Desert Cure, the 3rd CD by Toronto band The Henrys

Desert Cure is the third CD by The
Henrys, and features the (then) core
band of Monte Horton, Michael Billard
and the late David Trevis, with guest
Michael White, John Sheard and of
course vocalist extraordinaire Mary
Margaret O'Hara.
----
Reviews

The third disc from this mostly
instrumental Toronto combo firmly
establishes Don Rooke as one of
acoustic guitar's greatest unsung
heroes. Playing lap-style slide on
historic Weissenborn and Kona guitars,
he alternately evokes the smooth
perfection of Jerry Douglas, the languid
soul of Ry Cooder, and the dreamtime
whimsy of Bill Frisell. But such
comparisons are mere reference points
- Rooke is a startling original who
seems constitutionally incapable of
resorting to slide cliches. His tone is
drop-dead gorgeous, his technique
mirror-smooth, yet he has a
mischievous chromatic streak that
keeps things from getting too
comfortable. The other musicians are
formidable too, especially Monte
Horton, whose keening electric work is
a perfect counterweight for
mellow-toned Rooke. Their rhythm
section gravitates toward easy,
Caribbean-flavoured grooves, but they,
too, spike the punch with piquant
dissonance - is there such a thing as
"tropical noir"? Fretwork of the first
order, well worth seeking out. "

-Guitar Player, review by Joe Gore,
November 1998

====================
Don Rooke's work on various slide
guitars, from the kona to the lap steel to
something called a Sonar Zombie,
recalls the erudite ramblings of Bill
Frisell. This ensemble (which
sometimes includes the vocalist Mary
Margaret O'Hara) surrounds his playing
with sunset tones.

-New York Times 'Treats for
Off-the-Menu Tastes', review by Ann
Powers, January 14, 1999

====================

It's hard to imagine The Henrys in a
rush to do much of anything, and that's
a good thing. Over three records, the
group's learned to put that pace, or lack
of it, to good use, letting the songs
unfold gradually without ever losing the
plot or getting sleepy. As the title
suggests, the local quartet's third disc
finds the group supplanting the
Hawaiian ambience of 1996's Chasing
Grace sessions with an even more
understated Dust Bowl feel. Organ,
trumpet and softly blown conch shell
are added to the diaphanous
arrangements, and Mary Margaret
O'Hara returns...but the real focus
remains Don Rooke's slide guitars
(Kona, Weissenborn, dobro and lap
steel) weaving in and out of the languid
soundscapes and hinting at pop
melodies without ever becoming that
contained.

-NOW Magazine, review by Matt
Galloway, September 1998

====================
Neither world, blues, country, reggae,
new age or rock, but with a healthy dose
of each of these categories and
more...You have a sonic landscape that
may take its energy and influence from
one source, but turns it into something
new and unique each time. There are
sound snippets, slow tunes, funky
tunes, menacing tunes. Wonderful!"

- Folk Roots, U.K., review by Ian
Kearey, October 1998

====================

Rooke ha uno stile personale, suona in
modo pulito ma crea dei fraseggi
diversificati, cercando sempre
risoluzioni nuove per la sua musica,
lasciando da parte le ovvieta per
esibirsi in uno stile oltremodo
particolare. Un musicista fuori dalle
convenzioni ed una band che, di
conseguenza, suona in modo
'diverso'.... Chiusura impegnativa per un
disco di non facile approccio ma di
indubbia bellezza. La musica e anche
impegno e Don Rooke lo sa benissimo.
Da ascoltare: perfetto per la serate
invernali che si stanno appropinquando.

-Buscadero Magazine, Italy, review by
Paolo Caru, November 1998

====================

Oh, baby, every once in a while you run
into something really special. These two
blessed discs by this apparently alien
outfit from Toronto defy, decry, and
refry description.

Our story begins with the irrefutable
genius of leader and slide player Don
Rooke. Mostly he plays an antique slide
guitar called a Kona. He calls it "...a rare
acoustic instrument with unique tonal
purity. Konas were manufactured out of
Hawaiian koa wood in the 1920's. It is
played slide style, flat, with a small steel
bar." In this case, when you're Don
Rooke, it is played with sheer genius.
He is the musical equal of slide masters
Ry Cooder and David Lindley, as well
as the phenomenal Dave Tronzo and
Indian wonder V.M. Bhatt. His haunting
compositions leave few genres
untapped, combined and turned out like
reversible flowers.

Along with the Kona, Don also uses a
Weissenborn, National Tricone, and
Hawaiian King guitars, and cuts the
occasional acoustic track. The fretting
guitarist is the graceful, the eloquent
Monte Horton, a superb and very
original player, first rate ensemblist.
Producer John Sheard contibutes
masterfully and essentially on
keyboards, standing out memorably in
select moments when called upon.
David Trevis on bass and Michael
Billard on drums are an inspired,
flawless rhythm section, a composer's
dream. Michael White plays beautiful
trumpet and conch shell, sparingly
used. Special guest Mary Margaret
O'Hara on vocals, she's simply
amazing. Microtonal, sings in tongues,
oblique and omnipresent, looming in the
studio corners. Truly rare.
These landmark records of (mostly)
instrumental genius cannot be found in
stores, but can be purchased from the
artist Don Rooke at their website. I am
hard pressed to find words adequate to
their level of artistry, but am conversely
pleased to be able to offer our readers
a chance to listen instead, to tracks
jazzmospheric and sometimes lethally
funky, sample a couple from each
record on the listen page. Incredible
acts unknown, thugs rule. What a world.

-www.PureMusic.com, review by Frank
Goodman&

====================