Deborah Robins – Lone Journey

DEBORAH ROBINS

Lone Journey

Zippety Whippet Music

cdbaby.com/cd/deborahrobins

On Lone Journey, Deborah Robins offers a set of 23 lovingly performed traditional folksongs and composed songs that have mostly entered the folk tradition – sung and played front porch or kitchen table style – mostly solo or with occasional backup from Larry Hanks, her husband and usual performing partner.

Deborah has a lovely voice and accompanies herself solidly on nylon-string guitar and banjo-guitar (a banjo head with a guitar neck and strings so it essentially sounds like a banjo but plays like a guitar).

Among my favorite tracks on this generous set are a pretty version of “Tell Old Bill” (which I can’t listen to without remembering my late friend Dave Van Ronk); “Goodbye to My Stepstone,” a coming-of-age song sung from the perspective of a young person leaving home to make his or her own way in the world; “Take It Slow and Easy,” one of Jesse Fuller’s goodtime blues songs featuring Larry playing some fine Lead Belly-style 12-string guitar; and a sprightly version of “Dance, Boatman, Dance,” an infectious riverboat song learned from Bob Gibson.

Lone Journey is a nice reminder of the simple joys of traditional folk music.

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--Mike Regenstreif