Rob Lamothe is a prolific, yet little-known guitarist and singer recording on a very small label in Rochester, NY. He is perhaps more famous for his work with The Riverdogs. After listening to Above the Wing is Heaven, it is very easy to picture him performing in a blues bar on the same bill as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, an acoustic version of Led Zeppelin, and Ed Englerth.
"Time Will Go By" and "Roads to Freedom" are the highlights here. "Blue Ray" features Lamothe doing his best Robert Plant imitation vocally. To me, though, the best track is a stripped down, acoustic version of the Black Sabbath classic "Paranoid," which features labelmate Lisa Winn on harmonies.
Between Lamothe, Winn, Melissa McClelland (heard here on "I Ride the Waves"), Craig Erickson, and Plankton, Southgroove Records has a lot worth listening to. Check out their artists at www.southgroove.com and find out what 90% of the United States is missing. Above the Wing is Heaven is a family affair - all of these artists except Plankton appear here, and three of Lamothe's relatives are featured on vocals, piano, djembe, and sound effects.
By the way, this CD is an enhanced disc, so if you get an early copy, you can also see some video work from the band as well. This is a plus, to see the creative process that went into recording these nine songs. Above the Wing is definitely worth your time.
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