The music world lost a major talent when singer/guitarist Chris Whitley passed away from lung cancer in 2005. Luckily, with the release of Dislocation Blues, a collaborative album of covers, new takes on previously released material, and originals with Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter Jeff Lang, you get a reminder of what was cut short—the life and work of a skilled musician who sang from an astonishingly deep place in his soul. Even though this is a collaboration, it’s really more of a homage, especially when you hear Lang doing lead vocals and sounding often Whitley-like (check out, “Twelve Thousand Miles”). The musicianship on Dislocation is gorgeous in its raw and ragged presentation with an impressive rhythm section anchoring it all; and covers of Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” and Prince’s “Forever in My Life” offer strong reminders of how Whitley could make anything his own. Whether you are an old school Chris Whitley fan or a new convert this is a good companion piece to the rest of his catalog—and a good introduction to the work of another artist deeply inspired by him.
Erika Clarke
Buy Album from CD Universe
