I’ve written about Ryan Lee Crosby’s music in the past. I’m not sure when the first time was, but back then he had finished playing with his rock band, Cancer To the Stars, and had moved on to a more acoustic singer/songwriter sound. He has been the type of musician that, if you lose track of him for a little while, he may be doing something completely different when you find your way back.
That’s what I found with his new album, River Music. Crosby moved on from singer/songwriter mode to an acoustic blues sound a few years ago, and has now started to incorporate Indian raga music into his sound. River Music is a blues album at heart, but with an expanded instrumental palate that mixes tabla drums and harmonicas, 12-string electric guitar, and a 22-string Indian slide guitar called a chaturangui. The new music is partly composed and partly improvised, creating an eclectic but meditative musical experience.
Crosby has also developed quite a following in Europe, and when I caught up with him earlier this week, he had just gotten back from an extensive tour. This week's featured track is "I'm Dissatisfied" from the album. It's called River Music, and you can find out more about that, Crosby’s past work, and his upcoming tour dates on RyanLeeCrosby.com.
Visit http://ryanleecrosby.bandcamp.com
