Kenny Roby, Neal Casal - Black River Sides (1999)

Tracklist

01. Chopping Block
02. Town Fathers
03. Sailor's Request
04. If You Don't Want My Love
05. When I Loved You
06. Snow Don't Fall
07. Guilty
08. Maybe California
09. Squirrel Song
10. Just Another Thing
11. Ain't Got the Time
12. Outskirts
13. Crickets of Columbia

Neal met Kenny in 1997 when Kenny was touring with his amazing Raleigh, NC band 6 String Drag. They became instant pals and 6 String Drag were the band at Neal and Christy’s wedding in 1997. Neal and Kenny toured the UK and Europe together in 1999 and recorded an extremely limited-edition EP in the dog kennel in 1998 called Not So Low. By extremely limited, I mean 100 handmade copies, lol. Later in 1998, they recorded the songs that became Black River Sides at Bernie’s Hillside Tavern in Chester, NJ, one of our favorite spots back in the 90’s.

Recorded by Terry Loftus in front of an audience of about 25 people, the record also features John Ginty on organ and is highlighted by Neal’s lost classic song ‘Town Fathers’, which is boosted by Kenny’s rich, baritone harmony on the choruses. Their covers of Townes Van Zandt’s ‘Snow Don’t Fall’, The Louvin Brothers’ ‘When I Loved You’ and John Prine’s ‘If You Don’t Want My Love’ are each sublime. Kenny’s originals ‘A Sailor’s Request’, “Just Another Thing’ and ‘Chopping Block’ are also instant classics and there’s nice live versions of Neal’s ‘Maybe California’ and ‘Outskirts’. The album ends with a 6-minute recording of night time crickets from Neal’s backyard

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