Dobro master Rob Ickes’ Road Song, issued on the ResoRevolution label, isn’t the first time that the most-awarded instrumentalist in IBMA history has served up a sliding take on jazz—but it’s his most intensely focused and most stripped-down effort to date. Paired with pianist Michael Alvey, Ickes eschews originals in favor of tunes from the Ellington, Silver and Montgomery songbooks with barely a nod in Nashville’s direction—except for a sultry reading of “You Win Again,” one of three tracks to feature singer Robinella. Ickes has chops aplenty, but he’s got even more taste. While many of the numbers can be called chestnuts, they serve not as vehicles for razzle-dazzle but as explorations of infinite shades of instrumental tone. They also remind you how songs earn that “chestnut” tag in the first place—great, memorable melodies and nifty rhythms.
Wed., Aug. 12, 9 p.m., 2009
