Doug Cox: Home

The followup to 2007's Slide to Freedom finds Vancouver Island guitarist Doug Cox, one of the modern-day slide greats, matched evenly by Salil Bhatt, a master of the 20-string Satvik Veena. Cox, Bhatt and tabla player Ramkumar Mishra are joined here by a ridiculously rich group of friends (including Grammy winner Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Salil's father) for an exercise in expert, heartfelt playing that nearly defies description.

Throw in a red-hot singer from Louisiana (the incomparable John Boutte), a standup bassist from Gabriola Island (Dinah D of the Kerplunks) and a cover of Liverpudlian descent (For You Blue by the Beatles) and you've got bluesy world music gold.

mdevlin@tc.canwest.com

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2009