The name above the title doesn't matter. If Howe Gelb is involved, the music will sound like Howe Gelb. In this case, that was part of the plan all along.

The Colorist Orchestra & Howe Gelb Not on the Map (Dangerbird)

The Colorist Orchestra is a group of classical musicians who specialize in reworking the catalogs of established (and underappreciated) artists. They created the instrumental tracks for the song "More Exes" by stripping down an old Giant Sand song and re-applying each layer in somewhat unexpected ways. Gelb signed on to the project and brought in Pieta Brown to help with the lyrics for the "new" songs.

While this album has the spare, high lonesome sound that is a Gelb trademark, the depth of the texture is certainly the greatest of any album Gelb has worked on. More than ever, Gelb sounds like a windswept Leonard Cohen. He's somewhat more removed from the music, and yet the music is altogether enveloping.

The Colorist Orchestra doesn't mimic; it reconstructs. The superb renditions of these songs gives Gelb's work a stage that he has rarely had. The partnership is impressive, and this album is a wonder. Loneliness has never sounded so appealing.

Jon Worley