Watch the mercury rise with Mr Dave!

After my mammoth 100 favourite albums blogfest last year, here’s another act that fell through the net.

Of course, my top 100 has changed, so this guy could well have been in the running when I drew up the list, but no matter – he’s worth a considered listen if you enjoy American roots music with a twist.

David Lindley is what you might call a musician’s musician. He’s the session player and sidesman of choice for many famous acts.

His incredible discography is here and it reads like a bible of quality rock recordings. His live work is no less an exercise in namedropping.

Multi-instrumentalist David Lindley performs music that redefines the word "eclectic." Lindley, well known for his many years as the featured accompanist with Jackson Browne, and leader of his own band El Rayo-X, has long championed the concept of world music. The David Lindley electro-acoustic performance effortlessly combines American folk, blues, and bluegrass traditions with elements from African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy, and Turkish musical sources. Lindley incorporates an incredible array of stringed instruments including but not limited to Kona and Weissenborn Hawaiian lap steel guitar, Turkish saz and chumbus, Middle Eastern oud, and Irish bouzouki. The eye-poppingly clad "Mr. Dave’s" uncanny vocal mimicry and demented sense of humor make his onstage banter a highlight of the show. His web site has a nice description of his eclectic approach to music:

Here’s ‘Mr Dave’ blasting away on lap steel with a version of ‘Mercury Blues’:

 

There are a few versions of Lindley playing this available on YouTube, and all worth a look.

One of my favourite collaborations involving Lindley is his live work with another US great, Ry Cooder.

Here’s the pair on ‘Mercury Blues’ (again!) – crap video but there’s not much available:

 

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And here’s Lindley with Jackson Browne on ‘Mercury Blues’ once again:

 

Not that Mr Dave can’t play anything else.

How about some classic Warren Zevon ska stylee?

 

Or some reggae?

 

Cajun anyone?

 

And that’s just some of what Mr Dave can do.

Ah, and he’s probably Mrs Shark’s favourite musician and she has excellent taste.