When reporting on Major League Baseball, it seems as though most anchors or scribes have a hard time saying anything, whether it be positive or negative, about Manny Ramirez without using the tired, lazy phrase, “Manny being Manny“ . I imagine that there is a similar need or desire by most bloggers or music journalists to discuss the steady gig for a certain son-of-an outlaw that Ted Russell Kamp has been chugging along with for the last few years (oops, I just did it too), when they get around to dissecting the work that truly defines this multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist and performer. Several quality albums into his own recording career, Kamp’s latest disc, Poor Man’s Paradise (PoMo Records), should establish his presence as an artist who just happens to play bass for Jennings, and not the other way around, for those who may have still needed that.
As with his previous album, Divisadero, Kamp weaves genres and styles together as he himself contributes trumpet, trombone, guitar, mandolin, lap steel and bass to the mix of his self-penned tunes. The opening track, “Just a Yesterday Away” is a classic, galloping country tune where the steel’s cries give a sense of urgency to the lyrics of longing. Certain tracks acts as mood music of the best kind as the vocal performance and production convey the vibe of the artist instead of the tone being created by simply slowing down or speeding up the tempo. “Poor Man’s Paradise” makes excellent use of sparse production, dramatic piano arrangement and the female vocals that harmonize with Kamp’s emotive performance, bringing to mind the Don Henley/Trisha Yearwood collabo on “Walk Away Joe”. “Let Love Do the Rest” also shares the simple and effective qualities of the title track. Southern sounds are well represented with “Dixie” and “Just Go South”. The former leans towards the slower, soulful end of the spectrum as the latter veers towards the raucous, “boogie-woogie” end of things with its bouncing saloon-style piano and 70′s Country guitar slingin’. Even “Never Gonna Do You Wrong” joins the action with horns, perky back-up singers and bombastic Dixieland cheer spread throughout.
Poor Man’s Paradise succeeds at both dashing expectations, and solidifying an identity, simultaneously for Kamp. By drawing from his influences and avoiding the trap of mimicry while creating an album that is the product of his singular vision, Kamp has made it impossible for people to see him as simply a bass player.
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