CD Review

Why does so much Stick music sound the same? Don't any of those tappers have an original voice? How many more times do we have to hear a root-5-10 bass figure? Or those melody strings swimming in Boss reverb and chorus?

You can stop complaining now and listen to Jim Kam's short but sweet EP "Jimmy Nobody." The CD's title is a charming irony given that Kam has one of the most distinctive voices in Stickdom. His tapping is fluid, silky, positively legato. Not a sharp attack in the disc's five daydreamy tracks. With only a touch of reverb and no overdubs, it's clear that his sound is purely in his fingers.

Kam (rhymes with "mom") plays a nicely recorded 10-string XG Stick with the PASV-4 pickup module. His light touch and lingering phrasing give the instrument the lush chime of a harpsichord crossed with a warm dreadnought and a bare-finger-picked Strat. This subtle texture serves the simple, heartfelt music well. Though there's some imperfect intonation at the start, Kam's gentle right-hand vibrato really stamps his style and helps set the contemplative mood.

As notable as this work is for its Stick sounds, an equally engaging dimension is -- surprise -- Kam's singing voice. What a treat. His tone and phrasing are plaintively Irish-sounding, almost like a male version of Niamh Parsons. The CD begins with an original instrumental, "Daydream," followed by Kam's version of Jen Hamel's "Tender is the Night." As soon as he opens his mouth and empties his pipes, the tawny timbre of his voice makes you stop, listen, and wonder: "What is that sound? Who is that?" With the delicacy of a breathy sax or a half-muted trumpet, Kam renders simple traditional verse with unmistakable expression.

It's a tactile combination: satin vocals with graphite Stick. Together they are a quiet but rewarding moment in this early evolution of tapping and its integration into all musical genres. Kam has created his own little niche, one that I hope will grow. If Niamh Parsons is the darling of Ireland, then Kam is the Parsons of Texas and, for now, the Stick world.

The album art is equally and perfectly pastoral. A rich and pensive painting by Andrew Scott DeJesse fully captures the mood and setting of the music, making this promo-geared package worthy of full-album status but for its lack of running time. Even so, the disc is appropriately priced, a good deal for 20 minutes of well-presented original style.

Hey, Jimmy, any more where this came from?

Check out this CD at phatdawg.net.

John
johnedmonds.net