Review of „Live at Spanish Ballroom” by Jake Eddy

Jake Eddy is an exciting and talented bluegrass musician hailing from Parkersburg, West Virginia. He is known for his flatpicking guitar playing and his ability to blend traditional bluegrass with modern influences. Jake is a master at incorporating the use of alternate tunings, which adds a unique and fresh sound to his performances. His brand new live album “Live at Spanish Ballroom” shows once again that this 2022 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year is an artist who owns the stage with his authentic presence, his love towards his craft and audience and his very lively performances. The songs are from traditional bluegrass music to rewrites and originals.

Jake Eddy’s new album “Live at Spanish Ballroom” is a solo guitar tour-de-force that showcases his exceptional flatpicking technique and his ability to blend traditional bluegrass with modern influences. The album is a collection of re-interpreted traditional songs and original compositions that are brought to life by Eddy’s inventive use of alternate tunings and his good sense of humor.

Eddy’s sense of humor is on full display in tracks (like “Selling Merch” and “Going Downtown”) where he injects a bit of comedy into the breaks, making for an entertaining listening experience.

The album’s opener, “Goodbye Liza Jane,” is complex but with an easy to follow melodic motif. This track would do well with a full band, but as a stand-alone piece, it evokes feelings of freedom and nature.

“The bright “Old Piss and Sopping the Gravy” is a prime example of Eddy’s flatpicking prowess, with fast flow, contra melodic and call and answer riffs that will have you tapping your toes and nodding your head.

“Dale Hollow” takes the listener back to the old, quaint memories of the countryside and the West. Eddy’s solo guitar flatpicking is at its finest, intricate and complex, yet effortlessly conveys the mood and feeling, reminiscent of the dueling banjos guitar part.

“Black Mountain Rag” is a track that showcases Eddy’s ability to use all the tricks available to a solo guitarist, using intricate running progressions, double time, contra motifs, and a seemingly exponential increase in subdivisions. It starts off moderately fast, and then warps into hyper mode, and it seems impossible to play, but it’s a roller coaster ride for the listener.

“Beaumont Rag” is a more intricate melodic motif, with a surprising unfamiliar progression, leaving the listener wondering how it resolves, but it does, and that’s the charm. It’s more of a classical approach, but full of flavor.

“The Wild Turkey” and “Kentucky Waltz” are two other tracks that stand out. The former is a subtle and the latter is a slow track, almost a ballad, more reflective, with more space, less drama, but still engaging.

“Joy to the World” is a simpler track, still with all the flavor of contra motifs, but with a healthy, strong melodic hook.

“Freight Train” evokes the movement and destination of a new place, with all the components that make locomotion possible.

“Cotton Eye Jo” is a true to form cover, overly complex, but nails the intention in style and the strings are “on fire.”

Overall, “Live at Spanish Ballroom” is an album that is never boring, with Eddy’s effortless and enjoyable approach to his craft. He never overstretches or becomes self-centered, and he’s able to convey good vibrations through his music. This album is a must-listen for fans of bluegrass, flatpicking guitar, and good old-fashioned entertainment.