The prolific guitarist Jack Rose (Pelt), whose tribute album Honest Strings I recently reviewed, collaborated with many musicians and groups over the years. Ragged and Right – a nod to Waylon Jennings’ Somewhere Between Ragged and Right – is a posthumously released four-song country-rock EP of Rose’s collaboration with the band D. Charles Speer & The Helix. While it is tempting to focus on Rose’s contribution to this EP due to his recent passing, Ragged and Right is a perfect example of how truly collaborative Rose was, with equal and stellar contributions from his partners D. Charles Speer & The Helix, whose members also are in the No-Neck Blues Band, Coach Fingers, and Sunburned Hand of Man. Ragged and Right plays along Jennings’ brand of contemporary honky-tonk on both covers (Link Wray’s take on “In the Pines”) and originals. Recorded live in 08, this EP is a good, fun, foot-stomping, bourbon-swilling, raucous time. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Sir Richard Bishop, John Fahey, Waylon Jennings, Pelt, Jack Rose, D. Charles Speer and the Helix, Six Organs of Admittance