Lost Diamond Angel

Jimmy Ryan | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 12, 2002)
• Original Release Date: July 12, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Jimmy Ryan
• ASIN: B00006A6VX
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,460 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

It’s harvest time for Jimmy Ryan. Planted twenty years ago in the fertile soil of the Boston roots scene and watered with the rich, muddy water of bluegrass, punk and Americana, Jimmy Ryan’s first solo record ‘Lost Diamond Angel’ is a rich harvest indeed.

At the root of the record is Jimmy’s mandolin. His propulsive playing has graced records by everyone from Morphine to Warren Zevon to Catie Curtis to Melissa Ferrick. Here, on his own record, it insinuates rather than dominates, creating an entirely new setting for a mandolin playing frontman. While his mandolin influences range from Bill Monroe to Jethro Burns, this is no retro roots record. This is mandolin playing for a new generation.

It was Ry Cooder’s mandolin part on the Rolling Stone’s ‘Love In Vain’ that first piqued Jimmy’s interest in the mandolin. Bringing to it his love of Bob Marley, Thelonious Monk and the Clash sealed his distinctive style.

In 1987 he formed The Blood Oranges, a seminal Boston roots band that, over the course of three records, played with The Tom Tom Club, Los Lobos, and Kathy Mattea, were praised by Rolling Stone magazine, and built up a huge following on the roots/Americana scene. Jimmy also formed, with John McGann, The Beacon Hillbillies, mixing jazz and bluegrass and releasing three CD’s. Since 1996 Jimmy has played with Catie Curtis while writing and gathering material for ‘Lost Diamond Angel’.

It’s on ‘Lost Diamond Angel’ that all the pieces fall into place. Enlisting a stellar cast of supporting players including Billy Conway (Morphine), Andrew Mazzone (Catie Curtis), Duke Levine (Mary Chapin Carpenter), Dana Colley (Morphine), and Catie Curtis, Jimmy lets his influences and experiences inform and color 13 songs of startling depth and originality.

Product Description

It’s harvest time for Jimmy Ryan. Planted twenty years ago in the fertile soil of the Boston roots scene and watered with the rich, muddy water of bluegrass, punk and Americana, Jimmy Ryan’s first solo record ‘Lost Diamond Angel’ is a rich harvest indeed.

At the root of the record is Jimmy’s mandolin. His propulsive playing has graced records by everyone from Morphine to Warren Zevon to Catie Curtis to Melissa Ferrick. Here, on his own record, it insinuates rather than dominates, creating an entirely new setting for a mandolin playing frontman. While his mandolin influences range from Bill Monroe to Jethro Burns, this is no retro roots record. This is mandolin playing for a new generation.

It was Ry Cooder’s mandolin part on the Rolling Stone’s ‘Love In Vain’ that first piqued Jimmy’s interest in the mandolin. Bringing to it his love of Bob Marley, Thelonious Monk and the Clash sealed his distinctive style.

In 1987 he formed The Blood Oranges, a seminal Boston roots band that, over the course of three records, played with The Tom Tom Club, Los Lobos, and Kathy Mattea, were praised by Rolling Stone magazine, and built up a huge following on the roots/Americana scene. Jimmy also formed, with John McGann, The Beacon Hillbillies, mixing jazz and bluegrass and releasing three CD’s. Since 1996 Jimmy has played with Catie Curtis while writing and gathering material for ‘Lost Diamond Angel’.

It’s on ‘Lost Diamond Angel’ that all the pieces fall into place. Enlisting a stellar cast of supporting players including Billy Conway (Morphine), Andrew Mazzone (Catie Curtis), Duke Levine (Mary Chapin Carpenter), Dana Colley (Morphine), and Catie Curtis, Jimmy lets his influences and experiences inform and color 13 songs of startling depth and originality.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Music From A Pale Brother, May 28, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Lost Diamond Angel (Audio CD)

This debut album from Jimmy Ryan is excellent.

How did a college kid from North Carolina become the fan of a mandolin player from Boston? It wasn't seeing him play at a club - that happened a few years later, when he toured with Orchestra Morphine. I discovered Jimmy Ryan when I heard his haunting and beautiful mandolin playing on the Morphine song "In Spite Of Me".

This album, dedicated to Sandman, almost made me forget about the fine Brothers, Pale. I'm not an expert on "Roots" or bluegrass music, so the only thing I can really say with any authority is...I liked the music. The slower and sadder numbers, such as "Happy Couple" and "John Brown", are genuine and heartfelt, while the more upbeat songs like "Drunker's Lament #7 or 8" inspire your feet and hips to move.

5.0 out of 5 stars You won't be sorry!, December 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Lost Diamond Angel (Audio CD)

I discovered Jimmy Ryan via Catie Curtis, and I'm so glad that he finally released a solo album. Don't let the mandolin fool you... "Lost Diamond Angel" rocks, though it has roots-y elements as well. Take a chance, you won't regret it!