Benny Sidelinger seems like an unassuming sort of guy. His bio consists of an anecdote about an introduction he was once given at a local watering hole where he was rather anonymous at the time. Nevertheless, it’s a clever means of introduction, citing credits that include, performances with Allison Russell, a banjo jam with Michael Franti, a performance at the Rhythm and Blues festival in the Netherlands, and various other festival appearances that have taken him from Vancouver to Calgary to the Newport Folk Festival. That’s not to mention the various albums he’s contributed to by the likes of Po’ Girl, JT Nero, the Shiftless Rounders, the Blackberry Bushes, the Pine Hearts, and any number of others.
The narrative concludes by saying, “He seems to have been everywhere, played with everyone.”
While that may seem an overstatement, the fact is that his new album, Cherry Street, seems to have come out of nowhere. Said to have taken years in coming to fruition, it seems to be the product of an intensive effort involving a number of capable musicians, among them, co-producer Michael Connolly on guitar, fiddle, bass, vocals, and percussion, Aida Miller on vocals and mandolin, Tony Wright on fiddle, and Jason Haugland on drums. Yet at the same time, the results are uncluttered and straight-forward, mostly, but not exclusively, old time banjo-driven tunes flush with honest emotion.
They veer from a rousing take on the traditional standard, House Carpenter, and the steady shuffle of the oft-covered, Corrina, to a series of down-home rambles that include Dirt, Lilacs, and the familiar folk tune, Sugar Babe, as well as a handful of forlorn ballads, Every Goodbye, The Letter Carrier, and She Goes.
To his credit, Sidelinger needn’t rely only on lyrics to convey his astute emotions, as the opening and closing instrumentals Last Chance and a rugged cover of the age-old offering, Growling & Grumbling, prove conclusively.
Still, given any apparent disparity, the material fits together remarkably well, and despite the fact that the 13-song set consists of both original material and music culled from archival sources, it makes for a seamless garment throughout. One can only hope that Cherry Street allows Sidelinger to pursue similar avenues in the future. No doubt there’s more great music awaiting just around the bend.
