Territory

Territory

This follow-up to Hart's 1996 debut, <i>Big Mama's Door</i>, leaves no doubt that the early acclaim the California singer has generated is deserved. <i>Big Mama's Door</i> introduced a player as well versed in the history of the blues as he is with its musicianship, and <i>Territory</i> only reinforces that perception. From the opening strains of "Tallacatcha" to the closing "Underway at Seven," magic flies from his fingertips. It's as if those who've inspired Hart's music are channeling through him to reach a new generation. Whether it's the straight acoustic blues of "Mama Don't Allow" and "John Hardy" or the less-likely "Tallacatcha" (which entwines lap steel, fiddle, and piano into a Western dance-hall tune) and "Just About to Go" (a reggae-like number), this album further cements Hart's place in the upper ranks of contemporary bluesmen. <i>--Alexandra Russell</i>