Phases & Stages

Denny Freeman

There are scant few guitarists in Austin as admired and respected as Denny Freeman. His stint in Bob Dylan's band makes him intimately qualified to tackle this covers project, so even if the power of the so-called Bard's songs is generated primarily through his words, Freeman's task on this all-instrumental album is to provide the necessary interpretive lyricism. Not surprisingly, he does so with the impeccable taste and understated grace that's characterized his fretwork since he was a mentor to a young Stevie Ray Vaughan as a member of Paul Ray & the Cobras. With a foundation of bassist Jon Blondell and drummer Barry "Frosty" Smith, Freeman lends his biting, blues-infected, sometimes jazzy licks to best extent on "Tangled Up in Blue," "Gotta Serve Somebody," "Queen Jane Approximately," and "Dignity." Too bad this self-produced project doesn't provide a more high-tone sound to complement the excellence of its leader.