OVER THE RHINE

The Trumpet Child

(GREAT SPECKLED DOG)
www.overtherhine.com

It begins with brass; the raffish Neil Rosengarden briefly playing what sounds like ‘I Dreamed I Saw St Augustine’ and the intro to ‘Desperado’. These lead into the emotive ‘I Don’t Wanna Waste Your Time’ where Karin Bergquist sets out the seriousness of the enterprise she’s involved in. That it’s done in such sensual and enticing fashion means you’re likely caught before you know it.

The pairing of Bergquist and Linford Detweiler has been the core of Over The Rhine for nearly two decades now. For The Trumpet Child they’ve come together with Nashville wonder-producer Brad Jones and created a record that carries the possibility of lifting them to a much greater recognition. Overflowing with the fruits of classic American music they have taken the wreck of New Orleans as a starting point and the music of the Crescent City symbolised by Satchmo’s trumpet as a means of redemption.

This collection moves from sultry cabaret to hymn-like moments of transcendence; the title track does nothing less than posit a second coming. But they can equally celebrate the earthy in ‘Let’s Spend The Day In Bed’, and move into Lucinda Williams territory for the delightful ‘If A Song Could Be President’.