Jonathan Wilson: Fanfare

Justin Jacobs on December 16, 2013

During the past few years, Jonathan Wilson has quietly become your favorite musician’s secret weapon. He’s collaborated, onstage and offstage with Bob Weir, Dawes, Erykah Badu, Chris Robinson, Will Oldham and more. So for his follow-up LP to 2011’s critic-favorite Gentle Spirit, it isn’t surprising that his cast of supporting characters is star-studded. Fanfare finds Wilson projecting crisp, ‘60s folk rock—think CSNY—onto a widescreen with hi-fi surround sound, pumping smoke into the room for mysterious effect. And though Jackson Browne, Benmont Tench, Graham Nash and others show up, Wilson barely needs them. These 13 tracks are majestic, slow-cooking celebrations. From the slinky funk of “Future Vision” to the whispered, acoustic hymn “Desert Trip” and the jazzy guitar fire of “Dear Friend,” Wilson is all over the place, but somehow masters every turn.

Artist: Jonathan Wilson
Album: Fanfare
Label: Bella Union/Downtown