Music for Grownups Reviews: Emory Joseph, Irma Thomas

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Emory Joseph
"Fennario: Songs by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter"
Iris Music

With the help of some sympathetic studio musicians, most notably longtime Bob Dylan guitarist Larry Campbell, singer-songwriter Emory Joseph makes a dozen timeless songs by Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia and his longtime lyricist, Robert Hunter, sound both old as the hills and fresh as a daisy—sort of like a vintage steam engine polished to a fare-thee-well. Josephs' nimble acoustic arrangements bring out the sould in "Sugaree," the stride piano in "Ramble on Rose," and the mournful wisdom of "Black Peter." Longtime Garcia picking buddy David Grisman adds banjo-fied mandolin to "Brown-Eyed Women," a song rich with moonshine imagery and Appalchian echoes. No matter how deeply ingrained in your DNA the Dead's music may be, Joseph provides you his fresh pair of ears to renew your appreciation.

Irma Thomas
"Simply Grand"
Rounder

You'll usually find a piano at the heart of New Orleans music, so you have to admire whoever conceived of teaming up the 67-year-old queen of New Orleans rhythm and blues with a dozen dazzling keyboardists. Displaced Crescent City piano star Henry Butler helps Thomas kick off things with a churchy version of John Fogerty's "River Is Waitin," a first among many musical reflections on Katrina and its aftermath. Randy Newman joins her for "I Think It's Going to Rain Today," fellow Louisianan Dr. John lays down some funky Crescent City sounds on "If I Had Any Sense I'd Go Back home," and Norah jones reprises her hit, "Thinking About You" on an album that brings all the rhythm and blues back home.