http://www.charlierothmusic.com
http://medicineshowrecords.com
Big hearted Minnesota-based, singer-songwriter Charlie Roth has a bunch of friends help out on his latest album, Oh My Stars; his astute finely penned songs gently weave a thread through roots, country, blues, folk and honky tonk, and with Donegal’s The Henry Girls, Celtic Band, Ring Of Kerry and North Carolina’s Jonathan Byrd & The Pickup Cowboys (three songs) helping out hints closer to these shores also show on one or two tracks. To go with his own, rambling country tales and work of Byrd and his band.
Roth is a real journeyman, and apart from his long of old yarns about hobos, old boxcars; his song “The Ghost Of Hobo Bill” through its gentle, flowing melody is both engaging and soothing typical of his work. Right up there with it you have “Lady Of The West ”with guests Ring Of Kerry it speaks of hard working, sea faring and the adventuress spirit light of Irish emigrants to the States in the 1800s, and breezy, carefree “Good” to go with likewise warm, infectious piece “Arms Of A Gypsy Woman” (w/ Byrd and his band) plus with his cap of at a jaunty slant “Imma Maker Happy”. The latter has a John Hartford flavour to it both through the picking and easy as an old shoe lyrical stance. Love the steel guitar (Kurt ‘Lightning’ Rodman of The Healers I believe?) and the acoustic feel stretches to a likewise old sounding “Carter’s Tune”; bet he has a story to go with this beauty!
“Last Letter Waltz” falls a little flat due to a lack in elevation to Roth’s vocals, a rare failure as Charlie’s limited vocal range hits a wall, otherwise his music is solid and his heart and soul set firmly in the tradition of making real music. Also of note there is the well written, drama etched “Five More Minutes”, and with both sympathetic musicianship and female harmonies it possess something rather special.
Maurice Hope