Finding The Gold Monroe NC

Finding The Gold

Rig The Jig

Toucan Cove Entertainment, 2005

REVIEW BY: Duke Egbert

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 10/27/2005

Rig The Jig is my second favorite Celtic-ish band. I can saythis now with some firmness, having finally heard more than theirgreat 2004 release Passing Through . It is with much cheer that I present Finding The Gold, their latest CD -- and in some ways, it'seven better than Passing Through.

Starting off with the basics, Gold is a mixture of traditional tunes, covers, and a feworiginals. The hallmark of Rig The Jig's work seems to be theircovers of American folk singers. Last CD it was Arlo Guthrie; thistime John Prine takes a turn, as well as covers of Irishfolksingers like Mickey McConnell and Luka Bloom.

The production on the CD is tight and spare, perfect for thevarying musical styles inherent in Rig's work. Musicianship isexcellent, especially Rig The Jig's work with acoustic guitar. (Theband has four members listed as guitar players. It shows.)

There are a lot of stellar moments on Finding The Gold. The cover of John Prine's "Please Don'tBury Me" is truly brilliant; Rig The Jig handles the mix of pathos,humor, and irony in the lyrics with perfect skill, matchedelegantly with Jimmy Flanagan's banjo. (Incidentally, this trackproves Steve Martin's Law: "Nothing can sound depressing whenaccompanied by banjo." This song is about being dead, not wantingto be buried, and being dismembered and shared, yet is oddlyperky.) Glen Reid's "Green Valley" is beautiful, a cover of Prine's"Mexican Home" is hauntingly lovely, and Luka Bloom's "An IrishmanIn Chinatown" is funny as hell.