Danny Gatton Cruisin' Deuces CD

Personnel: Danny Gatton (electric & lap steel guitars, vibraphone, five & six-string basses); Billy Windsor (vocals, guitar); Delbert McClinton, Rodney Crowell, James Lewis (vocals); Bill Holloman (saxophone, trumpet, piano, Hammond B-3 organ, vibraphone, background vocals); Ralph McDuffie (alto & tenor saxophones); Tommy Dildy (piano); Tommy Lepson (Hammond B-3 organ); John Previti, Tinker Barfield (bass); Shannon Ford, Tim Biery (drums, percussion); J.T. Lewis (drums); Jay Monterose (background vocals).
Producers: Danny Gatton, Billy Windsor, Norma Gatton, Tim Olphie.
Engineers: Ed Eastridge, Bob Dawson, Mario Sasvino.
Recorded at Big Mo Studios, Wheaton, Maryland; Bias, Springfield, Virginia; Sorcerer Studios, New York.
Following the brief jazz departure of New York Stories, Danny Gatton returned to his blues and rock & roll roots with 1993's Cruisin' Deuces, which was essentially the follow-up to 1991's 88 Elmira St. Like that album, Cruisin' Deuces is peppered with stinging rockabilly leads and amazing country and blues licks. Gatton's skill was tasteful and lightning fast -- he could sound like two guitars playing simultaneously, but he never sounded cluttered or heavy-handed. And his guitar playing is the reason why you listen to Danny Gatton -- the occasional appearance of guest vocalists like Delbert McClinton and Rodney Crowell is just an annoyance. With its reliance on country-oriented material, Cruisin' Deuces isn't as diverse as his previous efforts, but it is no less impressive than its predecessors. ~ Thom Owens
CRUISIN' DEUCES was guitarist-extraordinaire Danny Gatton's second album for Elektra. Sadly, it was also his final record, as he committed suicide the year after its release. Like its predecessor, 88 ELMIRA ST, this album is a fine introduction to an amazing instrumentalist's broad approach to the guitar.
Gatton's style melds swing, rockabilly, jazz, blues, and country into a nicely flowing whole, aided by a fine sense of pacing. His playing can be fiery or heartbreakingly lyrical. One can't help but be moved by the gorgeous guitar and lap-steel melodies of "Tragedy." Gatton is backed primarily by his regular quartet, but the set is also sprinkled with dazzling guest appearances--including a vocal turn by Rodney Crowell on "It Doesn't Matter Anymore."Entertainment Weekly (5/28/93, p.56) - "...Danny Gatton lets his stunning electric-guitar chops loose on a barroom collection of R&B, rockabilly, and blues..." - Rating: B