Valley Entertainment - 15119

Also available on DSD SuperAudio CD
SACD 15119

"Chris Whitley is an expert at finding something new in the exile's stance. A Texas bluesman who incorporates East Village noise-rock into his own songs, Mr. Whitley gives new faces to the demons of blues cliche. On this amazing exercise in quiet intensity, he collaborates with the jazz-fusion rhythm section Billy Martin and Chris Wood and the producer Craig Street in taking a knife to a collection of classic rock and blues songs." - The New York Times

Perfect Day is a near-perfect project. The arrangements of the material are superb, the choice of sidemen is brilliant, and the production throughout is attentive to the delicate tension of Chris Whitley's emotional high wire act on this recording.

This downright gaunt performance stretches and strains Whitley's spare voice and, at a time when there are too many flash players playing too many notes, this recording is economic but fulfilling. To say it's atmospheric is maximum understatement. Whitley sheds all his familiar comforts on this recording including his own inventive songwriting. Instead, he chose to do a complete set of covers by heavyweight songwriters ranging from Lou Reed (title song) to Bob Dylan (two tunes). In between, we hear songs by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimi Hendrix, Willie Dixon and Robert Johnson. Additionally, in an absolutely radiant stroke of faultless revelation, he uses Chris Wood on acoustic bass and "strange overtones" and Billy Martin, both from Medeski, Martin and Wood, on "various percussion and more mud."

One gem is the Vera Hall classic "Wild Ox Moan." Many years ago, Taj Mahal did a stunning, a cappella version of the song. At the time, I thought it would be forever the definitive version, but with this recording Whitley takes it higher and deeper with an unparalleled emotional performance that cuts to the bone of the song. Likewise, he slices through the pop crap of the Doors version and performs Jim Morrison's "Crystal Ship" like the junkie's love song it was originally meant to be. Song after song, he pares away superfluous layers of unneeded and gives us naked music that is pure emotion. If you like to feel your music, don't miss this one.