Steve Baker – Too Much Is Never Enough
Timezone Records
10 songs time – 43:17
English singer-songwriter-harmonica player and slide guitarist Steve Baker presents an Americana-Roots program. It’s all acoustic guitars, upright bass and occasional drums or percussion, with his melodic harmonica being the star of this show. All the musicians are sympathetic to each other. Steve wrote all but one song.
“Poison Chalice” is relevant in regards of some current political dilemmas. The CD title is a lyric lifted from this song. Mournful and melancholy harmonica and slide guitar set the atmosphere. Here and elsewhere his harmonica playing is melodic and limber, unlike many current players. There are some very interesting beats on the upbeat “Take Me For A Fool”. “Distant Shore” appears to be about the afterlife.
The narrator speaks of an uplifting partner in the love song “Too Broken To Mend”. I find “Fools Paradise” and “Terminal Road” to be a bit pessimistic. That being said, “Terminal Road” stands out for its’ infectiously funky harmonica riffing. “Charles Delondes Ghost” is one song that I am not sure of the subject matter, but it maintains a profound quality. Steve commits a good version of Bob Dylan’s “I Dreamed I Saw Saint Augustine”. The slow and tender “Gina’s Lullaby” is for his daughter Gina who does the harmony vocal near song’s end. It is a lovely sentiment to conclude this moving record.
This close to acoustic recording is both relaxing and thought provoking. All the instrumentalists are very good, with Steve’s harmonica playing being a revelation. Robert Carl Blank and Uli Kringler provide guitar support throughout. Mr. Baker is now based in Germany and many of the musicians appear to be German. It is encouraging to see music such as this get international recognition. There are subtle elements of the blues incorporated here, but it is largely a singer-songwriter affair. One that is surely worthy of your attention.