Big Time

Rob Ickes | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 20, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rounder / Umgd
• ASIN: B0001LYFRW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #227,605 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Folk Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 20-APR-2004

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Red hot Dobro picking, March 28, 2005

By 

twangmon (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Time (Audio CD)

One of today's premier lap slide guitarists -- and six-time winner of the International Bluegrass Association's Dobro Player of the Year award -- Rob Ickes is known for taking his Scheerhorn into musical areas rarely explored by other squareneck players. On previous solo records, he reworked Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man," Steve Winwood's "Can't Find My Way Home," and the Meters' "Look-Ka Py Py." But for his fourth album, Big Time, Ickes walks a more traditional line, tackling a superb collection of spirituals, fiddle tunes, and vintage country and bluegrass songs. Except for a smoking version of "Machine Gun Kelly" -- which James Taylor popularized in the early '70s -- the album is an instrumental affair. Arrayed in a circle, Ickes and his mates from the bluegrass band Blue Highway recorded Big Time live, sans headphones. This old-school approach lets the players -- rather than the recording engineer -- balance their banjo, mandolin, fiddle, flat-top, and upright bass with Ickes' quivering resonator timbres. The results? Modern string-band music that's soulful, hot, and mesmerizing.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ickes Takes Another Turn at Traditional Music, November 18, 2004

By 

Burger "AB" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Time (Audio CD)

The last reviewer had an excellent review, but made a mistake worth noting. Ickes is not most well known for his work with Alison Krauss & Union Station. Ickes was a founding member of Blue Highway, and continues to be a regular member of the band today. He has done a lot of session work in addition to his many recordings with Blue Highway and his solo CD's. He has not, however, recorded with Alison Krauss on CD - other than for a track that first appeared on Tony Furtado's second solo banjo CD - Within Reach. It was a cover of "I Will" written by Lennon & McCartney - with Alison singing a duet with Moondi Klein - then the singer of the Seldom Scene. None of the rest of Union Station appeared on that song. This track was then picked up for Alison's retrospective CD - the CD that gave her mass popularity. Many people at the time did not understand that that Cd was a compilation of tracks from other previously released albums.

Jerry Douglas is the regular dobro player in Union Station. He replaced their excellent mandolin player Adam Steffey when he left after "So Long So Wrong". They went for a less traditional sounding band in getting rid of the mandolin and adding a dobro. Jerry played on Alison's solo CD "Forget About It" and the last AKUS CD "New Favorite", and has toured with her for the past several years. Just didn't want anyone to get confused.

This CD is a return to bluegrass for Ickes - which I think is a welcome change. His first one was an excellent CD with many traditional elements and with either Blue Highway or members of Union Station backing him. The next two CD's have been jazzy - cool stuff also, but different. This one changes things up a bit by going back to his roots. It's great to see that Ickes can have one foot in bluegrass - appreciating the music and staying involved with it - while at the same time pursuing new boundaries with his instrument. Others - like Tony Furtado - couldn't find that balance. Furtado was the best young banjo player in bluegrass and gave it up for slide guitar. Now he's an alt country guitar player/singer/songwriter. While that's cool, he should take notes from Rob and find a way to do both.

Get this CD if you like hard driving dobro in a more traditional bluegrass environment. Get all 4 of his CD's for a great look at what the dobro can do - in and out of bluegrass.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smokin' Dobro Playin' - Found Here!, April 9, 2009

By 

R. Mason (West Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Big Time (MP3 Download)

I'd never heard Rob, until buying "Fire on the Dobro" and hearing his recordings of Sin Wagon, Ready to Run, Grapefruit-Juicyfruit, and You're Still The One. Fascinated with the incredibly clear, ringing tone he gets, Big Time was my "real" introduction.

Recorded the way music was meant to be (everyone playing at one time), there are no "ho hum" cuts here. While I'm a sucker for the absolutely blazing cuts found within, Rob's rendition of "Matt Hyland" actually brought me to tears.

If you're reading this and you haven't purchased yet - do so now!

P.S. If you'd like a closer look at Rob, also pick up "Mel Bay presents Rob Ickes: Contemporary Dobro Artistry ~ Rob Ickes (DVD - Aug 8, 2008)", a DVD/CD combo that's just Rob and mandolin prodigy Andy Leftwich. The bonus CD contains every recording on the DVD.