banjo, mandolin); Kelly Hogan, Neko Case, Sally Timms (vocals); Tommy Connell (guitar); Joey Burns (nylon-string guitar); Nick Luca (piano, organ, vibraphone); John Convertino (drums, percussion); Kevin O'Donnell (drums); Craig Schumacher (percussion).

Audio Mixers: Craig Schumacher; Mike Hagler.

Recording information: Kingsize, Chicago, IL; Wavelab, Tucson, AZ.

Ceding the dark side of pedal steel instrumentals to the likes of Friends of Dean Martinez, Lanterna and Scenic, virtuoso steel player Jon Rauhouse's neo-tiki-lounge Steel Guitar Air Show is a 16-track reminder that pedal steel goes as well with a nice dry martini as it does with a lonely glass of beer. Rauhouse, the former Grievous Angel and current Bloodshot label studio ace, has teamed with picker extraordinaire Tommy Connell to form a modern version of the Jimmy Bryant-Wesley "Speedy" West duo that mesmerized the Southern California country scene in the '50s, and spiced up hits from the likes of Tennessee Ernie Ford, Johnny Horton and Gene Autry. On Jon Rauhouse's Steel Guitar Air Show, Rauhouse has added a little Southwestern flavor of his own -- in the form of Calexico's John Convertino (drums) and Joey Burns (bass); while adding guest vocal appearances from Bloodshot stable mates Neko Case, Kelly Hogan and Sally Timms to keep the record from being truly all instrumental. If the combinations sound familiar, it's because Rauhouse has done his steel thing for all of the above on some of their previous recordings. Here, however, it's Rauhouse's show, from the opening classic "Glow Worm," through familiar titles like "Lonely Bull," "Choo-Choo Ch' Boogie," "Perfida" (Timms' showcase), "The World Is Waiting for a Sunrise" (a 1951 hit for Les Paul and Mary Ford, sung here by the full-throated Case), and "Accentuate the Positive" (with an as nearly impressive Hogan on vocals). In the company of songs with such memorable pedigrees, Rauhouse's originals fare quite well in comparison, the strongest being the sinister-sounding, "Agent Burns (Theme)," and the pickers' delight, "Can O' Corn." All in all the tracks result in one of those rare discs that work as an homage to an era and its unsung heroes without sounding remotely dated. There's a shot or two of Ennio Morricone-inspired Spaghetti Western, a dash of Santo & Johnny, a jigger of Esquivel with spurs, and a healthy dose of West and Bryant. It's a great mix, one whose light flavor shouldn't distract from the powerful punch it packs. ~ John Schacht

Professional Reviews
: Uncut (3/03, p.97) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...This is Hawaiian-guitar dreaminess..."
Uncut (p.88) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Rauhouse's gift for the unexpected is a delight on this balmy batch of originals and idiosyncratic covers....Seriously laid-back splendour."
Down Beat (p.88) - 3 stars out of 5 - "It's a diverse project that sees the leader using his steel to lasso together western sing, elegant torch songs, Hawaiian balladry and a manic romp..."
Dirty Linen (06-07/03, pp.88-9) - "...It's an album that's hard not to like..." Format
: CD (1 Disc); Stereo Country
: USA Studio/Live
: Studio Release Date
: 21 October, 2002 Label
: Bloodshot

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