KTRU Pick of the Week: Dr.Ragtime & His Pals Self-Titled Bonus Disc

By Miguel Quirch     3/19/09 7:00pm

Every week at KTRU, eager DJs scribble out short reviews of music's cutting-edge albums. KTRU's Music Department uses these reviews to judge the quality of the albums it receives and to provide information for the DJs who play them. Each week, a DJ polishes one of these reviews so that KTRU's riches can shine for the larger Rice community. Jack Rose's dual album is a compilation of some excellent bluegrass-folksy-bluesy music that provides interesting insight into the experimentations of an artist that is sure to catch your ear. He takes a combination of old and new and blends the two to form something that borders on growing into a wholly new style that is both enjoyable and soothing to listen to.

The first part of the album presents Rose in the band, Dr. Ragtime & His Pals, and contains some very compelling journeys into different music forms. The band consists of veterans such as Micah Smaldone from the Pinkerton Thugs and Glenn Jones from Cul de Sac on guitar, Mike Gangloff from Pelt on banjo, Nathan Bowles from Spiral Joy Band on washboard and Harmonica Dan playing, you guessed it, the harmonica. With this strong lineup of musicians, Dr. Ragtime & His Pals proves to be a formidable force to be listened to.

What is especially enjoyable from this part of the album is how Rose and the band blend in old-style country blues with some Indian classical style. This mixing of the two spectra is quite apparent in the third track, "Song for the Owl," where sliding microtones give a sound reminiscent of an Indian classical slide guitar.

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Another piece to be adored is the guitar duet that rolls from landscape to landscape and showcases the prowess and expertise of the artists contained in the album. My favorite track of the album is "Walkin' Blues," where Harmonica Dan comes to the forefront and belts out a tune on his metallic box. The emotion behind Dan's use of the harmonica effectively comes through and enhances the pleasant trance.

The second part of the album, featuring solo works from Rose, sounds just as interesting and is guaranteed to catch your ear if you appreciate classic blues. In comparison to the other part of the album, Rose's solo series is probably less experimental, in the sense that

he works on expanding his style from the stable base of blues. Regardless of the toned-down experimentation, there is no reason to curb your enthusiasm as his solo works shine and, at times, can make you feel as though you want to get up and dance.

But if you really want to move, perhaps the best track on the album is Rose's rendition of the "St. Louis Blues," which carries a nostalgic aura. When the album is not giving a fluid, get-up-and-dance feel, it waxes introspective and ponders meaning as Rose effortlessly plucks away at his guitar.

From his humble beginnings in the drone and scrabble group Pelt to his recent blues-focused offerings, Rose has certainly grown and incorporated much into his musical style. His excellent handle on the material works well not only with the cover of a group but also when he strikes out on his own. Overall, Rose's album proves to be a worthy listen, and an appropriate addition to the KTRU stacks.

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