Friday, November 24, 2006

THE GRANDSONS"Live at the Barns -- The Legendary Wolf Trap Recordings, Volume Two"Whirling House

HOW DOES THE SECOND installment of the Grandsons' "Legendary Wolf Trap Recordings" differ from the first? Only the names change, really. A fresh and typically eclectic array of songwriters contribute to the set list this time around, but otherwise the performances are dependably lively, rootsy and affectionate.

As always, naming that tunesmith will be part of the fun for listeners interested in pop obscurities. Recorded last November, the album kicks off with Arthur Neville's engagingly flimsy novelty "Zing Zing" and later accommodates songs composed by the likes of saxophonist (and Louis Prima foil) Sam Butera, Little Richard, Arthur Alexander, Lefty Frizzell, Bobby Troup and Slim Harpo.

Though the tune choices aren't confined to vintage cuts -- Peter Case's "Walking Home Late" and Karl Straub's "Scratch My Youth Off" make the cut, for starters -- the Grandsons take obvious delight in dusting off Frizzell's honky-tonk classic "If You Got the Money, I Got the Time," Butera's R&B stroll "Easy Rockin'," and Troup's cinematic riff "The Girl Can't Help It." Now celebrating their 20th anniversary, the Grandsons -- Alan MacEwen, on guitar, vocals and trumpet, Chris Watling on saxes and Matt Sedgley on drums -- don't go it alone, however. The Washington-based trio enlists the help of several friends, including keyboardist Jon Carroll, pedal steel guitarist Diana Keene Carr and tenor saxophonist Derek Huston, along the way. So whether it's a New Orleans romp ("They All Asked for You (Audubon Zoo)" or a country lament (Danielle Howle's "I'll Be Blue"), the performances boast sufficient color and verve.

-- Mike Joyce

Appearing Friday at Wolf Trap.

Listen to an audio clip of the Grandsons