A great cover of Peter Gabriel’s “Washing of the Water”

Doug Wamble’s lyrics have a good blend of whimsy, irony and satirical vision, making the songs on Bluestate (Marsalis Music/Rounder) often quite entertaining. “The Homewrecker Hump” for instance or “No More Shrubs in Casablanca” aren’t exactly what constitute usual thematic territory on a blues session, but they’re both musically solid and very catchy.

“Rockin’ Jerusalem” and a great cover of Peter Gabriel’s “Washing of the Water” are more musically intriguing, offering ample evidence of Wamble’s guitar skills, as well as those of pianist Roy Dunlap, bassist Jeff Hanley and drummer Peter Miles. In fact, this foursome really functions as a unit, presenting a polished but not detached style and sounding just as strong when opening and closing numbers as during their feature moments. Wamble sometimes ventures into the jam mode as well, but blues with a jazz foundation seems the main base that anchors this nice second CD release.