Gary Bennett - Human Condition

I'd been holding off on buying this CD for Gary Bennett's show last Saturday at Knuckleheads in Kansas City. I'm not glad I held off, but I am glad I finally got it. Well, maybe I am glad I held off; he signed my copy.

Gary played in front of a modestly-sized but enthusiastic crowd on the newly-moved outdoor stage. His set was on the short side, but he played all of this album (I think) as well as quite a few BR549 numbers and standards/covers. After the show he was very friendly, signing everybody's CD and chatting. He commented to someone in front of me that he had played just about everything that his touring band knew.

This CD is a bit of a departure, focusing much more on songwriting than any of the BR549 discs. That's not to say that the music isn't compelling, though; this is no singer/songwriter album. Gary plays finger-style guitar on one track, but largely leaves the instruments to a good cast of supporting players, including notables such as Marty Stuart, Kenny Vaughan, and Lloyd Green. The result is a musical background that is both compelling and focused on the songwriting.
The sound has a touch of the "retro" feel of BR549, but without the frantic energy. This meshes well with the theme of weariness that pervades the CD.

Listen:
Gary Bennett - Headin' Home

Buy:
From Amazon