Boris McCutcheon - Mother Ditch, 2001
Boris McCutcheon is a singer, songwriter and guitar player based out of Boston, Massachusetts. Since I don’t get East of the Mississippi much, I first heard about him through my friend and musical guru Brett Davis. Brett had played with him down in Santa Fe at some point in the past, and when McCutcheon was out for a visit, told me I should go down and check him out.
I didn't get to go to New Mexico that weekend, but Brett was kind enough to bring me back a copy of McCutcheon’s album Mother Ditch.
It's damn good.
It's unabashed folk music with some fine, catchy melodies, and surprisingly solid rhythms. Even with the drums present on several of the tracks, it’s not a real rock and roll record and it doesn't pretend to be. The lyrics are a cut above - interesting stories, well told. Among the 10 tunes, there is a waltz ("Eden’s Brow"), solo guitar and vocals ("Fastened"), and one of the prettiest songs I’ve heard in a long time ("Choppin Wood.")
I really like the guitar playing from McCutcheon, as well as the acoustic and pedal steel solos from David Rizzuti. His vocal range is impressive, but he still manages to be a little ragged around the edges, somewhere between Greg Brown and Martin Sexton. OK, there’s a lot of room there, but you’ll just have to hear it.
There’s only one problem. McCutcheon made Mother Ditch by himself, and sells it by himself. To get a copy, you’ll just have to hunt him down in Boston yourself, check out www.borismccutcheon.com or send $12 to:
Boris McCutcheon
Cactusman Productions
91 Nobska Rd.
Woods Hole, MA 02543
I've played it as often as anything I've heard this year, so I figure it's well worth the effort.
-BT
