Beyond the Missouri Sky (Short Stories)

and have been good friends since the 1970s, so it comes as a bit of a surprise that should be their first duet album together. Both musicians are from small towns in Missouri, which leads to speculate in the liner notes if this similarity of childhood ambience might have something to do with the two players' obvious love and affinity for each other. Whatever the answer, the result of this logical pairing is a rather somber and moody one. has a dark tone on his electric guitar, and on , where he plays acoustic, his sound is similarly deep and rounded. has called one of the greatest improvisers of all time, and although this may be hyperbolic exaggeration from a longtime friend, has at least earned the right to defend the claim. On , his playing is as sensitive and beautiful as always. Although one can understand the vibe that were going for, the preponderance of slow and mid-tempo material can wear on the listener. When they eschew the dirge-like tempos, as on the fantastic the results are just as atmospheric and are, in fact, even more evocative of the Midwestern landscapes that are featured so prominently in the album art. With setting up a strummy rhythm, plays the stately melody with impeccable tone. This track, one of many, also showcases overdubbing different guitars to thicken out the sound of the performance. The results are similar, at least in spirit, to 's recordings in the latter half of the 1990s. Although many compositions that are featured on this record, it is their readings of older material that are most effective. The classic is wonderfully nostalgic, as uses subtle guitar and synth washes to pad a beautiful duet performance, and the is the greatest that never was. Overall, is a fine record when the material is happening, but a bit of a chore when it is not. If had gone with the more theme throughout, instead of interspersing that rootsy feel with , it would have been a much stronger record. ~ Daniel Gioffre