Journal On a Shelf

Bill Sheffield's acoustic folk-blues has an off the cuff manner that imbues the music with a natural quality on Journal on a Shelf. The opener, "Cherry Blossom Time," moves at an easy-rolling pace to the tune of Sheffield's acoustic guitar, while "Black Bottom" is driven forward by Simon Kenevan's fine harp work. Sheffield is joined by bassists Dave Saunders and Roger Gregory, and he handles percussion duties along with Dan Sheffield. A number of guests — mainly harmonica players — also make appearances that enrich the arrangements. While the set list is primarily made up of Sheffield originals, he delivers a solid, lengthy version of Tom Waits' "An Invitation to the Blues" and also covers Tom Gray's quiet, folk-based "Shooky Come Home." Both songs add a bit of variety to the program, expanding the blues format. Sheffield does his own bit of genre expanding on "I Don't Hate Nobody," delivering a political sermon that spans party spectrums. There's also the very curious "The Ballad of Brer Rabbit," a much heavier song — sonically speaking — than the dozen songs that come before it. The mellow title cut serves as a nicely balanced closer. Taken as a whole, Sheffield's Journal on a Shelf is a lively, enjoyable outing of folk-blues. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi