Rob Ickes Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Acclaimed dobro player Rob Ickes presents his fifth CD as a leader on his own label, mostly in a jazz context, with the swing and twang you'd likely expect from this master of his instrument. The curveball is that Ickes plays with no rhythm section, but almost exclusively in duets with fellow Nashville compadre, pianist Michael Alvey. In an attempt to, as Ickes puts it, get closer to the heart of jazz melodies, he's picked some great tunes in the swing to post-bop style, with the occasional nod to his countrified heritage. Alvey is a good player, not outstanding, and is careful not to trip up and extend himself very far improvisationally, or in rendering the basic melodies of these selections. While Ickes has not mastered the art of improvising, he's always making a good go of it, stretching melody lines sensibly and with good taste. Ickes and Alvey play these tunes faithfully to the point, whether it be Wes Montgomery numbers like the title track and the fine unison version of "West Coast Blues," a sonically inverted, resonant take on Horace Silver's "Song for My Father," or Duke Ellington favorites like the lithe and quick "Caravan," or the good swinger "Take the 'A' Train," where the intro is repeated and the dobro takes the unlikely lead. Inevitably, you can't take the country out of the boy, as the down-home Hank Williams evergreen "You Win Again," a Willie Nelson-styled version of "If I Had You," and the ballad "The Nearness of You" are brought into a different light by the singing of Robinella. A naive vocalist with little range, substance, or soul; it would have been a better move to just do these tunes sans lyrics. The most surprising choice is Oscar Peterson's "Hymn to Freedom," a lovely, reverent, gospel-like composition that Ickes and Alvey could someday expand into a truly genre-busting, broader repertoire. Ickes seems on the cusp of making jazz his forté, and though others like David Grisman and Béla Fleck have turned country-swing fusion into an individualistic sound, it will be interesting to see where this marriage of American rural and black classical sounds will lead him next time 'round. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When Rob Ickes' Hard Times first appeared in 1997, it was one of the most anticipated debuts in modern bluegrass history. That it lived up to its promise as a soulful work with dazzling players offering a startling new take on the music was a universally accepted assessment. Big Time is Ickes' fourth outing. He has followed the path of the artists of old in that he has continued to develop his craft and deepen its nuances. Along with the stellar Blue Highway band, Ickes has taken contemporary bluegrass into wondrous new directions, without ever leaving the true heart of the music to the wayside. In fact, of all the superchoppers out there, Ickes never discounts the soul quotient in his playing or recording. A listen to the ballad "Matt Hyland," with its loping Dobro and fiddle lines that nearly weep in counterpoint, is an example. Also, the solid fever stomp of "Born in a Barn" never leaves behind its hoedown flavor despite smoking solos by Shawn Lane, Ickes, and flatpicking bad ass Tim Stafford. Ickes' open country jam "The Fatal Shore" prefaces a deeply moving read of "Wayfaring Stranger," complete with Dobro harmonics that offer a haunting template for the melody of the tune. Indeed, the piece is tagged later on with a stellar version of Merle Travis' "I Am a Pilgrim." The double flatpicking duel at the beginning of the nugget "Fiddler's Dream" is a riotous journey into joy courtesy of Lane's smoking mandolin and Stafford's counterpicking revolution. By the time Ickes takes his solo, the listener is already overwhelmed, but he takes it into overdrive anyway. The most beautiful cut on the set is a deeply bluesed-out reading of Bill Monroe's "Lonesome Moonlight Waltz," with its backhanded slide runs and dirgelike tempo. This is the finest moment Ickes has committed to tape thus far. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As in 1999's Slide City, Rob Ickes again combines jazz and swing stylings with the more countrified leanings of the dobro. The results are mixed and, at times, meld into a too-smooth combo resembling light jazz. What It Is works best when Ickes loosens up a bit around the instrument's natural inclinations: the way he works the melody on "Killeen," which was inspired by the Texan town, seems to point toward a more string-based effort; a cover of Marc Johnson's "Union Pacific" further iterates Ickes' simpler but no less enjoyable leanings; and "Blues for Sammy," which was written in response to Charlie Parker's Savoy sessions, allows him to stretch out his abilities as a great technician of the instrument. ~ Travis Drageset, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ickes' dobro guitar technique is only outdone by his excellent choice of music on this disc. Bright originals like "Dwight's Blues" are nicely complemented by covers like Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man." The mix of country and western twang with jazz swing is irresistible. It doesn't hurt that Ickes is joined here by other fine musicians, such as John R. Burr on piano, Derek Jones on bass and Joe Craven on mandolin. Even with folk, bop, swing and bluegrass flavors in the mix, the whole thing sticks together with a cohesive sound and spirit. ~ Tim Sheridan, All Music Guide
