Description
Master multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell is a restless soul, and onstage he alternates from guitar to mandolin to fiddle to pedal steel, sometimes switching during songs.
His rootsy range is also evident in the style of material he performs. “Contraband Love” includes the chugging rock of “Hit & Run Driver,” the Bessie Smith blues “My Sweetie Went Away” and the country ballad “Turn Around.”
Produced by Campbell, the album benefits from a fine supporting cast that includes Bill Payne and, on one cut, the late Levon Helm. There’s a tuba, too. Three oldies are included, and those songs fit nicely with Campbell’s original compositions, which sound like instant chestnuts.
