CD REVIEW: LaFave follows in footsteps of well-worn paths

By Diana Nollen

Woody Guthrie's spirit flows through the musical musings of Jimmy LaFave.

With a voice full of grit and gravel, LaFave's “red dirt music” describes his journey through the twists and turns of life's back roads.

Even though he's lived primarily in Texas, he digs deep into his Oklahoma years to infuse his music with the dusty backbone of that sunbaked landscape.

Most of the tunes on his “Cimarron Manifesto” CD are jaunty, country-tinged odes to the bumps and dips encountered on a sort of everyman drive in a world-weary car, truck or van. “Car Outside” and “This Land” are the quintessential traveling songs following in the footsteps of the folk troubadours who forged the trail LaFave follows.

“Truth” kicks it up a notch, hinting at the singer-songwriter's parallel path into R&B, with a bit of a bluegrass detour on “Hideaway Girl” before hitting a blazing, bluesy “That's the Way it Goes.”

He's not afraid to show the tender side of his heart, either, crafting fine ballads like “Lucky Man” or the gentle “Catch the Wind.” He takes an especially beautiful turn on Bob Dylan's “Not Dark Yet,” a heartaching descent into a place of vacant numbness, wrapped in lush, mournful strings. It's simply gorgeous.

Don't miss the opportunity to step into LaFave's world at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 22, 2010, at CSPS in Cedar Rapids. Sharing the spotlight are kindred spirits Joel Rafael and Radoslav Lorkovic.

FAST TAKEInformation: www.legionarts.org/music/LaFave.htm and www.jimmylafave.com

Title: “Cimarron Manifesto”

Artist: Jimmy LaFave

Label: Red House Records

Performance: 8 p.m. Thursday, April 22, 2010, with Joel Rafael and Radoslav Lorkovic, at CSPS, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids

Tickets: $11 in advance at www.midwestix.com or $15 at the door