Search - Rob Ickes, Blue Highway :: Big Time

Red hot Dobro picking

twangmon | Nashville, TN USA | 03/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of today's premier lap slide guitarists -- and six-time winner of the International Bluegrass Association's Dobro Player of the Year award -- Rob Ickes is known for taking his Scheerhorn into musical areas rarely explored by other squareneck players. On previous solo records, he reworked Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man," Steve Winwood's "Can't Find My Way Home," and the Meters' "Look-Ka Py Py." But for his fourth album, Big Time, Ickes walks a more traditional line, tackling a superb collection of spirituals, fiddle tunes, and vintage country and bluegrass songs. Except for a smoking version of "Machine Gun Kelly" -- which James Taylor popularized in the early '70s -- the album is an instrumental affair. Arrayed in a circle, Ickes and his mates from the bluegrass band Blue Highway recorded Big Time live, sans headphones. This old-school approach lets the players -- rather than the recording engineer -- balance their banjo, mandolin, fiddle, flat-top, and upright bass with Ickes' quivering resonator timbres. The results? Modern string-band music that's soulful, hot, and mesmerizing."

A usual-suspects-ish album with some really sweet moments

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 07/19/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dobroist Rob Ickes, perhaps best known for his work with Alison Krauss and Union Station, has become this decade's Jerry Douglas, a ubiquitous bluegrass player whose technique is flawless and at times soul-penetratingly pure. On his recent solo albums, he's tilted towards the jazzy fusions of the new-acoustic newgrass scene; here he reins in the crossover impulses and plays things fairly straight, with the traditionalist band Blue Highway backing him up. The opening numbers are the most traditional sounding, and they sound mighty fine; then the newgrassy instrumental numbers start to dominate and these are kind of hit or miss... Naturally, there's no faulting the technical end of the performances; these guys are all top-flight pickers, but there is a certain predictability to the set... Still, several tunes, particularly the slower ones, like "Ireland, Love Of My Heart," which closes the album, have an ethereal elegance to them, and Ickes proves himself a very soulful player. The fast stuff is fun, the slow stuff is sweet; it's the music in the middle that might need a little boost."

Ickes Takes Another Turn at Traditional Music

Burger | Charlotte, NC | 11/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The last reviewer had an excellent review, but made a mistake worth noting. Ickes is not most well known for his work with Alison Krauss & Union Station. Ickes was a founding member of Blue Highway, and continues to be a regular member of the band today. He has done a lot of session work in addition to his many recordings with Blue Highway and his solo CD's. He has not, however, recorded with Alison Krauss on CD - other than for a track that first appeared on Tony Furtado's second solo banjo CD - Within Reach. It was a cover of "I Will" written by Lennon & McCartney - with Alison singing a duet with Moondi Klein - then the singer of the Seldom Scene. None of the rest of Union Station appeared on that song. This track was then picked up for Alison's retrospective CD - the CD that gave her mass popularity. Many people at the time did not understand that that Cd was a compilation of tracks from other previously released albums.



Jerry Douglas is the regular dobro player in Union Station. He replaced their excellent mandolin player Adam Steffey when he left after "So Long So Wrong". They went for a less traditional sounding band in getting rid of the mandolin and adding a dobro. Jerry played on Alison's solo CD "Forget About It" and the last AKUS CD "New Favorite", and has toured with her for the past several years. Just didn't want anyone to get confused.



This CD is a return to bluegrass for Ickes - which I think is a welcome change. His first one was an excellent CD with many traditional elements and with either Blue Highway or members of Union Station backing him. The next two CD's have been jazzy - cool stuff also, but different. This one changes things up a bit by going back to his roots. It's great to see that Ickes can have one foot in bluegrass - appreciating the music and staying involved with it - while at the same time pursuing new boundaries with his instrument. Others - like Tony Furtado - couldn't find that balance. Furtado was the best young banjo player in bluegrass and gave it up for slide guitar. Now he's an alt country guitar player/singer/songwriter. While that's cool, he should take notes from Rob and find a way to do both.



Get this CD if you like hard driving dobro in a more traditional bluegrass environment. Get all 4 of his CD's for a great look at what the dobro can do - in and out of bluegrass.



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