Red to Blue is an album by the American musician Leon Redbone, released in 1986. It was his first album for August Records, a label started by Redbone. Redbone supported the album with a North American tour.
Production The album was produced by Beryl Handler and Redbone. David Bromberg accompanied Redbone on the cover of the Bob Dylan song "Living the Blues". Hank Williams Jr. provided a spoken part for the cover of his father's version of "Lovesick Blues". Biréli Lagrène played guitar on "Whose Honey Are You?" The Roches contributed backing vocals; Dr. John played piano. The album title comes from a Jelly Roll Morton quote that describes the transition from Spanish musical styles to blues-based ones.
Critical reception
The New York Times wrote that "Leon Redbone carries to a peak his mixture of jazz-filtered old pop songs, blues and 'contemp-folk' with the assistance of a pool of traditional jazz and folk-jazz musicians who light momentarily like hummingbirds in these performances, then take off again." The Columbia Daily Tribune said that the album "saunters and shuffles like an old hepcat, past his prime but still jiving along at his own unhurried pace."
The Vancouver Sun determined that "Redbone's almost hallucinogenic, sweeping you up in the gentle swing of his music and transporting you back to a '30s dance hall." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution deemed the album "his standard fare—barely intelligible vocals that get so loooow, clarinets, coronets, guitars, banjoes and tuba." Likewise, the Detroit Free Press considered it "the same old hambone."
AllMusic praised "the usual Dixieland backing augmenting his tasteful fingerpicked guitar work."
Track listing
Personnel Musicians
Leon Redbone – guitar, vocals Dr John – piano Arnie Kinsella – drums Giampaolo Biagi – drums Hank Williams Jr. – vocals (track 2) Eddie Davis – guitar Eric Weissberg – steel guitar, pedal steel guitar, pedal steel banjo Steve Fishell – steel guitar David Bromberg – dobro, vocals (track 10) Howard Alden – guitar, banjo Gary Peacock – bass (upright), vocals Vince Giordano – bass, bass (upright), drums, percussion, sax (bass), tuba Alvin E. Roger – violin Richard Hendrickson – violin Richard Maximoff – violin Andy Stein – violin, backing vocals Biréli Lagrène – guitar (track 9) Big Jonny Dong – tuba Dan Barrett – trombone Joel Helleny – trombone Scott Black – cornet Ken Peplowski – clarinet Charlie Wilson – clarinet Bobby Gordon – clarinet Joe Muranyi – clarinet Terry Waldo – piano The Roches – backing vocals
Technical
Leon Redbone, Beryl Handler – producers Doug Epstein – engineer Victor Deyglio, Bruce Smith – assistant engineers Michael Tarsia – dialogue engineer Greg Calbi – mastering engineer Emmett Miller & His Georgia Crackers – arrangements Joe Renzetti – string arrangements Michael Horen – cover art Leon Redbone – cover drawing
References