Reverie

Sneaking in a solo career in between production work, Joe Henry is completely focused on this acoustic collection, and a variety of guests further color the long night. These are tunes worthy of a nightclub in a simpler era, when patrons sat back and let the music wash over them. There’s a touch of jazz and cabaret, as if Henry were a distant cousin of Tom Waits. Guitarist Marc Ribot (who's worked with Waits, along with Elvis Costello and many other esteemed names) sits down for a few, while Irish singer/songwriter Lisa Hannigan adds her touch. The tracks were recorded live in Henry’s home studio. There’s a dry naturalness to “Odetta,” a tune that’s halfway to gospel and the Americana cadences of The Band. “After the War” has the somber tone of recovery striking at the tune’s heart. “Room at Arles” is a tribute and spiritual wail for Vic Chesnutt, the late, great genius singer/songwriter from Athens, Ga. “Deathbed Versions” evokes the Delta blues of the early 20th century.