Dallas Moore – Gems & Jams
It almost sounds like Leo Kottke or the late John Fahey decided to go more country/honky-tonk with their acoustic guitars. This would be Dallas Moore (vocals/acoustic guitar). The opening tune “Shade Tree” is just a short introductory instrumental with a fleet-fingered performance that’s quite impressive in the Kottke-Fahey tradition. But after that, Dallas gets down to the meat & potatoes of his Americana music with his gruff expressive voice.
While some lyrics are a bit elementary & cliché swabbed the application is generous. The performance is always lively & imaginative. In the business over 25 years with 17 LPs to his credit Moore is considered a torchbearer of Outlaw Country. He could hang with Willie & Kristofferson or even Jimmy Dale Gilmore.
There are 15 stripped-down endeavors on Dallas Moore’s Gems & Jams (Drops August 9/SOL Records/44:13) self-produced with Brian DeBruler. A collection of acoustic versions of some of the best-known Dallas Moore compositions & newer tunes.
The prolific Cincinnati-based Moore’s voice is whiskey-drenched (and with the passing of Kinky Friedman, Moore could step up). His guitar playing is exceptional, but the individual songs themselves could use a tweak or two. Moore deserves something more challenging than lyrical cliches like “hit me like a freight train.”
The tune “Lyin’ Next To You,” however is quite good, has poignancy & is a well-written ballad though “fly like angels in the night,” is another cliche. Many things could’ve been said about someone “lying next to you.”
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe the cliches are what add the charm to Moore’s lyrics. I’m just from the school of upping the ante when you try to perform an old genre in modern times.
Moore performs each song with class. He tells a good story in “Condemned Behind the Wall.”
Dallas goes into a Grateful Dead country with the novelty “Blame It On the Weed” which is done with vigor & well. Performance wise Mr. Moore has the tricks of the trade working full time for him on each song. He sounds as entertaining as the late Boxcar Willie. It’s obvious, he loves what he’s doing & the audience can feel it. Sometimes, that is enough.
Highlights – “Shade Tree,” “Lyin’ Next To You,” “Condemned Behind the Wall,” “Blame It On the Weed,” “Reelin’ Em In,” “Glad To See Me Gone,” “Bottle & A Bible” & “Up On That Mountain.”
Color image courtesy of Clint McLain. CD @ Apple Music & Amazon + https://www.dallasmoore.com/