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Description
From roots rocker to songwriting impressionist to sonic adventurer, the musical progression of Joe Henry resists category and defies expectation. The album-opening "Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation" is Henry's most audacious move to date, as his smoky voice channels the comedian's tragic spirit while a saxophone break from free-jazz titan Ornette Coleman provides achingly poignant punctuation. The rest of the song cycle ranges from the sophisticated atmospherics of "Stop" (adapted by Henry's sister-in-law Madonna into her hit single, "Don't Tell Me") to the insistent funk of "Rough and Tumble." The production by Henry and Craig Street gives the music plenty of room to breathe, augmenting the organic interplay of guitarist Marc Ribot, pianist Brad Mehldau, and bassist Me'shell Ndegeocello with bittersweet string arrangements. Though there are echoes of Van Morrison in "Mean Flower" and the Band in "Cold Enough to Cross," Henry is less a classicist than a restless visionary. --Don McLeese
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