Keith Sewell, The Way of a Wanderer

The title track of Keith Sewell’s album The Way of a Wanderer can be seen as a declaration of purpose for this singer, songwriter, and musician. In creating the album, he chose to play most of the instruments himself, infusing bluegrass melodies with a progressive sound associated with contemporary country music.

While much of his career has been spent providing backup music for the likes of James Taylor, The Dixie Chicks, and Ricky Skaggs, his vocals are by no means his weakest instrument, settling into the aural landscape as another finely-tuned expression of his bluegrass roots. The second track, “Abigail,” caught me off-guard, fashioning a bluegrass riff into an energized jazz syncopation that had me tapping my foot on the backbeat. “Fiddle and Bow” also stands out as a candid recollection of a young Keith sitting in awe at his grandaddy’s knee, an accomplished bluegrass musician himself, enamored by the swing of the bow.

You can hear Sewell for yourself, his pickin’ skills and vocal harmonies on display with Lyle Lovett and his Large Band at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston Tuesday night, September 4th. See www.thegrand.com for ticket information.